Study on the Impact of Accidents on Construction Projects

As the construction industry is carried out in hazardous environments, it experiences accidents in different levels of severity, some causing minor and major injuries with even some resulting in fatality. In addition to the human cost involved, it also causes bad publicity to the profession. Worldwide, authorities have tightened up safety standards, which have enhanced the performance in construction sites. However, accidents are still happening and there is a need for further research on this important subject. From construction organization’s point of view, accidents are unexpected events and unplanned costs. Some accidents may change the organizational goals or it could even make the company uncompetitive in the industry. A good understanding of accident forecasting is vital in construction project management. This research explores four questions that arise in accidents in construction sites. Namely, (1) What are the impacts of accidents on construction work? (2) What are the uncertain contributory factors in these accidents? (3) How are human and financial aspects linked to accidents? (4) What are the possible project performance enhancements under uncertainty factors of the accident? The objectives of this research paper are (i) to investigate construction site accidents to identify the critical causes and effects; and (ii) establish relationship of accidents with additional project cost, additional time, project scope, company reputation, and impact on national safety indexes. While human errors were identified as the main cause for construction accidents, negligence or mistakes can happen due to the uncertain circumstances. Hence, unavoidable accidents have to be expected in the construction industry. The commitment of all humans involved, from the project manager to the labourer towards good practices would enhance the safety performance in construction sites.