The contribution of construction project features to accident causation and health and safety risk: A conceptual model

Construction project features (CPFs) are organizational, physical and operational attributes that characterize construction projects. Although previous studies have reported the contribution of CPFs to accident causation and the extent of their contribution, the insight into the health and safety (H&S) risk implications remains an elusive issue which needs elucidation. A critical examination of the subject through an interrogation of H&S literature yields insight into this grey area. CPFs contribute to accident causation through the introduction of proximal accident causal factors, and the extent of their contribution to accident causation is influenced by two key factors: the extent to which the proximal factors contribute to accident causation; and the degree of prevalence of the proximal factors within CPFs. It is subsequently revealed that the extent to which CPFs contribute to accident causation influences H&S risk through the exposure of the workforce to CPFs. These findings are represented by a conceptual model which furthers the understanding of the accident causal influence of CPFs and also provides a stepping stone towards a systematic comparative analysis of the risk associated with CPFs.