Construction Supervisors Research Articles

A structured investigation on the site supervisory traits in applying science and technology related fundamental concepts in construction operations

Purpose Productivity increase is correlated with profitability, sustainability and competitiveness of the construction firms. Recent studies reveal that the primary causes of productivity decline are poor usage of scientific and technological advances, ineffective supervision strategies and poor apprenticeship facilities/opportunities. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to evaluate how well construction supervisors can utilise fundamental science and technological concepts/ideas to increase the efficiency and productivity of construction activities. Design/methodology/approach A new strategic layout was designed with the use of potential training guide tools. Based on the designed layout, a new supervisory training programme was developed, and 62 construction supervisors were selected, trained and evaluated in line with six parts of competencies and the relevant learning domains. An assessment guide with different levels of descriptions and criteria was developed through literature analysis and expert interviews. The research tools were verified using comprehensive approaches. Findings The overall mean values of supervisors’ performance scores indicate proficient-level grades in the competency characteristics related to taking measurements, generating drawings/designs using manual techniques and computer-aided tools, involving Bill of Quantities (BOQ) preparations and preparing training plans/materials for improving the competencies of labourers on estimation, measurements and understanding drawings. Their proficiency was notably lower in the use of information and communication technology application tools in construction tasks compared to others. The findings point to a modern generalised guideline that establishes the ranges of supervisory attributes associated with science and technology-related applications. Research limitations/implications The study outcomes produce conceptualised projections to restructure and revalue the job functions of various working categories by adding new definitions within the specified scope. This may result in constructive benefits to upgrading the current functions associated with urbanisation, sustainability and society. The implementation of the study’s findings/conclusions will have a significant impact on present and future practices in other developing nations and developing industries, even if they are directly applicable to the Sri Lankan construction industry. Originality/value Up to certain limits/stages, the study fills not only the knowledge gap in the field of creating protocols and application techniques connected to lifelong learning and skill enhancement/upgrading but also the existing gaps in work attributes and roles of construction supervisors associated with the utilisation of fundamental science and technological concepts/ideas towards reinforcing sustainable and productive site operations.

A case study on the site supervisory attributes in construction labour management, performance assessment and productivity measurement practices

Purpose The sustainability of the construction industry is associated with the productivity, profitability and competitiveness of the firms, which are significantly affected by inefficient site supervision and labour management approaches. This study aims to use a case study with mixed methods to evaluate the site supervisory characteristics in labour management, labour performance assessment and labour productivity measurement towards developing meaningful guidelines in polishing construction supervision attributes. Design/methodology/approach Well-developed modern apprenticeship elements were applied to 62 construction supervisors who were selected using the snowball sampling method, and their relevant competency characteristics were assessed using a comprehensively developed grading mechanism connected with useful training manuals/tools. Academic reviews, experts’ consultations and other meticulous mixed approaches were applied at different stages of the research plan’s sequential layout. Findings The mean performance scores of supervisors indicate proficient-level grades in the competency characteristics related to applying efficient labour management procedures and developing-level grades in designing productivity measurement tools, performing assessments on efficiency and productivity and proposing enhancement practices on efficiency and productivity for site operations. The findings point to a modern generalised guideline that establishes the ranges of supervisory attributes within the scope of the study. The validity, reliability, adaptability and generalisability of the findings were assured by using pertinent statistical tests and professional assessments. Research limitations/implications Though the study’s conclusions/findings are primarily applicable to the construction environment of a developing country comparable to the Sri Lankan context, they will considerably impact current/future industrial practices in various other countries and emerging industries. Originality/value The research has produced a conceptualised modern tool that guides determining the capacity levels of supervisory attributes for carrying out labour management, labour performance assessment and labour productivity measurement aspects in construction. The research has opened a pump that inflows new values of highly workable supervision features for strengthening the site management structures and filling the industry’s knowledge vacuum in the methodical execution of apprenticeships.

