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Health, Safety, and Wellbeing in the Engineering and Construction Industry
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Health, Safety, and Wellbeing in the Engineering and Construction Industry

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 8812

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Fidelis A. Emuze

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Unit for Lean Construction and Sustainability, Central University of Technology, Free State, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa
Interests: construction management; lean construction; health, safety and well-being; people; sustainability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The world’s population is now over 8 billion and increasing per second. The growth pattern necessitates the use of shelter and infrastructures designed and built by people in construction (PiC). The surging demand increases the involvement of construction and engineering professionals in operations that often expose them to near-miss incidents and accidents, either onsite or in industrial workspaces. The outcome of such events in the form of injuries and fatalities attests to the notion that the conventional engineering/technological approach to ensuring health, safety, and wellbeing (HSW)—creating more warnings and safeguards—fails due to limited or inadequate analyses of the social side of hazards and risks. The workforce continues to live with high-risk work site rules, methods, practices, and technologies at project and industry levels. Today, accidents, injuries, and fatalities onsite and offsite in construction appear to defy known solutions. Engineering projects (airports, dams, power stations, oil and gas plants, and petrochemical plants) and building projects (residential and commercial buildings) are not immunized from HSW maladies. Types and levels of interactions in operations suggest that the social side of countermeasures is required to support the concept of no harm. The approach involves organizational and personal factors that see ‘safety differently’ and encourage research on the worldview of Safety I and Safety II. This construction HSW Special Issue invites topics on Safety Science, Human Factors, Workplace Culture, Industrial Safety and Health, High-Risk Technologies, Site Safety, Resilience Engineering, and Loss Control. Papers that combine high academic standards with practical applications are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Fidelis A. Emuze
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • accident
  • construction
  • health
  • safety
  • wellbeing

