A conceptual framework for including “safety in design” in engineering training and design practise

Abstract

Despite significant efforts taken to reduce hazards on the construction site, statistics across the globe suggest that construction-related fatalities remain high. While prevention through design gains momentum to eliminate latent health & safety hazards at the upfront design stage, designers often lack experience in recognising hazards that occur later on during the construction or operational stage. To fill this gap, this paper develops a conceptual framework to better communicate safety in design (SiD) to designers, thus raising their awareness of SiD and building their capability when considering appropriate design features. The conceptual framework embrace visualization, knowledge sharing, highly engagement and embedded-in questionnaire technologies. This research is part of a doctoral study, and it is hoped to lay a conceptual foundation for ongoing research that aims to enable designers to embrace SiD in their training and practice in the future.