Safety Knowledge Management Practices in Indian Construction Companies

Abstract

In the construction industry, safety has always been a persistent issue. The importance of safety knowledge for construction was highlighted by literature and practices. This study aimed to understand safety knowledge management (KM) commitments, strategies, and tools being used in Indian construction organisations. A survey was conducted among safety managers/heads in eight leading Indian construction contractors operating in a global construction market. The results indicated that out of eight companies, safety KM systems were available in seven companies and one was looking to implement it. All the organisations consider safety KM as the strategic assets for their companies and were aware of safety KM’s benefits. Email, Internet, small-group meetings and brainstorming were considered the most important tools to transfer safety knowledge among these organisations. Out of eight, six contracting organisations were aware that costly errors occurred at their companies when safety knowledge was not available when and where it was needed. Hence, safety knowledge sharing culture should be cultivated to enhance the safety performance of contracting companies. The findings may be used to establish standards to facilitate safety KM as an initial point for the government. This study would serve as a foundation for companies to enhance safety performance by improving their safety KM systems.