Occupational Safety in Revamping Operations: Visualising Spaces to Monitor Uncertainty

Abstract

Deployed from 2009, the purpose of the Design Safety approach is, “to put in place the technical and/or organisational resources to reduce the risks incurred by those involved during the construction phase” (Mbaye and Saliou 2014). We seek to understand the role of spatial visualisation and workplace situations in risk prevention. A field study was conducted over a three-year period, suggesting that Design Safety involves strategic decision-making during upstream project phases, combined with operational decision-making during downstream phases, each with an impact on safety. In this context, the work of designers should be supported by specific artefacts (databases of photographs, technical documentation, 3D visualisation, etc.) to give them a better understanding of the workplace situation and visibility in terms of the risks incurred by the workers.