Automated safety planning approach for residential construction sites in Malaysia

Abstract

Construction continues to be considered as one of the most dangerous industries in the world, in particular residential building construction. This paper aims at proposing an automated safety planning plug-in (ASPP) for project scheduling software applications to mitigate the occurrence of construction accidents. To achieve this aim, frequency and severity of the common construction safety hazards in residential buildings were investigated by distributing a questionnaire among various safety managers and construction managers in Malaysia. A total of 106 completed responses were received. The risk level associated to each hazard was calculated based on the relevant risk matrix. The ASPP extracts current construction activities from any computer-based schedule (Microsoft Project® in this paper) and identifies their risk levels as well as safety regulations and hazards related to each activity as a report. The reliability and usability of ASPP was tested in a case study. The ASPP was found to be efficient and helpful for rigorously complying with safety regulations and control potential hazards. The practical implication of this study is to improve construction safety by promoting the project managers' awareness of safety hazards and relevant risks as well as essential safety measures provided through a comprehensive report from which managers can review essential safety measures to prevent possible construction accidents.