Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Summary of mean, relative importance index (RII) and rank of causes of accidents in construction projects
| Causes of Accident | Mean | RII | Rank (Overall) | Rank (Within the Major Group) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project related | ||||
| Value of project | 4.648 | 0.581 | 43 | 3 |
| Poor planning/scheduling of project | 4.536 | 0.567 | 48 | 4 |
| Very tight project schedule | 4.848 | 0.606 | 26 | 2 |
| Type and nature of project | 5.000 | 0.625 | 19 | 1 |
| Social and communal involvement of project | 4.064 | 0.508 | 71 | 5 |
| Financial body (government or private) | 3.648 | 0.456 | 77 | 6 |
| Site condition related | ||||
| Project site conditions (exclude equipment, materials, weather) | 4.536 | 0.567 | 49 | 3 |
| Project site layout/space | 4.520 | 0.565 | 51 | 4 |
| Project working environment (light/noise/hot/cold/wet) | 4.752 | 0.594 | 33 | 2 |
| Poor housekeeping | 4.872 | 0.609 | 23 | 1 |
| Contract related | ||||
| Not strict operation procedures in contract | 5.152 | 0.644 | 12 | 1 |
| Coordination between project participants | 4.272 | 0.534 | 70 | 5 |
| Lack of management commitment in contract | 4.456 | 0.557 | 54 | 3 |
| Type of awarding contract | 4.344 | 0.543 | 66 | 4 |
| Unclear contract conditions on safety issue | 4.680 | 0.585 | 40 | 2 |
| Design related | ||||
| Design is not constructible | 4.384 | 0.548 | 61 | 3 |
| Incompleteness and inconsistency of design document | 4.360 | 0.545 | 65 | 4 |
| Safety is not considered when designing | 5.056 | 0.632 | 17 | 2 |
| Lack of safety eliminating/avoiding design | 5.352 | 0.669 | 3 | 1 |
| Material related | ||||
| Lack of protection in material carrying | 3.832 | 0.479 | 76 | 5 |
| Lack of protection in material storage | 5.064 | 0.633 | 15 | 1 |
| Working with toxic/hazardous materials | 4.464 | 0.558 | 53 | 3 |
| Hazard during transportation | 4.824 | 0.603 | 28 | 2 |
| Lack of knowledge about construction materials | 4.448 | 0.556 | 55 | 4 |
| Cost and time related | ||||
| Cost overrun reduce the safety cost | 3.952 | 0.494 | 73 | 3 |
| Schedule delays and rework in construction project | 4.376 | 0.547 | 62 | 2 |
| Short time assigned to worker | 4.768 | 0.596 | 31 | 1 |
| Consultant related | ||||
| Lack of management/leadership skills | 4.760 | 0.595 | 32 | 3 |
| Lack of knowledge and experience | 4.320 | 0.540 | 68 | 6 |
| Unawareness of construction safety | 5.160 | 0.645 | 11 | 2 |
| Irregular investigation | 5.272 | 0.659 | 6 | 1 |
| Flexible to contractor/worker on safety issue | 4.408 | 0.551 | 60 | 5 |
| No interest to change the safety culture | 4.744 | 0.593 | 34 | 4 |
| Contractor related | ||||
| Inaccurate or incomplete schedule | 4.632 | 0.579 | 44 | 4 |
| Unawareness of safety-related issue | 5.488 | 0.686 | 1 | 1 |
| Unwilling to spend safety-related cost | 5.136 | 0.642 | 13 | 2 |
| Lack of skill and experience of site staff | 4.288 | 0.536 | 69 | 6 |
| Violating Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) code/Bangladesh labour law | 4.712 | 0.589 | 38 | 3 |
| Reckless action of contractor | 4.592 | 0.574 | 46 | 5 |
| Labourer related | ||||
| Lack of collaboration among labourers | 4.664 | 0.583 | 41 | 6 |
| Lack of personal protective equipment | 5.392 | 0.674 | 2 | 1 |
| Unskilled labourers | 5.216 | 0.652 | 10 | 3 |
| Worker empowerment to make decision | 4.480 | 0.560 | 52 | 7 |
| Poor education of labourers | 4.440 | 0.555 | 56 | 8 |
| Lack of expertise, knowledge or training | 5.256 | 0.657 | 8 | 2 |
| Interference with others’ role | 4.344 | 0.543 | 67 | 9 |
| Overtime for labourers | 4.840 | 0.605 | 27 | 5 |
| Behaviour of workers | 4.880 | 0.610 | 22 | 4 |
| Owner related | ||||
| Unwilling to pay extra cost for safety | 5.240 | 0.655 | 9 | 1 |
| Owner’s interference on schedule and process | 4.000 | 0.500 | 72 | 4 |
| Variation in owner’s expectations | 3.864 | 0.483 | 74 | 5 |
| Lack of owner’s emphasis on safety | 4.368 | 0.546 | 64 | 3 |
| Owner’s late response (decision making) | 4.368 | 0.546 | 63 | 2 |
| Equipment and tools related | ||||
| Unfit equipment | 5.328 | 0.666 | 4 | 3 |
| Poor equipment maintenance | 5.056 | 0.632 | 16 | 6 |
