Is the construction site a safer place under the USACE or local government guidelines? The case of Afghanistan

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to assess the safety level of construction sites in Afghanistan following the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) safety practices and compare this with other construction sites in Afghanistan that follow local government safety guidelines. The USACE oversees and funds many infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, and these projects are supposed to follow the same standards implemented in the USA, including safety standards. The local government of Afghanistan also funds infrastructure projects in Afghanistan; however, these do not follow USACE best practices. This research explores the question of whether the USACE standards provide a safer construction site. The effect of the USACE standards on safety practices in construction projects is also investigated in the Afghanistan construction industry.Design/methodology/approachA literature review and other safety checklists were used to develop a safety checklist containing 104 items (questions) in 17 categories. Subsequently, the checklist was used to assess the safety performance of 57 construction projects (25 USACE projects, and 32 governmental projects). Utilizing quantitative analysis, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (Rho) and Mann–Whitney tests were carried out for correlation and statistical disparity between USACE and governmental projects.FindingsThe safety performance level of Afghan government projects was found to be poor in relation to other developing countries, while in USACE projects it was excellent. In addition, fire prevention, safety administration, PPE, heavy equipment, and handling and storage of materials for all types of contractors were the most overlooked aspects of Afghan Government projects.Practical implicationsThe findings clearly demonstrate the deficiencies in construction sites observed during this study and also support the adoption of USACE standards in Afghanistan projects.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the safety of construction sites in Afghanistan. The study also demonstrates the benefits of adopting international standards (USACE) to improve the safety of construction sites in a developing country such as Afghanistan. The findings provide evidence of the safety of the Afghanistan construction industry compared to other developing countries. These findings will contribute to the Afghan Government's efforts to track injury statistics.

Client and contractor perspectives on attributes affecting construction quality in a war-affected region

“…Most contractors in Afghanistan are inclined toward maximizing their profits by cutting corners to lower their spending and adopting poor construction practices (Ibrahimkhil and Hadidi, 2022). In addition, political unrest, safety, and security concerns affect the quality control processes in construction projects by limiting the access of clients' representatives, auditors, and other professionals to project sites.…”

“…As a result, many construction defects go unnoticed due to inadequate quality control and non-implementation of quality standards. Ibrahimkhil and Hadidi (2022) also found that regular supervision on project sites in Afghanistan is challenging due to security problems and project location. Sometimes, due to political pressure, construction work is approved without following due assessment and proper testing procedures.…”