Construction owner's role in construction safety (private sector)

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Date
2007
Authors
Boon Sian, Khor
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The construction industry has long been regarded as one of the most dangerous industries and still problematic areas that need to be addressed by all parties concerned. It has a history of poor safety performance in Malaysia and despite the fact that laws and regulations have been established and enacted in the past decades. The improvements are due, in part, to the concerted efforts of owners, contractors, subcontractors, and designers. The owners of construction projects are the primary consumers of construction services, the sources of project finances, and, in many cases, the end users of the facilities. They are often at the pivotal position ofthe project. Traditionally, owners have not been directly involved in construction safety, often in order to avoid economic losses and legal entanglements resulting from injuries. However, with the increase of accident costs and legal cases involving owners as the third-party defendants, owners have come to realize the importance of safety. In this study, the owner's role in construction safety was investigated. The relationship between project safety performance and the owner's influence was examined, with particular focus on the project context, selection of safe contractors, contractual safety requirements, and the owner's proactive involvement in safety management. It was concluded that the owner's involvement can significantly influence project safety performance. Owners can achieve better project safety performances by setting safety objectives, selecting safe contractors, and participating in safety management during construction.
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