| Unuse of modern equipment | 4.856 | 0.607 | 24 | 5 |
| High cost of advanced equipment and tools | 4.984 | 0.623 | 20 | 4 |
| Improper use of equipment | 5.040 | 0.630 | 18 | 2 |
| Lack of knowledge and training on equipment | 5.320 | 0.665 | 5 | 1 |
| Management related | ||||
| Lack of effective project supervision | 4.856 | 0.607 | 25 | 2 |
| Lack of effective communication | 4.704 | 0.588 | 39 | 6 |
| Inadequate safety policy | 5.264 | 0.658 | 7 | 1 |
| Improper auditing system | 4.728 | 0.591 | 36 | 5 |
| Poor organization structure | 4.656 | 0.582 | 42 | 7 |
| Lack of information flow | 4.728 | 0.591 | 35 | 4 |
| Lack of technique guide | 4.424 | 0.553 | 58 | 8 |
| Lack of teamwork | 4.784 | 0.598 | 30 | 3 |
| Technology related | ||||
| Unuse of safety control system | 5.088 | 0.636 | 14 | 1 |
| Unuse of schedule system | 3.848 | 0.481 | 75 | 6 |
| Unaware to advanced technology for safety | 4.544 | 0.568 | 47 | 4 |
| Lack of implementation of Building Information Modeling(BIM) | 4.896 | 0.612 | 21 | 2 |
| Lack of innovation technology | 4.600 | 0.575 | 45 | 3 |
| Lack of implementing safety control sensor technology | 4.408 | 0.551 | 59 | 5 |
| External related | ||||
| Act of God | 4.440 | 0.555 | 57 | 4 |
| External obstacle/barrier | 4.528 | 0.566 | 50 | 3 |
| Nature of construction | 4.720 | 0.590 | 37 | 2 |
| Bad weather | 4.808 | 0.601 | 29 | 1 |
Reliability statistics test for the collected data
| Cronbach’s Alpha (α) | Cronbach’s α Based on Standardized items | No of Items |
|---|---|---|
| 0.906 | ≥0.7 | 108 |
High-ranking causes of accidents for owner and consultant groups
| Rank | Owner group | Consultant group | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Causes of accident | Major group | Causes of accident | Major group | |
| 1 | Inadequate safety policy | Management | Unfit equipment | Equipment and tools |
| 2 | Unfit equipment | Equipment and tools | Unawareness of safety-related issue | Contractor |
| 3 | Lack of teamwork | Management | Lack of knowledge and training on equipment | Equipment and tools |
| 4 | Non-strict operation procedures in contract | Contract | Improper auditing system | Management |
| 5 | Unawareness of safety-related issue | Contractor | Safety is not considered when designing | Design |
| 6 | Lack of personal protective equipment | Labourer | Lack of expertise, knowledge or training | Labour |
| 7 | Lack of knowledge and training on equipment | Equipment and Tools | Inadequate safety policy | Management |
| 8 | Lack of safety eliminating/avoiding design | Design | Lack of management commitment in contract | Contract |
| 9 | Unskilled labourers | Labourer | Lack of safety eliminating/avoiding design | Design |
| 10 | Lack of management commitment in contract | Contract | Unawareness of safety-related issue | Contractor |
Summary of ranking of major groups of causes
| Major group | Ranks for each respondent groups | Overall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contractor | Worker | Owner | Consultant | RII | Rank | |
| Project related | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 0.548 | 11 |
| Site condition related | 6 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 0.583 | 8 |
| Contract related | 14 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 0.543 | 12 |
| Design related | 9 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 0.568 | 9 |
| Material related | 3 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0.591 | 7 |
| Cost and time related | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 0.478 | 14 |
| Consultant related | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0.625 | 4 |
| Contractor related | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0.636 | 3 |
| Labourer related | 4 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0.607 | 5 |
| Owner related | 12 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 0.508 | 13 |
| Equipment and tools related | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0.658 | 2 |
| Management related | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0.677 | 1 |
| Technology related | 8 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 0.598 | 6 |
| External related | 10 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 0.555 | 10 |
