Design for

Construction Safety
Lee Anne Jillings
U.S. Dept. of Labor-OSHA

John W. Mroszczyk, PhD, PE, CSP

Northeast Consulting Engineers, Inc.

Marvin Oey, PhD, PE

ASCE Construction Institute
 OSHA Alliance Program
Construction Roundtable
Design for Safety Workgroup

• Purpose of Alliance Roundtables

• Success of Construction
Roundtable: Design for Safety
(DfS) Workgroup

• Next Steps for DfS Workgroup

 OSHA Alliance Program Construction
Roundtable: DfS Workgroup Members
 American Society of Civil Engineers-
Construction Institute
 American Society of Safety Engineers
 Independent Electrical Contractors
 ADSC: International Association of
Foundation Drilling
 Laborers Health and Safety Fund of North
America
 DfS Workgroup Members, continued

 Mason Contractors Association of

America
 National Fire Protection Association
 National Institute for Occupational
Safety & Health
 Sealant, Waterproofing and
Restoration Institute
 Washington Group International
 DfS Workgroup Products

 DfS PowerPoint presentation

 Presentations at National Conferences
 2 to 4 hour course for design
professionals (under development)
 10 hour OSHA Outreach Training Program
(under development)
 www.designforconstructionsafety.org
 Designing for Construction Safety
(DfCS) – What is it?
 An extension of DfS to cover
construction projects

 Recognizes construction site safety

as a design criterion

 The process of addressing

construction site safety and health in
the design of a project
U.S. Construction Accident Statistics1

 Nearly 200,000 serious injuries and 1,200

deaths each year

 7% of workforce but 21% of fatalities

 Construction has one of the highest fatality

rates of any industry sector

1 Bureau of Labor Statistics-2005

 Typical Construction Project
Arrangement
 Project owner separately contracts with a
Architect/Engineer and with a general
contractor, prime contractor, construction
manager, program manager or owner’s agent

 Above entities may subcontract out some or

all of the work to specialty trade contractors

 Project owners occasionally contract with a

design-build firm to perform both design and
construction
 Root Causes for Construction
Accidents1
 Inadequate construction planning
 Lack of proper training
 Deficient enforcement of training
 Unsafe equipment
 Unsafe methods or sequencing
 Unsafe site conditions
 Not using safety equipment that was provided

1 Toole, “Construction Site Safety Roles”, 2002

 Accidents Linked to Design1,2

 22% of 226 injuries that occurred from 2000-2002

in Oregon, WA and CA

 42% of 224 fatalities in US between 1990-2003

 In Europe, a 1991 study concluded that 60% of fatal

accidents resulted from decisions made before site
work began
1 Behm, “Linking Construction Fatalities to the Design for Construction Safety Concept”, 2005

2 European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions

 Where Do Design Professionals
Fit In?

 Considering safety issues during the

design stage

 Designing out anticipated hazards

 Considering Safety During Design
Offers the Most Payoff1

High
Conceptual Design

Detailed Engineering

Procurement

Construction
Ability to
Influence Start-up
Safety
Low

Project Schedule

1 Szymberski 1987
 What Types of Design Decisions?
 IBC paragraph 704.11.1 requires that a
parapet wall be at least 30 inches high

 OSHA 1926 Subpart M requires a

42 inch guardrail or other fall protection

 If the design professional specifies a

42 inch high parapet wall, fall protection
would not be required
 DfCS Process1
• Establish design for
safety expectations
• Include construction and
operation perspective
• Identify design for safety
process and tools

Design Internal External Issue for

Kickoff Design
Review Review Construction

Trade contractor • QA/QC • Focused safety

involvement review
• Cross-
discipline • Owner review
review
1 Gambatese
 Barrier: Designers' Fear of
Liability
 Barrier: Fear of undeserved liability for
worker safety.
 Solution: Clearly communicate the DfCS
initiative does NOT suggest designers
should be held responsible for construction
accidents.
 Solution: Develop revised model contract
language and legislation that encourage
DfCS.
 Solution: Propose legislation is facilitate
designing for construction safety without
inappropriately shifting safety duties and
liability onto designers.
 Barrier: Increased Designer
Costs Associated with DfCS
 While DfCS results in decreased total
project life cycle costs for the owner, DfCS
processes will increase both direct and
overhead costs for designers.
 Increased direct costs will result from
more time spent on many design tasks.
 Increased overhead costs will result from
providing safety training and perhaps
increased insurance premiums.
 Solution: Educate owners that they must
be willing to pay slightly higher design
fees to save themselves money in the long
run.
 Barrier: Designers' Lack of
Safety Expertise
 Barrier: Few design professionals
possess sufficient expertise in
construction safety.
 Solution: Promote including
construction safety in construction,
engineering and architectural
curricula.
 Solution: Develop and promote 10-
hour and 30-hour OSHA courses for
design professionals.
 DfCS Examples: Prefabrication

Concrete
Wall Panels

Concrete Segmented Bridge

Steel stairs
DfCS Examples: Anchorage Points
 DfCS Examples:
Roofs
Skylights Upper story windows
and roof parapets
 DfCS Examples: Steel Design
 Avoid hanging connections;
design to bear on columns
instead using safety seats

 Require holes in columns for

tie lines 21” and 42” above
each floor slab

 Specify shop welded

connections instead of bolts
or field welds to avoid
dangerous positions during
erection

 Consider approximate
dimensions of connection
tools to prevent pinches or
National Institute of Steel Detailing and Steel
Erectors Association of America. Detailing awkward assemblies
Guide for the Enhancement of Erection Safety.
Example of the Need for DfCS
 Worker electrocuted when his
drill rig got too close to overhead
power lines.
 Design engineer specified
groundwater monitoring wells
were to be dug directly under
power lines.
 Engineer could have specified
wells be dug away from power
lines and/or better informed the
employer of hazard posed by
wells’ proximity to powerlines
through the plans, specifications,
and bid documents.
 Other DfCS Design Examples
 Design underground utilities to be placed
using trenchless technology1

 Specify primers, sealers and other

coatings that do not emit noxious fumes
or contain carcinogenic products2

 Design cable type lifeline system for

storage towers3

1 Weinstein, “Can Design Improve Construction Safety”, 2005

2 Gambatese, “Viability of Designing for Construction Worker Safety”, 2005
3 Behm, “Linking Construction Fatalities to the Design for Construction Safety
Concept”, 2005
 DfCS Practices Around the Globe
 Designers first required to design for
construction safety in the United
Kingdom in 1995

 Other European nations have similar

requirements

 Australia also leading in DfCS

http://www.ascc.gov.au/ascc/HealthS
afety/SafeDesign/Understanding/
 DfCS Tools
 Construction Industry Institute database
• www.construction-
institute.org/scriptcontent/more/rr101_11_more.c
fm
 United Kingdom Health & Safety Executive
designer guides
• www.hse.gov.uk/construction/designers/index.ht
m
 CHAIR
• www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/Publications/OHS/Saf
etyGuides/chairsafetyindesigntool.htm
 OSHA Website
• www.osha.gov
 Summary
 Designing for safety can improve safety
and health on construction sites
 Many countries require or promote
designing for safety
 A number of national organizations are
working to create tools, eliminate barriers
and facilitate adoption of this important
process in the United States
 Questions?

 Comments?