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CPWR EXTRA
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December 2017
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From the Desk of Chris Trahan Cain, Executive Director
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Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2017
Report explores role of BIM, PtD in construction safety
 Once again, CPWR teamed up with Dodge Data & Analytics to survey American construction contractors about key trends and innovations in construction safety and health. Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2017 is the third in a series of studies that demonstrate the financial and project benefits that contractors gain from their safety investments. It also shows the impact that new technologies, such as building information modeling (BIM), drones, and wearable devices, have on improving safety. Finally, it suggests that active consideration of safety during building design, known formally as Prevention through Design (PtD), is still an emerging practice - but one well-positioned for wider acceptance in the design and construction industry.
The study compared current survey responses on leading indicators of a positive safety culture and climate on jobsites with those from the 2012 and 2015 surveys, allowing us to track changes over time. For instance, safety and health training for supervisors and workers, one of the eight leading indicators of a strong safety culture, is up from 2015, while recognizing the importance of good communication, another of the indicators, is down. Tracking safety managers' views helps us and our partners identify industry needs and opportunities for improvement.
Other important findings include:
- Over two-thirds of contractors (69%) who use BIM state that it has a positive impact on project safety, a 27-point increase over those who reported that in 2012.
- Almost one-quarter of contractors (21%) use drones to promote safety onsite.
- Only about half of architects (51%) review designs with contractors to optimize construction safety, citing liability concerns (79%) and lack of client interest (63%).
This last point confirms two things we have been hearing for years: owners drive construction safety and health, and architects are reluctant to implement PtD solutions without client pressure. If we can ensure that entire teams - starting with the owner/client - focus on preventing jobsite hazards, we will continue to see improvements in worker injury, illness, and fatality rates.
CLICK HERE to download a copy of Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2017. CPWR will host a webinar presenting the report's findings on January 23.
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