Summary of low-ranking causes of accidents
| Causes | Major group | Mean | Relative importance index (RII) | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial body (World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), government or private) | Project | 3.648 | 0.456 | 77 |
| Lack of protection in material carrying | Material | 3.832 | 0.479 | 76 |
| Unuse of schedule system | Technology | 3.848 | 0.481 | 75 |
| Variation in owner’s expectations | Owner | 3.864 | 0.483 | 74 |
| Cost overrun reduce the safety cost | Cost and time | 3.952 | 0.494 | 73 |
| Owner’s interference on schedule and process | Owner | 4.000 | 0.500 | 72 |
| Social and communal involvement of project | Project | 4.064 | 0.508 | 71 |
| Coordination between project participants | Contract | 4.272 | 0.534 | 70 |
| Lack of skill and experience of site staff | Contractor | 4.288 | 0.536 | 69 |
| Lack of knowledge and experience | Consultant | 4.320 | 0.540 | 68 |
High-ranking causes of accidents for worker and contractor groups
| Rank | Worker group | Contractor group | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Causes of accident | Major group | Causes of accident | Major group | |
| 1 | Non-strict operation procedures in contract | Contract | Lack of personal protective equipment | Labourer |
| 2 | Lack of safety eliminating/avoiding design | Design | Lack of knowledge and training on equipment | Equipment and tools |
| 3 | No interest to change the safety culture | Consultant | Violating Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) code/Bangladesh labour law | Contractor |
| 4 | Unskilled labourers | Labourer | Inadequate safety policy | Management |
| 5 | Unwilling to spend safety-related cost | Contractor | Unwilling to pay extra cost for safety | Owner |
| 6 | Irregular investigation | Consultant | Unfit equipment | Equipment |
| 7 | Lack of expertise, knowledge or training | Labourer | Non-strict operation procedures in contract | Contract |
| 8 | Unfit equipment | Equipment and tools | High cost of advanced equipment and tools | Equipment and tools |
| 9 | Lack of knowledge and experience | Consultant | Lack of management/leadership skills | Consultant |
| 10 | Unawareness of safety-related issue | Contractor | Unawareness of safety-related issue | Contractor |
Background information of the respondents
| Demographic Characteristics | Frequency | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Sex | ||
| Male | 89 | 82 |
| Female | 19 | 18 |
| Age, years | ||
| ≤20 | 31 | 29 |
| 21–30 | 15 | 14 |
| 31–40 | 25 | 23 |
| ≥40 | 37 | 34 |
| Education | ||
| Lower higher secondary school | 42 | 39 |
| Pre-university | 19 | 17 |
| Graduate | 30 | 28 |
| Postgraduate | 17 | 16 |
| Location | ||
| Dhaka division | 28 | 23 |
| Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions | 19 | 18 |
| Chittagong division | 18 | 17 |
| Sylhet division | 15 | 14 |
| Khulna and Barisal divisions | 30 | 28 |
| Type of organization | ||
| Owners | 23 | 21 |
| Consultants | 28 | 26 |
| Contractors | 25 | 23 |
| Workers | 32 | 30 |
| Working experience, years | ||
| ≤5 | 19 | 18 |
| 5–15 | 30 | 28 |
| 15–25 | 23 | 21 |
| ≥25 | 36 | 33 |
| Fields of specializations | ||
| Building | 89 | 51 |
| Roads and bridge | 48 | 27 |
| Electrical and mechanical | 22 | 13 |
| Others | 17 | 09 |
Summary of high-ranking causes of accidents
| Causes | Major group | Mean | Relative importance index (RII) | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unawareness of safety-related issue | Contractor | 5.488 | 0.686 | 1 |
| Lack of personal protective equipment | Labourer | 5.392 | 0.674 | 2 |
| Lack of safety eliminating/avoiding design | Design | 5.352 | 0.669 | 3 |
| Unfit equipment | Equipment and Tools | 5.328 | 0.666 | 4 |
| Lack of knowledge and training on equipment | Equipment and Tools | 5.320 | 0.665 | 5 |
| Irregular investigation | Consultant | 5.272 | 0.659 | 6 |
| Inadequate safety policy | Management | 5.264 | 0.658 | 7 |
| Lack of expertise, knowledge or training | Labourer | 5.256 | 0.657 | 8 |
| Unwilling to pay extra cost for safety | Owner | 5.240 | 0.655 | 9 |
| Unskilled labourers | Labourer | 5.216 | 0.652 | 10 |