Impact of the South African Construction Regulations on construction health and safety

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to consider the impact on architects of recently introduced Construction Regulations in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachGiven the passing of the first anniversary of the promulgation of the Construction Regulations, a survey was conducted to determine the perceptions of member practices of the South African Institute of Architects.FindingsFindings include: the traditional project parameters in the form of cost, quality, and time are still perceived to be substantially more important than health and safety (H&S); the manifestations of the impact of the Construction Regulations are wide spread – increased H&S awareness predominates among the manifestations, followed by increased consideration for H&S by most stakeholders, and H&S predominates in terms of the extent to which the Construction Regulations will impact on various project parameters.Originality/valueThe paper offers a valid argument for the inclusion of construction H&S to feature more prominently in architectural education and training programmes.