A Study on the Evaluation of Construction Supervisors’ Competencies in Applying Construction Planning and Management Approaches

Productivity growth is associated with competitiveness, profitability and sustainability in the construction sector, whereas studies underline that poor supervisory characteristics and training resources are the leading causes of construction productivity loss. This study employs a case study to evaluate the capabilities of construction supervisors to apply planning and management approaches for enhancing the effectiveness of construction operations. A new training programme for construction supervisors was designed using meticulous sequential methods, and 59 construction supervisors were trained and assessed under seven elements of competencies and the relevant learning domains. An assessment guide with varying degrees of descriptions and criteria was accomplished through literature reviews and professional interviews. The study has produced a new generalised guideline that shows the cross-section of what levels of skill/ability can be taken into account in supervisory attributes as a result. Using pertinent statistical evaluations and expert assessments, the reliability of the results, as well as the generalisation of the study’s applications and outcomes, were guaranteed. The study has opened a valve that allows new values of highly practicable supervision features to flow into the site management structures, filling the industry’s knowledge vacuum in the methodical execution of apprenticeships. Though the study’s conclusions/findings are particularly applicable to a developing country's construction environment analogous to the Sri Lankan context, they will have a significant impact on current/future industrial practices in a variety of other countries and rising industries.

A BIM-Based Approach for Assessing Occupational Health Risks in a Building Construction Project

Construction work sites and the surrounding built environments are notable contributors to atmosphere dust particulate matter (PM) emissions. PM produced in construction processes contain a range of chemically hazardous substances, posing significant health risks (HR) to individuals. As such, the evaluation of occupational HR in construction has become a focal point of interest internationally. Initiated in the early 2000s, there has been a growing demand within the construction research community for the creation of a unified PM database that encapsulates a wide array of construction activities. Previous studies have endeavored to establish a PM database for various construction contexts, yet they have fallen short in thoroughly addressing the diversity of construction materials and the levels of toxic substances (TS) within the PM. This research introduced a comprehensive PM and TS dataset and conducted a case study to measure the HR associated with diverse construction processes. This was accomplished by implementing a semi-automated Building Information Modeling (BIM) version 2020-based plugin, which streamlines the assessment of occupational HR in construction projects. This system provides construction supervisors with a tool to visually assess the HR of daily operations, thereby facilitating the adoption of preemptive measures to protect the health of construction workers.

Testing the Construction Site Supervisory Attributesin Applying Green Practices in Construction Operations

Sources highlight that poor application of green practices, ineffective supervising strategies and inadequate apprenticeship facilities significantly impact the overall efficiency of construction project flows. Accordingly, this researchattemptsto testthe construction supervisory traits in executinggreen concepts/practices in construction site operations. As part of a newly designedsupervisory apprenticeshipthat was systematically designed utilising consecutiveapproaches, 59 construction supervisors were evaluated using four key sections of competency characteristics and the relevant learning domains. An assessment tool encompassing variouslevels of descriptions and criteria was developed using a comprehensive literary analysis and consultations with subject matter experts. The results point to a generalised modern guideline that describes the types of supervision traits related to the application of green concepts/practices that can be theoretically and practically taken into account during the construction process. Using appropriate statistical tests and professional evaluations, the validation and generalisation of the study’sapplications were ensured with the reliable-ness of the findings.New standards and recommendations for construction supervision procedures are produced by the research, which might elevate this profession and make it the key determinant of the sustainability of siteoperations. This paper elaborates on the study’s broad implications and potential future applications in order to close the knowledge gap in the area of developing the application procedures and protocols related to skill enhancement/upgrading. The implementation of the researchoutcomes will significantlyimpact future practices in other developing nations and developing industries, even though the supervisory samples were used from the Sri Lankan construction setting.

