Exploring barriers to effective safety risk assessment in Indian construction projects

Abstract

Risk assessment (RA) is a critical process that can help avoid costly incidents. However, RA is usually undertaken incorrectly due to lack of construction experience. This study aimed to understand the challenges that users face during RA and users’ viewpoints to improve RA quality in the Indian construction sector. A mixed-methods approach was adopted to elicit the perspectives of safety heads (users) participating in Indian construction projects. The results show that the users faced six challenges during RA, including identifying significant hazards and steps involved in each activity and selecting control measures. The users’ requirements were gathered to facilitate future RA processes. As a guide, the results of this study can be used by construction organisations to make an informed RA method.