BIM and project planning integration for on-site safety induction

Abstract

Purpose -The section of the research presented in this paper reviews and explores health and safety (H&S) issues on construction sites. It has the sole intention of using better computer visualisation to meet the needs of site practitioners in understanding such H&S problems.Design/methodology/approach -The methodology follows a traditional literature review approach to understand the development of BIM technology up to its current status. A questionnaire survey was conducted to gather information on the embedding of H&S planning by site practitioners within the BIM environment.Findings -BIM has the potential to be used in H&S planning procedures, particularly in those related to tasks on construction sites. A framework for an integrated visual tool is developed for better H&S practice on site. It may be used actively by all practitioners, starting with site induction, and addresses, inter alia, personal hazard perception.Research limitations/implications -This paper provides a foundation for developing a tool that helps construction personnel explore potential H&S risks on site before construction begins. By introducing a framework for integrating BIM and project planning, a prototype can be developed to demonstrate the application of the proposed framework.Originality/value -The research presented in this paper introduces BIM usage during the construction stage as a tool that supports a H&S toolbox. The paper proposes the useful framework for better H&S practice on site that can be used actively by all practitioners. The intention is to find a way forward in addressing 'real' H&S site issues that may not be easily understood by practitioners without the full aid of visualisation scenarios.Communication Management: Management is expected to use a variety of formal and informal means to promote and communicate its commitment to safety (Baxendale & Jones, 2000). Simon and Piquard (as cited in Mohamed (2002)) claim that both management communication and employee feedback are critical for safety improvements and reporting near misses and unsafe conditions and practices. Most current H&S communication on construction sites tends to be one-directional without feedback from the operatives or any recording of their carrying out various activities.On Site H &S Communication: From the information garnered in the literature review, a questionnaire was developed and sent to practitioners to ascertain current on-site communication methods. The analysis of this survey is reported in the ensuing paragraphs.From the analysis of results as presented in Table 1, expressed as percentages of practitioners' responses, it appears that toolbox meetings, followed by workshops/seminars and HSE guides, are regarded as the current best forms of communication to site operatives. Currently, on-site communication using BIM and other visualisation tools is not a common practice. It may appear that BIM is not so well known and, therefore, scores lowest. The reasons for this may be that contractors on site are not yet familiar with the BIM tech...

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