Aligning the Sharp End and The Blunt End in Construction Projects: Planning for Safety as Case

Purpose: The construction industry is one of the most hazardous work sectors in Norway according to Statistics Norway. The purpose of this study was to study planning at various levels of construction projects, including planning of lifting operations, to assess how safety can be optimised.
 Methodology: This qualitative interview study was based on a thorough review of safety literature. Fifteen interviews were conducted with workers in the sharp and blunt end, i.e., close to, or removed from, hazard sources on construction projects. The participants in this study were skilled workers, construction supervisors, and managers.
 Findings: The current study found that proactive planning is crucial for safety. The current study also investigated the cruial role of project management as an important factor for safety. It was also identified that project management is a key in setting and maitaining safety in construct projects. However, this is dependent on communication and co- operation and alignment of the sharp end and the blunt end in projects.
 Originality: The current study goes into deep in construction projects and demonstrating the importance of close link between planning and execution and identifies prerequistes for good social interaction and thereby taking care of the safety.

Data-Driven Quantitative Performance Evaluation of Construction Supervisors

The performances of construction supervisors are essential for the monitoring, control, and coordination of the construction process of a project in order to adhere to a predefined schedule, cost, quality and other factors. However, it is challenging to evaluate their performance due to limitations such as data deficiency, human error, etc. Thus, this paper proposes an approach to data-driven quantitative performance evaluation of construction supervisors by integrating an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and activity tracking. The proposed approach contains three parts, namely, index extraction, weighting, data-driven index calculation, and then validation by case study. Firstly, performance indexes were developed based on a literature review as well as surveys and function analysis of the information system for construction supervision (CSI system). Then, the weights of and relationships among of the indexes are determined by AHP. After that, with daily workflow and inspection activities tracked in the CSI system, a method and a software module for automatic calculation of indexes were developed. Lastly, the proposed approach was validated by a real-world case. The result showed that the proposed approach can quantify the performance of a construction supervisor systematically and automatically, which shed lights on how to evaluate the performance of a worker based on the tracking of daily activities. The data-driven process enhanced our strong interpretation of member actions and evaluation indexes, and can boost the performance of every member in an organization.

A systematic evaluation on the competencies of construction supervisors in productivity and performance improvement practices – Sri Lankan perspective

PurposeA rise in productivity is associated with higher profits, competitiveness and the sustainability of an industry and a nation. Recent studies highlight inadequate labour supervision and training facilities as the main causes of productivity-related challenges among construction enterprises. This study aims to evaluate the construction supervisors' capabilities in applying the required elements of work practices for enhancing the performance and productivity of construction operations using a case study.Design/methodology/approachA new construction supervisory training programme was developed through comprehensive sequential processes, and 64 construction supervisors underwent training . Marking guides with different levels of descriptions/standards were developed through consultations with experts and literature reviews, and the supervisors' capabilities were assessed under 64 competency elements of 12 competency units.FindingsThe findings show a clear cross-section of all the required competencies of construction supervisors with various levels of standards/descriptions, leading to a new generalised guideline that helps to comprehend what degrees of skills can be taken into account in supervision attributes. Statistical tests and expert reviews were used to ensure the generalisability of the research applications and the reliability of the results.Research limitations/implicationsDespite the study findings being limited to the Sri Lankan construction industry, its applicability could create considerable impacts on the current/future practices of the construction sector in developing countries as well as other developing industries.Practical implicationsThe study adds new characteristics and values to construction supervision practices that can be remarkable in encouraging construction supervision to drive the sustainability of construction practices. The study findings are significant in decision-making/planning procedures related to technical comprehension, industry training, scientific documentation, adherence to workforce employment constraints and job outputs. This paper describes the further extensive implications and future scopes of the study elaborately.Originality/valueThis study addresses the knowledge gap in the industry related to the development of protocols and application methodologies necessary to track their performance. The study opens a new window that inflows knowledge attributes to the industry sector along with the necessary comparison of the relevant competency elements to predict/comprehend what levels of capabilities can be theoretically considered and practically applied in supervision characteristics.

