Context (archaeology)

Engineering

Transport engineering

Reliability engineering

Biology

Computer security

Economics

Computer science

Occupational safety and health

Construction engineering

Risk analysis (engineering)

Environmental health

Business

Safety culture

Paleontology

Organic chemistry

Process management

Management

Construction site safety

Hazard

Operations management

Construction industry

Structural engineering

Medicine

Chemistry

Engineering management

Hazard analysis

Pathology

Key (lock)

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

The construction industries' unsafe conditions require increased efforts to improve safety performance to prevent and reduce accident rates. Safety performance in the Iraqi construction industry is notoriously poor. Despite this condition, safety research has so far been neglected. Implementing a safety program is a proven initial step to improve safety. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify the key elements of a safety program in the Iraqi construction industry. To verify and validate a list of safety program elements identified in the literature review, a mixed method approach was used by using interviews and questionnaire surveys. A final list of 25 elements were then analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. The analysis found that these elements can be grouped into four interrelated dimensions: management commitment and employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control systems, and safety and health training. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on safety in the Iraqi construction sector, a research area which has not been adequately investigated previously. They also help decision-makers focus on key elements that are needed to start improving safety performance in this context.

Safety Program Elements in the Construction Industry: The Case of Iraq