ملخص الدراسة:

Despite the remarkable efforts to enhance construction worker safety, the construction industry still suffer from poor safety performance. Although the burden of construction worker safety is usually the contractor responsibility, research studies have shown that design decisions made upstream is a factor in approximately forty to sixty percent of jobsite accidents. Design for construction safety (DfCS) concept is a collaborative process, where designers benefit from field experience, to produce designs that could be executed safely. While design decisions could enhance construction worker safety, designers are often ill-equipped to address this concept. Since the DfCS concept is not a common practice in Gaza Strip, this research aims to enhance the safety performance of the construction industry by developing an approach that help designers involved in the design of building projects to address the concept in a proper and easy way. It aims also to investigate design professional awareness related to this concept. A qualitative methodology was chosen to gain an in depth understanding of DfCS concept pertinent to Gaza Strip. DfCS suggestions appropriate to building construction in Gaza Strip were developed by researcher based on the study of literature reviews, researcher experience and knowledge of construction industry in Gaza Strip and the shortcomings of DfCS concept at the local and international levels. Also open interviews were conducted with owners, contractors and designers who were practitioners with hand on experience to investigate their knowledge of the subject and discuss relevant DfCS suggestions. Five case studies were carried out to contribute in verification of the developed approach. A comprehensive approach for DfCS concept was developed for use in Gaza Strip. The approach is an easy tool that aids designers to consider DfCS concept in a systematic way. It considers design phases which are schematic, design development, construction documentation and work schedule phases. It also considers the four engineering specializations involved in building construction (architectural, civil, electrical and mechanical). It consists of DfCS suggestions classified as regulations or recommendations. The study showed the importance of protecting building edges; exterior or interior; during construction and maintenance phases. Also formworks related to the four engineering specializations should be designed during design development phase. The selected materials for building construction related to the four engineering specializations should be as practicable as possible durable, safe to handle and non combustible. The results from the five case studies highlighted the possibility and importance of considering the DfCS concept in Gaza Strip in order to minimize accident risks. The case studies also highlighted the important role of civil engineers in considering the DfCS concept. The study showed that the design professionals; architectural, electrical and mechanical engineers; are not cognizant with DfCS concept. Although professional civil engineer became recently cognizant of the concept, yet no reference document exist to facilitate applying the concept which highlights the importance of developing DfCS approach to aid designers to consider worker safety through their design decisions.

توثيق المرجعي (APA)