Organisational elements controlling labour efficiency in building construction operations – a construction supervisors' perspective

PurposeLabour efficiency is the key component for the long-term sustainability of construction firms. Recent studies show that modernising organisational/managerial processes is necessary to raise labour efficiency in many emerging nations. Construction supervision is a crucial element in organisational/managerial practices, which provide blood circulation to the project operations by directing labour. Accordingly, this study aims to quantify the impacts of crucial organisational/managerial elements on the efficiency of labour in building construction projects based on the viewpoint of construction supervisors.FindingsA total of 28 factors were determined as critical, where lack of labour motivation, poor labour training facilities, poor performance evaluation practices, no labour rewarding mechanism and poor communication/cooperation between parties were judged to be the top five key issues in the list. The validity and reliability of the study findings were ensured through statistical tests and the experts' discussion outcomes. In view of the evolving challenges facing the industry, the results indicate that the organisational policies of construction enterprises in place addressing financial procedures, communication strategies, resource management and performance management practices must be enhanced.Research limitations/implicationsThe study findings will make a substantial contribution to reducing the disparity between organisation/management policies and labour practices towards changing how the sector operates to increase labour efficiency in construction projects.Originality/valueThis study contributes to addressing the knowledge gap in the industry associated with the organisational protocols, especially to understand/predict how such elements are significant, how much they influence the efficiency of construction practices and what steps can be made to limit their effects on labour efficiency in construction. These could be crucial in modernising organisational policies and procedures for construction management.

Assessing the competencies of construction supervisors in providing work-based training components for construction labour – Sri Lankan perspective

PurposeStudies highlight that poor labour supervision and inadequate labour training facilities are the primary factors that result in labour skill shortages and productivity-related challenges among construction firms. This study aims to assess the construction supervisors’ abilities in providing work-based training elements and evaluating labour skills in construction.Design/methodology/approachA construction supervisory training programme was newly designed with a set of labour training exercises using comprehensive approaches. A total of 64 construction supervisors were trained to deliver the labour training components for more than 250 labourers working on 23 construction projects in Sri Lanka. The supervisors’ competencies were assessed using a detailed marking guide developed through expert discussions and literature reviews.FindingsThe results show the detailed cross-section of a wide range of competencies of the construction supervisors in providing labour training elements with the levels of standards/descriptions. The generalisability of the study applications and the reliability of the results were ensured using statistical tests and expert reviews. The findings further describe the impacts of the well-improved competencies of construction supervisors on labour working patterns and work outputs.Research limitations/implicationsThough the study findings were limited to the Sri Lankan construction sector, the study applications can have a considerable impact on the current/future practices of the construction sector in developing countries as well as other developing industries.Social implicationsThe study outcomes may contribute to a rapid increase in the number of construction supervisors becoming certified assessors of National Vocational Qualifications up to certain levels. This paper describes the further extensive implications and future scopes of the study elaborately.Originality/valueThe study adds new characteristics and values to construction supervision practices that can be remarkable in achieving higher levels of performance and productivity in labour operations. Importantly, the study contributes to adorning the job role of construction supervisors with the title of “labour training expert”.

The Impact of Coping Strategies and Individual Resilience on Anxiety and Depression among Construction Supervisors

Psychosocial working conditions such as long work hours, low job control, and work–life imbalance faced by construction professionals in site management positions subject them to elevated work stress and poor mental health. This study explored the protective ability of resilience and coping strategies in mitigating mental ill-health among construction supervisors in Nigeria. By adopting a mixed methodology, validated psychometric instruments were used to collect data from 174 construction supervisors, and semi-structured interviews involving 13 participants were used to understand better how supervisors cope with stress. The quantitative data were analysed using mean and univariate logistic regression, while qualitative data were thematically analysed. Univariate logistic regression revealed that individual resilience and problem-focused coping (PFC) strategies related to planful problem-solving, positive reappraisal, and seeking social support reduced anxiety symptoms. Aside from the coping skill considered in the quantitative survey, two additional skills adopted by the supervisors were deduced following thematic analysis. On average, the respondents’ depression, anxiety, and resilience levels were within the mild, minimal, and normal range, respectively. Resilience moderated the relationship between coping skills and anxiety by showing that a stronger relationship between the coping strategy and anxiety will be observed among people with a high level of resilience. Resilience, planful problem-solving, positive reappraisal, and seeking social support coping behaviours are significant predictors of mental health. This study highlights the need for resilience-building as an integral part of stress-reduction and management interventions aimed at construction supervisors in the construction industry.

