Quantification and Communication of Construction Safety Risk

Construction risk is typically defined in terms of likelihood and severity and is quantified by multiplying the probability of an event by the potential impact of that event on project budget or schedule. The quantification and communication of construction safety risk, however, involves the application of safety terminology and management techniques to the field of risk management. This paper presents a method for quantifying construction safety risk and risk mitigation ability using scales that define risk in terms of safety and health. First, several scales that can be used to quantify the probability and severity components of safety risk are presented and accompanied by a discussion of their benefits and limitations. Second, a method for quantifying construction safety risk mitigation, using the proposed scales, is introduced. Finally, the reactions of several construction safety risk experts to the use of one proposed scale are presented. It is believed that these methods are useful as they provide the construction industry with a standard method for quantifying and communicating safety risk, and the ability of various activities to mitigate a portion of such risk, using consistent and practical terminology.