Developing a safety risk control protocol to mitigate workarounds and hazards on construction sites

Abstract

Construction is one of the most dangerous industries because of the numerous safety hazards that can result in fatalities or major injuries. Workarounds are a contributing factor to construction accidents, yet they receive little attention. To address the problem of accidents in the construction industry, the connection between workarounds and safety hazards on construction sites was investigated in this study. The pragmatic research philosophy used for the study enabled the solving of real-world problems, coupled with data collected using semi-structured interviews and survey questionnaires from case studies in Bloemfontein City, South Africa. The qualitative findings revealed that workarounds often arise because of incompetent or untrained workers, neglect of personal protective equipment, poor communication, and the pressure to prioritise productivity over the health and safety of the construction team. Quantitative analysis further reinforced these findings by demonstrating that poor quality materials, lack of training, and miscommunication contribute significantly to safety risks and, subsequently, compromise the productivity of contractors. The results of the analysis also emphasised the need for a well-defined risk control system, effective planning, and strict enforcement of safety measures by health and safety officers and site management. Furthermore, employees’ ignorance of existing risk control systems was identified as a major challenge in ensuring compliance with safety protocols. To address these issues, a well-structured safety risk control protocol was developed based on the findings of the study. The aim of these measures is to mitigate the risks associated with workarounds, to ensure a safer working environment for construction workers.