Multicriteria Health and Safety Risk Assessments in Highway Construction Projects

Georgios K. Koulinas (), Olympia E. Demesouka, Panagiotis K. Marhavilas, Nikolaos I. Orfanos and Dimitrios E. Koulouriotis
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Georgios K. Koulinas: Department of Production and Management Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Vas. Sofias 12 St., 67132 Xanthi, Greece
Olympia E. Demesouka: Department of Production and Management Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Vas. Sofias 12 St., 67132 Xanthi, Greece
Panagiotis K. Marhavilas: Department of Production and Management Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Vas. Sofias 12 St., 67132 Xanthi, Greece
Nikolaos I. Orfanos: Department of Engineering Project Management, Faculty of Science and Technology, Hellenic Open University, Parodos Aristotelous 18 St., 26335 Patra, Greece
Dimitrios E. Koulouriotis: Department of Production and Management Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Vas. Sofias 12 St., 67132 Xanthi, Greece

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-14

Abstract: Road building sites are no exception to the fact that construction is one of the most dangerous businesses in the world. There are a number of concerns about the health and safety of the workers at these sites since they combine personnel, machinery, and construction equipment. The purpose of this paper is to determine, analyze, and compare the risks present at road building sites, and how they affect the health and safety of the workers. The study also examines workplace stress and psychosocial risk factors, which may have long-term effects on workers’ physical and mental health. To meet the goals of the research, risk evaluations for a specific construction project were carried out using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Using the risk categories and risk factor hierarchy, the AHP compares data pairings. The skills, experience, judgments, and value system of the decision-makers were taken into account while deciding the amount of importance to give each criterion. The final risk rankings were established after calculating the overall priority numerically and running the necessary judgment consistency tests. The most significant risks to the health and safety of workers at road construction sites were identified by the study’s findings. The study additionally showed that psychosocial risk factors were important contributors to workplace stress and may have a negative impact on employees’ health and wellbeing. The results of the present study have important implications for risk management practices in the construction industry. Project managers can implement effective mitigation measures to reduce the likelihood and severity of accidents and injuries by identifying and evaluating the most critical risks associated with road construction sites. The findings also highlight the importance of addressing psychosocial risk factors and workplace stress in improving workers’ health and safety outcomes. Overall, this study underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to risk management that considers the diverse and complex factors contributing to construction site hazards.

Keywords: Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP); risk assessment; safety; road construction project; multicriteria analysis; health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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