Safety Performance in Industrial Construction: A Case Study

Abstract

This paper presents a case study of a safety training program developed by an international leading construction firm. The study was prompted by the continuing challenge of work- related accidents in the construction industry. Even with the measurable safety improvements in the last several decades, the construction industry still exhibits high rate of occupational fatal injuries compared to other industries. A linear regression model was developed using Microsoft Excel to determine the level of impact of the number of training hours on the resulting safety performance. The analysis confirmed that the number of training hours had a strong impact on reducing safety incidents. The coefficient of determination (R²) demonstrated that the number of training hours accounted for 81% of the variance in the incidents rate. The study results should assist in quantifying the cost-benefits of implementing safety programs, and in justifying the mandating of a certain number of training hours.