Pedological Construction Supervision during the construction process—Status of implementation and future prospects

AbstractBackgroundIn Germany, soil protection plays an increasing role in environmental protection. But construction sites are still not enough incorporated in soil protection measures. Pedological construction supervision (PCS) in construction projects can help to prevent soil damage during the construction processes.AimsThis study aims to evaluate the state of implementation of PCS in Germany and the PCS courses for soil professionals in Germany.MethodsA questionnaire survey has been conducted to get information about how strong the PCS is deployed and accepted.ResultsThe legal basis of PCS is described and its development as well as the state of implementation is explained. The PCS is more and more incorporated in construction processes especially related to large ground movements for energy cables. The new DIN 19639 specifications supported this process. A PCS certification course for soil experts has been established in Germany to get a certificate as soil expert. Meanwhile, about 160 certified PCSs work in the field of soil protection at construction sites.ConclusionsPCS on constructions sites is well established in Germany but it has to be applied on more construction sites in the future. A new soil protection ordinance in Germany in 2023 and the planned legislative change in the soil protection act will strengthen PCS. There is a great demand for certified pedological construction supervisors (PCSs). Training courses on PCS are needed, and PCS knowledge should be integrated into university courses.

Does sending Safety Toolbox Talks by text message to Residential Construction Supervisors increase Safety Meeting Compliance?

Construction is one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S. Within the industry, residential construction workers are at elevated risk for worksite injury and death, yet are rarely the focus of safety research and intervention. Conducting regular safety meetings has been identified as a key practice of construction companies with lower injury rates, and thus, there is a need for evidence-based tactics that increase compliance with this preventive practice. The current project was designed to evaluate whether distributing construction safety toolbox talks about workplace fatalities to supervisors by mobile phone would increase their compliance with the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OR-OSHA) standard for conducting at least one safety meeting each month. A sample of residential construction supervisors in Oregon (N = 56) were recruited and received a link to a toolbox talk by text message every two weeks for three months. Evaluation surveys were completed by supervisors before and after participating. Supervisors’ adherence to the OR-OSHA safety meeting standard improved by 19.39% during the text message period. However, self-reported safety communication quality and supervisor-rated employee safety performance did not significantly change. Supervisors indicated that they generally appreciated the mobile toolbox talk format, would like to receive them in the future, and would recommend them to other supervisors. Mobile delivery of toolbox talks may increase construction supervisors’ compliance with safety meeting standards. However, studies that replicate or extend this research are needed to confirm the safety meeting effect observed, and further advance efforts to reduce injury rates in the residential construction industry.

Conceptualizing the dynamics of mental health among construction supervisors

Workplace health and safety within the construction industry has focused on physical safety. Over time, mental ill-health has become a crisis within the construction industry. Hence, attention is drawn to the need to look into employees’ mental health because there is no health and safety without mental health. In order to combat the mental ill-health crisis, there is a need for the construction workplace to be psychologically safe. Although evidence on mental health in the Nigerian construction industry is limited, recent data suggest a high prevalence of depressive symptoms. Therefore, this study aims to create awareness of intervention strategies to alleviate mental health problems in the construction industry. A total of 174 survey data was collected from construction supervisors, and six project managers partook in expert discussions for the system dynamics model (SDM) development. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, univariate logistic regression, and SDM. Combined interventions were more impactful than single interventions in reducing and preventing the prevalence of mental ill-health because they cater to clusters of risk factors that may be present at individual and organizational levels. The study suggests that risk factors related to job control and job support should be doubled to maintain their protective ability, while job demand should be reduced by at least half to mitigate mental ill-health prevalence effectively. System dynamics modelling offers human resource and labour managers an avenue for system-based decision-making within the construction industry. This study shows that significant policy improvements related to job control, job support, and working conditions are required, as minor changes will not be appropriate.

THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACTUAL BREACH, SUPERVISOR TRUST, AND ORGANIZATIONAL INJUSTICE IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

This study evidences the psychological contract breach and organizational injustice affect via negative influence of employees’ supervisor trust. Questionnaire survey was sent to the individual at the construction site for data collection. The sample comprises 194 full-time employees. After initial data normality & reliability testing, we conducted confirmatory factor analysis to assess validity of measures with AMOS. The results of our empirical study show that when faced with psychological contracts breaches, and injustice in the workplace, employees are less likely to trust supervisor and most likely to engage in neglecting behaviors. In view of these results, it was suggested that construction supervisors plan policies and strategies to facilitate implementation of an appropriate environment. It will also provide positive culture; where-ever employees more frequently execute behavior in the low breach of psychological contract with the justice environment.

Robot-Assisted Object Detection for Construction Automation: Data and Information-Driven Approach

In construction automation, robotic solution is becoming an emerging technology with the advent of artificial intelligence and advancement in mechatronic systems. In construction buildings, regular inspections are carried out to ensure project completion as per approved plans and quality standards. Currently, expert human inspectors are deployed onsite to perform inspection tasks with the naked eye and conventional tools. This process is time-consuming, labor-intensive, dangerous, and repetitive and may yield subjective results. In this article, we propose a robotic system equipped with perception sensors and intelligent algorithms to help construction supervisors remotely identify the construction materials, detect component installations and defects, and generate report of their status and location information. The building information model (BIM) is used for mobile robot navigation and to retrieve building component’s location information. Unlike the current deep learning-based object detection, which depends heavily on training data, this article proposes a data and information-driven approach, which incorporates offline training data, sensor data, and BIM information to achieve BIM-based object coverage navigation, BIM-based false detection filtering, and a fine maneuver technique to improve on object detections during real-time automated task execution by robots. This allows the user to select building components to be inspected, and the mobile robot navigates autonomously to the target components using the BIM-generated navigation map. An object detector then detects the building components and materials and generates an inspection report. The proposed system is verified through laboratory and onsite experiments.

Fuzzy-stochastic model to assess defects in low-rise residential buildings

Understanding the severity level of defects in buildings can help project managers to take appropriate corrective actions. The objective of this study is to assess the severity of defects in low-rise residential buildings and develop a stochastic model for predicting the likelihood of occurrence of various categories of defects. The defects data for ground floor slabs and walls were extracted from engineering inspection reports of 252 residential buildings in Melbourne, Australia. The analyses were then carried out using Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation (FSE) and Monte Carlo Simulation (MS) techniques. The outputs of the FSE showed that the severity index of the floor cracks was found to be 3.05 with the equivalent linguistic term of ‘slight’ or 1–2.0 mm in size. Similarly, the severity index of wall cracks was found to be 3.01 with the equivalent linguistic term of ‘slight’ or 1–5.0 mm in size. This indicates that the severity level of defects in floor and wall is low. Likewise, the findings of the simulation analysis revealed that the probability of occurrence of floor cracks with width ranging from 2 to 4 mm is 40.9%, and the chance of occurrence of wall cracks having widths ranging from 5 to 15 mm is 73.6%. The proposed models can assist the regulatory bodies and construction supervisors to assess the probability of occurrence and severity of the building defects in the ground floor slabs and walls of low-rise residential buildings. Further, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by proposing methods to assess defects in buildings.

