Improving health and safety on construction in Romania. A comparison with Ireland; lessons to be learned
Keywords:
health and safety, procedures, construction workers, safety performance, RomaniaAbstract
The purpose of health and safety procedures in the construction industry is to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of workers. Due to high accident rates on construction sites internationally, health and safety legislation has focused on minimizing accident causation and promoting construction worker’s safety. However, little attempts has been made to research the effects of those health and safety interventions on the safety behavior on construction sites in Romania. Therefore, the objective of this research was to explore the health and safety improvements on construction sites in Ireland and compare these with the current state-of-play of the construction sector in Romania. Based on the findings in Ireland, an opportunity exists to improve Health and Safety performance on construction sites in Romania. The main findings demonstrate that the safety can be improved through the introduction of safe working systems, enhanced regulation and enforcement, the role of the management and increased staff awareness and training.References
Amodu T. (2008). The determinants of compliance with laws and regulations with special reference to health and safety RR638 Health and Safety Authority.
Agarwal and Everett (1997). Implementing a Suitable Jobs Register in the Construction Industry: Preliminary Evidence Australian academic press.
Aksorn and Hadikusumo (2008). Critical success factors influencing safety program performance in Thai construction projects Safety Science Volume 46, Issue 4, April 2008, Pages 709-727.
Baarts, C., Spangenberg, S., Dyreborg, J., Jensen, L., Kines, P., Mikkelsen, K.L. (2003). Factors contributing to the differences in work related injury rates between Danish and Swedish construction workers. Safety Science 41 (6), 517-530.
Behm, M. (2005). Linking construction fatalities to the design for construction safety concept, Safety Science 43.
Berzon (2008). Construction Deaths Las Vegas Sun.
Corbin, J., Strauss, A. (1990). Grounded theory research: procedures, canons and evaluative criteria. Qualitative Sociology 13, 3-21.
Coble and Haupt (1999). National culture and safe work behaviour of construction workers in Pakistan Safety Science Volume 47, Issue 1, January 2009, Pages 29-35.
Colak, B., Etiler, N., Bicer, U. (2004). Fatal occupational injuries in the construction sector in Kocaeli, Turkey, 1990-2001. Industrial Health 42 (4), 424-430.
Choudhry and Fang (2008). Why operatives engage in unsafe work behavior: Investigating factors on construction sites Safety Science Volume 46, Issue 4, April 2008, Pages 566-584
Chi (C.F.), Changa (T.C.), Tingb (H.I.) (2005). Accident patterns and prevention measures for fatal occupational falls in the construction industry, Applied Ergonomics 36 (2005) 391-400.
Dawson (1988) and Gun (1993). The role of regulations in the prevention of occupational injury Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Fernandez-Muniz, B., J. M. Montes-Peon, et al. (2007). Safety management systems: development and validation of a multidimensional scale. Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries 20: 52-68.
Garavan and O’Brien (2001). An Investigation into the Relationships between Safety Climate and Safety Behaviours in Irish Organisations: Irish Journal of Management.
Gillen (M.), Faucett (J.A.), Beaumont (J.J.), McLoughlin (E.), (1997). Injury severity associated with nonfatal construction falls, American Journal of Industrial Medicine 32 (6), 647–655.
Hay, G. (2003). The fall guys. Building Press 2003.
Helander (1991). Safety hazards and motivation for safe work in the construction industry International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics Volume 8, Issue 3, November 1991, Pages 205-223.
Hinze, J., Raboud, P. (1988). Safety on large building construction projects. J. of Construction Engrg. And Mgmt. 114 (2), 286-293.
Holmes, Lingard, Yesilyurt, and De Munk (1999). The effect of first aid training on Australian construction workers' occupational health and safety motivation and risk control behavior Journal of Safety Research Volume 33, Issue 2, Summer 2002, Pages 209-230.
HSA (2009b). Minister recognises construction industry's good safety progress but cautions against complacency, Press Release 15/09/09 – Health & Safety Authority.
Larsson, S., Pousette, A, Torner, M. (2006). Psychological climate and safety in the construction industry-mediated influence on safety behaviour. Safety Science 46 (2008) 405-412.
McDonald (N.).a, Hrymak (V.).b (2002). Safety Behaviour in the Construction Sector, Report to the Health and Safety Authority, Dublin & the Health and Safety Executive.
Mullen (2004). Testing a Model of Employee Willingness to Raise Safety Issues. PsycArticles.
Mohamed, S. (2002). Safety climate in construction site environments. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 128 (5), 375-383.
Rozenfeld (2008). Construction Job Safety Analysis Safety Science Volume 48, Issue 4, April 2010, Pages 491-498.
Saurin, Formoso, & Cambraia (2008). An analysis of construction safety best practices from a cognitive systems engineering perspective Safety Science Volume 46, Issue 8, October 2008, Pages 1169-1183.
Zohar & Luria (2003). The use of supervisory practices as leverage to improve safety behaviour: A cross-level intervention model Journal of Safety Research Volume 34, Issue 5, 2003, Pages 567-577.
