Contemporary Safety Practices and Zero Fatalities Success Factors in the UK Construction Industry

Globally, adverse safety practices and persistent fatalities have created an impression that “there will always be accidents in the construction industry”. Recent evidence suggests that chronic fatalities are exacerbated by dysfunctional safety practices with less craving for zero fatality. Yet, research that unravels these subtle practices with compelling solutions is scarce. The study aims to identify subtle dysfunctional safety practices and propose solutions to persistent fatalities in the construction sector. Key research questions are: what dysfunctional safety practices influence reoccurring fatalities and what do zero fatalities success factors (ZFSFs) look like in the construction industry? The study adopted mixed research methods with a phenomenological paradigm, reviewing 10 years of HSE archived data and a semi-structured interview among construction professionals to provide deeper insights into the study variables. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS 29 and PowerBI analytics for visualizing the archive data. Initial findings indicate that human factors such as bad personal habits, mindset linked to complacency, distraction, taking shortcuts, and overconfidence contribute significantly to dysfunctional safety practices. The study reveals significant and disproportionate safety practices among construction workers requiring harmonisation across different sites. Also, dysfunctional safety behaviours and practices are prevalent, particularly in isolated sites managed by small construction firms. It concludes that achieving zero fatalities success factors is unlikely in the construction industry and recommends the active involvement of workers in developing health and safety strategies.