Browsing by Author "Chan, DWM"

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item: Conference-Full-text
Application of the safe working cycle (swc) in hong kong construction industry: literature review and future research agenda
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2013-06) Chan, DWM; Hung, HTW; Sandanayake, YG; Fernando, NG
The accident rate of the Hong Kong construction industry is very high when compared with other developed countries. Since 1990, the industry has introduced different safety initiatives to minimize the occurrence of site accidents, and there has exhibited a significant decrease in accident rate over the years. The Safe Working Cycle (SWC) is one of the effective safety measures aiming to ensure a tidy working site and raise the safety awareness of construction workers everyday. It comprises the Daily Cycle, Weekly Cycle and Monthly Cycle, and it focuses on the causes of construction accidents and improves the overall safety performance on construction sites. This paper will provide a concise introduction of a research project in relation to SWC in the Hong Kong construction industry. It aims to scrutinize the overall research paradigm of a holistic study on the historical development, underlying concepts and applications of SWC in Hong Kong. The investigation will be accomplished by a combination of data collection methods comprised of archival desktop study, in-depth interviews, detailed case studies and an empirical questionnaire survey. Relevant attributes of SWC including the perceived benefits, potential difficulties and effective recommendations for future implementation will be explored and discussed herein. The research findings are expected to help the decision-makers to generate clearer insights into the effectiveness of SWC in improving site safety, and to allow industrial practitioners to explore whether and how the site accidents can be mitigated via SWC.
item: Conference-Full-text
Establishing an integrated model for measuring the site safety performance of construction projects: literature review and future research agenda
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2014-06) Chan, DWM; Choi, TNY; Sandanayake, YG; Fernando, NG; Karunasena, GI
Safety issues have always been a major problem besetting the construction industry in many countries because of the hazardous nature and complexity of the work. Previous government statistics have manifested that the highest number of accidents and fatalities are found in the construction industry when compared with other major industry sectors throughout the world. In Hong Kong, the construction industry is also regarded as high-risk. There are different construction site safety assessment methods proposed by some researchers. However, there is a lack of holistic assessment model for site safety performance of construction projects. In this study, the essential factors needed for safety assessment and their associated sub-factors are those which affect the level of safety performance. This paper aims to put forward a research framework for developing a holistic site safety assessment model for new construction projects in Hong Kong using the Delphi survey technique. It will be a multi-factor model where the core factors are expressed both in broad terms and as finer, more detailed, sub-factors. Successful development of the site safety assessment model can then enable the setting up of a benchmarking tool for measuring and comparing the overall safety standards of the various construction projects within an organisation, between organisations and within the construction industry as a whole leading to an improved site safety culture.
item: Conference-Full-text
A research paradigm for developing a fire risk assessment model for new construction sites in Hong Kong
(Ceylon Institute of Builders, 2014-06) Chan, DWM; Hong, Y; Sandanayake, YG; Karunasena, GI; Fernando, NG
In Hong Kong, the construction industry is regarded as high-risk. Amongst all types of construction accidents, however, industrial practitioners tend to give less attention to those related to construction site fires, that is, fires which occur during new construction. Fire is perceived as a significant but common risk associated with construction projects which can lead to serious damage. Although construction site fires may not be frequent, the consequences are usually severe. This paper will present an overall research framework for developing a fire risk assessment model for new construction sites in Hong Kong. The research process mainly involves the identification of key fire risk factors and their associated sub factors contributing to fire risk for a construction site, and the development of a fuzzy fire risk assessment model based on the identified fire risk factors. The research methods to be adopted include desktop literature review, Delphi survey technique, empirical questionnaire survey and fuzzy set theory. The model can be used as an objective tool for measuring and comparing the overall fire risk levels existing at different construction sites. Therefore, high-risk areas could be identified and improved. The research findings from the developed fire risk assessment model will ultimately lead to the provision of remedial measures to reduce fire risk at new construction sites. Although the research study will primarily focus on the prevailing situation in Hong Kong, the research methodology will be applicable to many other parts of the world for facilitating international comparisons.