Proactive construction safety control: Measuring, monitoring, and responding to safety leading indicators

When constructing and updating the built environment, ensuring the safety of all parties involved is of utmost importance. Traditionally, safety has been measured and managed reactively, where actions are taken in response to adverse trends in injuries. Alternatively, safety-related practices can be measured during the construction phase to trigger positive responses before an injury occurs. Despite the potential benefits of such strategies, few have been identified in the literature and there has yet to be an organized effort to codify and investigate these methods. A mixed-methods research approach was used to (1) clearly identify and define elements of the safety management process that can be measured and monitored during the construction phase, (2) describe resource requirements for measurement, monitoring, and response, and (3) describe specific management actions required when any indicator fails to satisfy a desired value. To produce internally and externally valid and reliable results, data were triangulated from case studies, content analysis of award-winning projects, and focused discussions among construction safety experts. In total, over 50 proactive metrics were identified, 13 of which were selected as top priority by expert professionals. Use of these indicators has been connected to exceptional safety performance in industry-leading organizations. The implication of the findings is that very strong safety outcomes can be expected if contractors build upon a robust safety management foundation with the use of these methods of project safety control.