Evaluating the safety maturity of construction contractors before awarding the contract is an effective strategy that many owners have started to implement. Given the importance of workplace safety, awarding the contract to safer contractors can enhance project performance outcomes in terms of safety, quality, cost, and schedule. Safety maturity is one quality of a construction organization encompassing interdependent factors that can be used to evaluate expected safety performance. However, there is no formal decision-making framework available in literature that owners can use to evaluate contractor safety maturity. The present study aims to bridge this gap in safety knowledge by proposing a decision-making framework that can be used to evaluate the safety maturity of construction contractors. Development of the decision-making framework included two tasks. First, an integrative literature review to identify influential safety maturity factors and their potential indicators was performed. The result of the review revealed seven factors (safety leading indicators, safety lagging indicators, safety and supervisory personnel, system maturity and resiliency, preconstruction services, technology and innovation, and safety culture) that influence the safety maturity of construction contractors. Second, the identified factors, and their indicators, were integrated into a formal multicriteria decision-making method, referred to as Choosing by Advantages, to evaluate the safety maturity of five construction contractors on a selected case study project. The proposed framework is expected to provide practical and theoretical directions on how to evaluate contractor safety maturity using relevant evaluation factors and sound decision-making methods.

Highway construction has consistently reported relatively high fatality rates largely because of the considerable exposure of workers to live traffic. To address this anomaly, traffic control planners are tasked with making decisions geared toward reducing hazardous situations caused by transiting vehicles and construction equipment. The growing application of technologies to enhance worker safety should be considered during the traffic control planning process. In certain cases, decisions such as choosing among technology options are made using experiential individual knowledge without the application of scientific and systematic decision-making methods. Use of experience-based decision making in this context is largely the result of sparse literature on scientific methods of selecting between alternatives in highway construction work zones. By applying the Choosing by Advantages (CBA) decision-making method, a process that achieves sound and effective decisions, the current study aims to fill the gap in practice by proposing a decision-making framework that could enhance the value-cost selection process of safety technologies in highway construction work zones. A situation that applied work zone intrusion alert technologies (WZIATs) was selected as a case study. Using a focus group session and case projects as an evaluation study process, the proposed framework based on the CBA decision-making process was applied to evaluate three WZIATs. Findings from the current study will benefit safety professionals and practitioners by providing a step-by-step approach to make sound decisions that can enhance the level of safety in highway construction work zones.

Prior research has stimulated the development of theories and models of accident causation and quality performance. The Distractions theory states that safety is situational, where workers can be distracted by a recognized safety hazard, mental stress, or well-defined work task that exists while conducting work. This theory can also be applied to work quality, i.e., poorer quality results when workers are distracted. The authors conducted a research study that involved identification of factors and conditions that distract workers and an assessment of the magnitude of impact of the factors/conditions on worker safety and work quality. Using a survey approach informed by extensive literature review, the authors collected experiential data on work performance from construction personnel in different positions on projects (field worker, foreman, superintendent, project engineer, and project manager). The survey results highlight multiple impactful distractions that compromise safety and quality. Examples of internal distractions include: poor attitude and lack of safety incentive. A high number of project scope changes and adverse weather conditions are examples of external distractions. When considering all impacting distractions amidst the pressure to complete the work, the findings suggest a new approach to safety and quality management based on the “energy” felt by workers while completing assigned tasks.

Much of the construction work that occurs on high-speed roadways takes place at night to minimize impacts on drivers. Performing work at night exposes workers to hazards that are not present during the daytime such as driver drowsiness, alcohol use, and reduction in visibility. Illuminating the area where work is taking place can provide sufficient lighting for the workers to see their work and help them to be more visible. Depending on various factors such as the amount of light needed and the nature of work operation, different lighting equipment is used for illumination. Mobile lights attached to the construction equipment, portable lights, and personal lights worn by workers are examples that can be used to provide the necessary lighting. The authors performed a survey of current lighting systems and practices in preservation project work zones across the U.S. The impact of two lighting systems including the light tower and balloon light on visibility of the workers was evaluated. The authors examined the visibility of workers at different distances, various locations in regards to the light and with different high visibility apparel. The results of the survey showed that a portable light tower and balloon lights are the most commonly-used types of lighting system in construction work zones. Moreover, workers feel safer when using additional personal light equipment such as a flashlight. The location of the worker on the roadway relative to the light location is a significant factor in the visibility of the worker. Selected lighting strategies are provided to be considered in designing nighttime work zones to improve the visibility of workers and increase safety in highway work zone construction.

Interest in construction innovation has grown considerably over the past three decades. The growth in innovation research was largely spurred by the need to improve poor project performance within the construction industry. A primary contributor to poor construction industry performance is the high rate of construction worker injuries and fatalities. Past studies indicate that adoption of new technologies—including safety related technologies—in the construction industry is subject to resistance from construction stakeholders. Although studies focused on technology adoption drivers and barriers in construction exist, there have been limited studies focused on determining the factors that drive the adoption of safety technology. Using technology acceptance theories, a technology centered change model, and a value proposition framework, the present study proposes a theoretical framework that could assist in improving the odds of safety technology adoption. First, an extensive literature review spanning the construction industry and other adjacent industries was conducted to identify the factors that influence adoption of safety technologies. Based on the results of the literature review, 12 factors were identified. Results from a survey questionnaire indicate that cost savings, technology effectiveness, reliability, ease of use, and useful technical attributes are the key factors that influence adoption decision. This finding informs the development of a theoretical framework—construction safety technology adoption framework (C-STAF). The study results have the potential to create practical directions for technology manufacturers and end-users thereby improving the adoption of safety technologies in the construction industry.