Impact of the ‘Contributing Factors in Construction Accidents’ (ConCA) model

In 2005 the ‘Contributing factors in Construction Accidents’ framework (ConCA) introduced a sociotechnical systems approach to risk management in construction. ConCA demonstrated the value of exploring distal factors and identifying underlying or latent causes: It promoted an understanding of construction accidents as systemic accidents and challenged an industry-wide culture of blaming frontline workers. A decade later the original article has been cited by research from 37 countries, shaping inquiries and initiatives to improve safety in both the UK and Australia. But to what extent has systems thinking infiltrated practitioners and policy-makers’ views? Despite broader views of contributing factors, many practitioners still view workers in a negative light, holding them responsible for accidents because of complacency, cynicism about safety, or a high-tolerance for risk. This paper evaluates the impact of the ConCA framework, updates it, and develops our understanding of the relationships between immediate circumstances and distal factors, as seen by an expert panel of participants (n = 32). A more in-depth ‘ConCA+’ framework is proposed. It challenges the negative perceptions of workers, and supports shifting the emphasis of risk management away from worker behaviors and towards resolving wider systemic issues. New directions are proposed which show how knowledge management, job design, technological innovation, empowerment and collaboration should be the focus of future work

Exploring the meaning of safety in the context of health care

Action Contro

Learning from speaking up by learning to speak up

Action Contro

Workplace Accidents among Nepali Male Workers in the Middle East and Malaysia: A Qualitative Study

There are many Nepali men working in the Middle East and Malaysia and media reports and anecdotal evidence suggest a high risk of workplace-related accidents and injuries for male Nepali workers. Therefore, this study aims to explore the personal experiences of male Nepali migrants of unintentional injuries at their place of work. In-depth, face-to-face interviews (n = 20) were conducted with male Nepali migrant workers. Study participants were approached at Kathmandu International Airport, hotels and lodges around the airport. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Almost half of study participants experienced work-related accident abroad. The participants suggested that the reasons behind this are not only health and safety at work but also poor communication, taking risks by workers themselves, and perceived work pressure. Some participants experienced serious incidents causing life-long disability, extreme and harrowing accounts of injury but received no support from their employer or host countries. Nepali migrant workers would appear to be at a high risk of workplace unintentional injuries owing to a number of interrelated factors poor health and safety at work, pressure of work, risk taking practices, language barriers, and their general work environment. Both the Government of Nepal and host countries need to be better policing existing policies, introduce better legislation where necessary, ensure universal health (insurance) coverage for labour migrants, and improve preventive measures to minimize the number and severity of accidents and injuries among migrant workers

ARAMIS project: Effect of safety management's structural and cultural factors on barrier performance

International audienc

The job demands-resources model

This chapter focuses on one of most influential frameworks, the Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model, which conceptualizes job demands and job resources within the work environment, and how these factors affect health and well-being over time. It reviews the research conducted in relation to the JDR framework, which links job demands and job resources to health, wellbeing, and other outcomes. The chapter also discusses other extensions of the model, such as the inclusion of personal resources, as well as job resources; that is, extending the model to include individual-level factors, and environmental factors. The different ways of incorporating personal resources into the JDR model are then examined. Finally, the chapter provides some practical discussion of how the JDR model can be used as the theoretical basis for interventions in organizations, and also the development of individual-level strategies to improve the content of one's job to make it more interesting and enjoyable

Occupational safety and safety management between 1988 and 2010. review of safety literature in English and Dutch language scientific literature

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