Driving safety: enhancing communication between clients, constructors and designers

This paper, which stems from qualitative research undertaken by the CRC for Construction Innovation in the context of the development of a Guide to Best Practice for Safer Construction in the Australian construction industry, investigates the communication relationship between the client, designer and constructor, and identifies the conditions under which effective communication takes place. Previous research has made little headway with respect to putting into practice strategies that have the potential to improve communication between the client, designer and constructor. This paper seeks to address this ongoing problem. From analysis of client, designer and constructor interviews that form part of industry-selected case studies reflecting excellence in OHS, best-practice tools that have the potential to enhance multi-party communication between the client, designer and constructor are presented. This research also informs the development of workable implementation strategies

Communication as the catalyst for enhanced safety outcomes: a multi-stakeholder perspective

Safety in the construction industry is a multifaceted issue and a major concern across the globe. According to Sawacha et al. (1999), the risk of a fatality in the United Kingdom construction industry is five times higher than that experienced in the same nation's manufacturing industry. Not only is there human cost to consider, but also economic costs (Mohamed 2000). For instance, the UK Health and Safety Executive estimated that, in 2005–06, there was an annual loss of 1.3 days per construction worker on account of work-related illness and/or injuries sustained in the workplace. Thus there is a clear imperative to introduce practices and strategies that reduce death and injury on-site. Previous research suggests that one especial area of concern in the construction industry is the general inability to effectively manage occupational health and safety (OHS). It is not well understood what constitutes good communication, who are the critical parties, and which conditions facilitate communication. Communicating safety has been the responsibility of the constructor at the construction phase, as is evidenced by the legislation and safety interventions focusing on the constructor and the leadership role that they assume on-site. To facilitate an improvement in industry safety, the relationship between clients, designers and constructors (and also subcontractors and on-site personnel in general) warrants further investigation. Facets of this relationship, including the means by which effective communication can be promoted, have largely remained unexplored. According to Hua et al. (2005), previous research into construction industry communication has focused primarily on vertical communication within the project, rather than horizontal communication between the client, designer and constructor, all of whom play key roles in the overall construction process. While many studies have underlined the importance of effective communication in achieving project success, there has been little advance concerning the operationalisation of strategies for better team communication (Thomas et al. 1999). This research will seek to determine best practice for improving client, designer and constructor multi-party communications. Moreover, the study will examine and analyse data from research conducted on 27 best practice project case studies within the Australian construction industry. The research findings provide an approach that can help in the development of an effective and more openly communicative relationship between the parties under consideration

Birth Weight and Preterm Delivery Outcomes of Perinatally vs Nonperinatally Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Pregnant Women in the United States: Results From the PHACS SMARTT Study and IMPAACT P1025 Protocol.

BackgroundPregnancy outcomes of perinatally human immunodeficiency virus-infected women (PHIV) are poorly defined.MethodsWe compared preterm delivery and birth weight (BW) outcomes (low BW [LBW], <2500 g), small-for-gestational-age [SGA], and BW z scores [BWZ]) in HIV-exposed uninfected infants of PHIV vs nonperinatally HIV-infected (NPHIV) pregnant women in the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study Surveillance Monitoring of ART Toxicities or International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials P1025 studies. Mixed effects models and log binomial models were used to assess the association of maternal PHIV status with infant outcomes. Age-stratified analyses were performed.ResultsFrom 1998 to 2013, 2270 HIV-infected pregnant women delivered 2692 newborns (270 born to PHIV and 2422 to NPHIV women). PHIV women were younger, (mean age 21 vs 25 years, P < .01) and more likely to have a pregnancy CD4 count <200 cells/mm3 (19% vs 11%, P = .01). No associations between maternal PHIV status and preterm delivery, SGA, or LBW were observed. After adjustment, BWZ was 0.12 lower in infants of PHIV vs NPHIV women (adjusted mean, -0.45 vs -0.33; P = .04). Among women aged 23-30 years (n = 1770), maternal PHIV was associated with LBW (aRR = 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.18, 2.58; P < .01).ConclusionThe overall lack of association between maternal PHIV status and preterm delivery or infant BW outcomes is reassuring. The higher rates of LBW observed in PHIV women aged 23-30 years warrants further mechanism-based investigations as this is a rapidly growing and aging population worldwide.Clinical trials registrationPHACS SMARTT study, NCT01310023.Clinical trials registrationIMPAACT 1025, NCT00028145