ProgramA Research Library
 
Strengthend human relations and ethical practices || Occupational health and safety
 
Safer construction

Background

Commissioned by Engineers Australia and supported by the Australian Contractors Association, Property Council of Australia, Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Association of Consulting Engineers Australia, Australian Procurement and Construction Council and Master Builders Australia, the Safer Construction project is the result of a recognised need to reduce accidents and deaths in construction processes. The CRC for Construction Innovation is providing the industry research leadership in research, project management and funding this key project.

 
The project will develop a Voluntary Code for Safer Construction that specifies the safety responsibilities of all construction project stakeholders, from owners, designers and constructors.

Key Objectives

The project seeks to:

  • Increase the integration of OHS into decision-making by owners, clients, designers and constructors in order to achieve a significant reduction in workplace injuries within the construction industry; and
  • Provide policy-makers, in particular the Office of the Australian Safety and Compensation Council and the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner, with a framework for promoting best practice in construction OHS.

Methodology

The project examines those practices that promote OHS at the design, procurement, construction and commissioning stages of a lifecycle of a building/structure and incorporates the following research approach:

Deliverables

The project will provide the following outputs:
  1. A VCOP for leading cultural and behavioural change in the procurement, design, construction and commissioning of buildings/structures, to be used by industry participants (i.e. clients, designers and constructors) in order to drive improvement in construction OHS;
  2. A set of criteria for the evaluation of OHS best practice at each stage of a projects life cycle, as well as in relation to the activities of all participants in the construction industrys supply chain;
  3. A toolkit for supporting the implementation of the code of practice; and
  4. An industry summary booklet that includes PowerPoint presentation material with speakers notes suitable for delivery to industry. The booklet will include a summary of the VCOP, criteria for evaluating construction industry OHS, the implementation toolkit, and best practice case studies.
Other Industry Benefits

Additional benefits to industry include the following:
 

Further Information

For further information about the project, please contact Tim Fleming (Project Leader) on (02) 8801 2300 or email tim.fleming@jhg.com.au

Guide to best practice for safer construction (Industry publication)
 
Literature review: Safer construction: From concept to completion (Project report)
OHS perceptions and expectations: Construction safety taskforce (Project report)
 
Uptake of an OHS code of practice by Australian construction firms
Uptake of an OHS code of practice by construction firms: Barriers and enablers in an Australian industry context (Refereed conference paper)
Safer construction voluntary code of practice: Implications for SMEs (Refereed conference paper)
Safer construction: The development of a guide to best practice (Refereed conference paper)
Safer construction: The development of a voluntary code of practice to improve safety performance in the Australian construction industry (Conference paper)
Occupational health and safety in Australia: The construction industry's response to the National Strategy 2002-2012 (Conference paper)