Safety risk quantification for high performance sustainable building construction

Details

• Personal Author:
  Dewlaney KS ; Fortunato BR III ; Hallowell MR
• Description:
  A recent study found that Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings have a recordable injury rate that is 9% higher than traditional, non-LEED buildings. A follow-up study showed that there are distinct aspects of the design elements and means and methods of construction used to achieve LEED certification that have negative impacts on worker safety. The research described in this paper builds on previous knowledge by quantifying the percent increase in base-level safety risk resulting from the design strategies and construction methods implemented to earn specific LEED credits. A total of 26 interviews and 11 validation interviews were conducted with designers and contractors who had completed an average of four LEED projects, 100 traditional projects, in their average of 18 years of experience in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. The results indicate that design elements and means and methods of construction implemented to achieve 12 of the 49 LEED credits increase the frequency of injuries or exposure to known, high risk environments. The most significant impacts are a 36% increase in lacerations, strains, and sprains from recycling construction materials; a 24% increase in falls to lower level during roof work because of the installation of on-site renewable energy (e.g., PV panels); a 19% increase in eye strain when installing reflective roof membranes; and a 14% increase in exposure to harmful substances when installing innovative wastewater technologies. These results can be used to understand the safety impacts of sustainable building design, will enhance designer awareness, and help contractors to better prioritize safety resources. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Construction Materials Engineering Ergonomics Occupational Health Safety Safety Management Workplace
• Keywords:
  Construction Construction-industry Construction-materials Construction-workers Environmental-engineering Environmental-technology Equipment-design Industrial-design Injuries Safety-monitoring Workplace-monitoring

  More +
• ISSN:
  0733-9364
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; Maryland ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  138
• Issue:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20041997
• Citation:
  J Constr Eng Manage 2012 Aug; 138(8):964-971
• Contact Point Address:
  Katherine S. Dewlaney, S.M.ASCE, Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0428
• Email:
  dewlanek@colorado.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
• End Date:
  20240831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5f2b8949152c110ff14edfc25a72c62af2ae2ba6f53c33074e4977176b7b29c867657e9af75878e4e8f8b2b2728671df44fb467144bd87f03f173f78eee6311b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/194378/cdc_194378_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 114.04 KB ]