A Research Framework for Investigating Construction Safety Against Fall of Person Accidents in Residential Building Repair and Maintenance Works

摘要

A safe working environment is important to the success of construction projects. Due to improper workplace management and lack of safety awareness of project participants, accidents happen among which falls of person from height have aroused considerable attention in cities where high-rise buildings are needed to meet housing demand. This problem is further aggravated in cities, like Hong Kong in which buildings become dilapidated and the increasing demand for repair and maintenance works has prompted an urgent need for construction safety research in these cities.rnThis paper provides an initial report of a collaborative research between the academia and the construction industry, which aims to improve construction safety involving working at height for residential building repair and maintenance in Hong Kong. It firstly provides official statistics on construction accidents involving falls of person from height in residential building repair and maintenance works. Qualitative, quantitative as well as research methods in legal study are also applied. The likely impacts of the study are discussed. It is believed that construction safety can only be improved with the joint efforts of various stakeholders in the industry so that effective solutions can be developed to ensure a safe workplace in construction.