An integrated construction safety system: a knowledge based system approach

Abstract

Concerns about the safety of construction have dramatically increased in the past decade. Parties involved in the construction industry are continuously working on reducing the high rate of injuries and fatalities on construction sites. Project safety is a process in the construction industry which is, for most part, managed reactively and is the sole responsibility of the contractor. Most safety and health professionals agree that injury reduction is only possible by improving the way safety is managed on site. Thus, reactive planning approach which is widely practiced to managed safety today should be replaced by proactive approach in order to improve safety. For a proactive approach to be effective, computer based systems that effectively manage safety information are needed. This research develops a framework for an integrated knowledge-based system for automating safety management. The proposed system integrates safety and schedule information thereby making safety a more integral part of the overall planning and control cycle. The proposed system also ensures timely access to safety information by associating each schedule activity with required safety actions.