Associations of age at natural menopause and occupations in Chinese female workers: A cross-sectional study

Aims: To investigate the impact of occupation types on age at natural menopause. Methods: This is a nation-wide cross-sectional study based on 17,948 female workers aged over 40, who come from different industries or organizations. A face-to-face standardized questionnaire was conducted in all participants with the help of occupational hygienists. Occupational titles were coded according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (2008) (ISCO08). Cox regression model was used to assess the association between each independent occupation and menopausal timing. Models were adjusted for marriage, education, average annual family income, parity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption. Results: Higher risks of earlier age at natural menopause was found among legislators and senior officials (ISCO Minor group:111, HR = 2.328, P < 0.001), among other health associated professionals (ISCO Minor group: 325, HR = 1.477, P = 0.003), the workers involved in mining and mineral processing (ISCO Minor group: 811, HR = 1.515, P = 0.048) and metal processing and finishing (ISCO Minor group: 812, HR = 1.722, P < 0.001). Reduced risks of earlier age at natural menopause, including: finance professionals (ISCO Minor group: 241, HR = 0.751, P = 0.021), manufacturing and construction supervisors (ISCO Minor group: 312, HR = 0.477, P = 0.002), administrative and specialized secretaries (ISCO Minor group: 334, HR = 0.788, P = 0.045), cleaners and helpers (ISCO Minor group: 911, HR = 0.633, P = 0.01). Conclusions: This is the first study to address the influence of occupation types on reproductive aging, showing some specific occupations could be associated with age at natural menopause. Further investigations are necessary to clarify whether it is chance finding or a true association.

Qualitative Evaluation of 5S Application Considering the Experience of Electrical Construction Experts

The 5S lean tool is one of the most common lean construction techniques, which can lead to safe work environments if used effectively on project sites. The purpose of this study is to provide a checklist to maximize the outcomes of the 5S approach concerning safety requirements. A grounded theory technique was used to analyze the interview data. Eighteen electrical construction experts with the snowball of construction workers, safety representatives, supervisors, site and project managers were interviewed. Ultimately, the present study simplifies 5S implementation for first-time users and outperforms the outputs of the existing users. It is expected that the presented 5S checklist will provide practical actions for safer construction sites.

A Skills Measurement Framework For The Construction Industry: A Case Of Lusaka Province

Construction is characterised as being labour intensive and thus the continuous skills development will always be a matter of concern. The cyclic nature of the construction industry gives rise to skills mismatches which cause fluctuations in skills demand and supply. Investigating labour market conditions to assess skills demand and supply cycle of labour is a difficult task because of the scarcity or unavailability of aggregated local labour market information on the construction industry. This study investigated the issue of skills mismatches and developed a skills measurement framework to address it. The research design employed a mixed method approach to include both quantitative and qualitative data. A total of 162 firms consisting of 59 contractors, 80 consultants, 23 higher education institutions and 10 government institutions and local authorities in Lusaka Province whose core of business was inclined towards construction and development of transportation infrastructure were identified and used as the sample frame. Stratified random sampling was used to select respondents in the sample size. The method employed for data collection was the distribution of fifty (50) structured questionnaires and the conducting of three (03) semi- structured interviews with the aid of an interview guide. Quantitative data from the questionnaires was analysed using statistical software and qualitative analysis from interviews was analysed using content analysis. The most influential factors of supply and demand were; defined career paths, education and training requirements, salary scale and technological progression. Results revealed that the type of mismatches that existed were a skills gap and skills shortage. They revealed a shortage of Engineers and Construction Supervisors. Skills gaps were identified in the preparation of design specifications, estimation of project costs and preparing detailed cost plans, preparing construction method statements and technical specifications, as well technical and financial reporting. A sequential five-stage skills measurement framework structure was designed that investigated important aspects for skills development which are responsive to industry needs. The stages yield outputs which identify factors influencing skills demand and supply and skill competency requirements in construction, and assess the ability of the workforce meet the required skills competencies