ABSTRACT During the last decades, there has been a growing awareness about occupational safety an... more ABSTRACT During the last decades, there has been a growing awareness about occupational safety and health risks by the various interested parties in the construction industry. However, despite the substantial improvements achieved, the rate of accidents is still significantly higher than in most of the other industries. Two major reasons have been used to explain this high rate of accidents in the construction industry: (i) the intrinsic riskiness due to the nature of the activities and the particular characteristics of constructions projects and organizations and (ii) the financial and economic issues regarding the implementation of additional safety measures in a growing competitive market. This companion paper is presented in two parts. The present document refers to Part 1 and reviews the major lines of research and main contributions in the field of occupational safety and health in the construction industry. The review covers occupational safety and health research, organized in accident understanding studies, accident analysis studies and accident modeling studies, and occupational safety and health risk management, in particular risk criteria and limits. The review reveals the need for a methodology to quantify occupational safety and health risk in construction projects following the guidelines set by the international standard ISO 31000:2009. Part 2 proposes and details the Occupational Safety and Health Potential Risk Model (OSH-PRM) that was designed to allow estimating the statistical cost of occupational safety and health risk.
ABSTRACT Nowadays, a wide range of stakeholders seek explicit performance and risk information on... more ABSTRACT Nowadays, a wide range of stakeholders seek explicit performance and risk information on construction projects. These stakeholders include end-users, authorities, insurance companies and financial institutions, among others. They look for proof that engineering risks are being properly managed and that specified performance-based requirements are fulfilled throughout all stages of the project (e.g. technical requirements related to the building such as structural safety, structural serviceability, structural durability, fire safety, energy efficiency, or others). Such demonstration can be conveyed through statements of technical conformity, such as technical risk reports or engineering performance certificates. Statements of conformity are particularly valuable to make informed decisions associated with contractual or other legal warranties against building nonconformities. This paper describes the conceptual background and the methodologies undertaken to design and develop a management framework that enables recognition of the conformity assessment results of building projects. It also presents the outreach of this management framework throughout the planning, programming, design, construction and use phases of building projects. This paper also summarizes the wide range of practical implications and benefits of this management framework for authorities and official bodies, owners and their representatives, banks and insurance companies, conformity assessment bodies, designers, builders, suppliers and end-users.
International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 2011
The assessment of historical buildings is usually focused on: 1) structural features related to b... more The assessment of historical buildings is usually focused on: 1) structural features related to brick or stone walls, wooden floors and other structural elements, or 2) highly valued decorative features, such as frescoes, stuccos, and facade details. During the last quarter of the 20th century, some “secondary” elements also started to receive their share of attention from researchers and practitioners.
Models and frameworks used for managing construction projects are typically inspired in business ... more Models and frameworks used for managing construction projects are typically inspired in business 'cultures' that prevail within industrial contexts. The conceptual backgrounds of quality, performance, and risk environments are explored to ascertain whether these 'cultures' ...
ABSTRACT During the last decades, there has been a growing awareness about occupational safety an... more ABSTRACT During the last decades, there has been a growing awareness about occupational safety and health risks by the various interested parties in the construction industry. However, despite the substantial improvements achieved, the rate of accidents is still significantly higher than in most of the other industries. Two major reasons have been used to explain this high rate of accidents in the construction industry: (i) the intrinsic riskiness due to the nature of the activities and the particular characteristics of constructions projects and organizations and (ii) the financial and economic issues regarding the implementation of additional safety measures in a growing competitive market. This companion paper is presented in two parts. The present document refers to Part 1 and reviews the major lines of research and main contributions in the field of occupational safety and health in the construction industry. The review covers occupational safety and health research, organized in accident understanding studies, accident analysis studies and accident modeling studies, and occupational safety and health risk management, in particular risk criteria and limits. The review reveals the need for a methodology to quantify occupational safety and health risk in construction projects following the guidelines set by the international standard ISO 31000:2009. Part 2 proposes and details the Occupational Safety and Health Potential Risk Model (OSH-PRM) that was designed to allow estimating the statistical cost of occupational safety and health risk.
ABSTRACT Nowadays, a wide range of stakeholders seek explicit performance and risk information on... more ABSTRACT Nowadays, a wide range of stakeholders seek explicit performance and risk information on construction projects. These stakeholders include end-users, authorities, insurance companies and financial institutions, among others. They look for proof that engineering risks are being properly managed and that specified performance-based requirements are fulfilled throughout all stages of the project (e.g. technical requirements related to the building such as structural safety, structural serviceability, structural durability, fire safety, energy efficiency, or others). Such demonstration can be conveyed through statements of technical conformity, such as technical risk reports or engineering performance certificates. Statements of conformity are particularly valuable to make informed decisions associated with contractual or other legal warranties against building nonconformities. This paper describes the conceptual background and the methodologies undertaken to design and develop a management framework that enables recognition of the conformity assessment results of building projects. It also presents the outreach of this management framework throughout the planning, programming, design, construction and use phases of building projects. This paper also summarizes the wide range of practical implications and benefits of this management framework for authorities and official bodies, owners and their representatives, banks and insurance companies, conformity assessment bodies, designers, builders, suppliers and end-users.
International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 2011
The assessment of historical buildings is usually focused on: 1) structural features related to b... more The assessment of historical buildings is usually focused on: 1) structural features related to brick or stone walls, wooden floors and other structural elements, or 2) highly valued decorative features, such as frescoes, stuccos, and facade details. During the last quarter of the 20th century, some “secondary” elements also started to receive their share of attention from researchers and practitioners.
Models and frameworks used for managing construction projects are typically inspired in business ... more Models and frameworks used for managing construction projects are typically inspired in business 'cultures' that prevail within industrial contexts. The conceptual backgrounds of quality, performance, and risk environments are explored to ascertain whether these 'cultures' ...
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