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1167 KiB  
Article
Workers’ Injury Risks Focusing on Body Parts in Reinforced Concrete Construction Projects
by Jiseon Lim, Jaehong Cho, Jeonghwan Kim and Sanghyeok Kang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(12), 1655; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21121655 - 11 Dec 2024
Viewed by 277
Abstract
This study addresses occupational safety in reinforced concrete construction, an area marked by high accident rates and significant worker injury risks. By focusing on activity–body part (A–BP) combinations, this research introduces a novel framework for quantifying injury risks across construction activities. Reinforced concrete [...] Read more.
This study addresses occupational safety in reinforced concrete construction, an area marked by high accident rates and significant worker injury risks. By focusing on activity–body part (A–BP) combinations, this research introduces a novel framework for quantifying injury risks across construction activities. Reinforced concrete construction tasks are categorized into ten specific activities within three major work types: rebar work, formwork, and concrete placement. These are further analyzed concerning six critical body parts frequently injured on-site: head/face, arm/shoulder, wrist/hand, torso, leg/pelvis, and foot/ankle. Using data from 2283 construction accident reports and expert surveys, the probability and severity of injuries for each A–BP element were calculated. Probability scores were derived from actual incident data, while severity scores were determined via expert evaluations, considering injury impact and the required recovery time. To ensure precision and comparability, scores were standardized across scales, enabling a final risk assessment for each A–BP. Results identified that wrist and hand injuries during rebar work activities, particularly cutting and shaping, exhibited the highest risk, underscoring the need for focused protective measures. This study contributes to construction safety management by providing detailed insights into injury risk based on activity–body part interactions, offering safety managers data-driven recommendations for tailored protective equipment, enhanced training, and preventive protocols. This research framework not only helps optimize safety interventions on conventional construction sites but also establishes a basis for future studies aimed at adapting these strategies to evolving construction methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health, Safety, and Wellbeing in the Engineering and Construction Industry)
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<p>Research procedure.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Risk element definition: activity–body part in reinforced concrete construction.</p> Full article ">
18 pages, 375 KiB  
Article
Importance of Prefabrication to Easing Construction Workers’ Experience of Mental Health Stressors
by Rasaki Kolawole Fagbenro, Riza Yosia Sunindijo, Chethana Illankoon and Samuel Frimpong
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(9), 1218; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091218 - 17 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1065
Abstract
Construction is widely acknowledged for its socioeconomic contributions, although it is also always considered as a dangerous and incident-prone industry. As a new method of working, prefabrication presents better work environments and other benefits that can potentially improve the safety and mental health [...] Read more.
Construction is widely acknowledged for its socioeconomic contributions, although it is also always considered as a dangerous and incident-prone industry. As a new method of working, prefabrication presents better work environments and other benefits that can potentially improve the safety and mental health of construction workers. This study compares the extent of stressors in traditional and prefabricated construction. Eighty-four construction site and factory-based workers in Australia were surveyed. Prefabricated construction respondents reported less experience of industry-related, management/organisational, and personal stressors. Specifically, the stressors found to be weakened by prefabrication were mental fatigue, work injuries, poor working conditions, unfavourable shift rosters, work overload, and poor work–life balance. Furthermore, the degree of the experience of potential mental health improvement factors such as labour effort efficiency, reduced on-site trade overlap, increased mechanised construction, and less dependence on weather conditions, among others, was significantly higher in prefabrication than in traditional construction. The influence of prefabrication on measures of poor and positive mental health is recommended for further studies, particularly by finding its links with the different groups of construction workers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health, Safety, and Wellbeing in the Engineering and Construction Industry)
18 pages, 814 KiB  
Article
Scaling up a Positive Safety Culture among Construction Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Ghana
by Eric Adzivor, Fidelis Emuze, Moses Ahiabu and Moses Kusedzi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(7), 817; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21070817 - 22 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1299
Abstract
The Ghanaian construction industry faces challenges in managing safety, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that need more resources. This research addressed the critical need for a positive safety culture framework specifically designed for SMEs in Ghana. The study adopts the Delphi [...] Read more.
The Ghanaian construction industry faces challenges in managing safety, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that need more resources. This research addressed the critical need for a positive safety culture framework specifically designed for SMEs in Ghana. The study adopts the Delphi research approach, which involves a series of questionnaire ‘rounds’ to gather and refine information and develop a collaborative safety culture framework with SME stakeholders. The study employed a mixed-methods strategy, harnessing quantitative and qualitative data to meet the research goals. The critical components of the developed framework included safety commitment, adaptability, information, awareness, culture, and performance. The research offered evidence-based recommendations for effective positive safety practices across Ghana’s SMEs by analysing the relationship between these interventions and safety outcomes. Applying the framework should reduce workplace accidents and foster a positive safety culture that aligns with international best practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health, Safety, and Wellbeing in the Engineering and Construction Industry)
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<p>Conceptual framework for a positive safety culture for construction SMEs. Source: author’s construct.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Structural framework results.</p> Full article ">
15 pages, 669 KiB  
Article
Psychosocial Hazards in the Northern Territory Building and Construction Industry: A Profile of Job Demands and Job Resources in a Jurisdiction and Industry with High Rates of Suicide
by Nicholas Thompson, Adam Robertson, Rebecca Loudoun, Amanda Biggs and Keith Townsend
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(3), 334; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21030334 - 12 Mar 2024
Viewed by 2407
Abstract
The work environment for building workers in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) is characterised by concerningly high rates of distress and suicide at both a jurisdictional and an industry level. Work-related psychosocial hazards are known antecedents of work-related distress and suicide, and more research [...] Read more.
The work environment for building workers in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) is characterised by concerningly high rates of distress and suicide at both a jurisdictional and an industry level. Work-related psychosocial hazards are known antecedents of work-related distress and suicide, and more research is required to understand how these hazards impact workers in this unique building context. This paper examines the unique work environment in the NT building industry by comparing psychosocial hazards in the NT with those in the broader Australian building and construction industry. When comparing 330 NT self-report survey responses about psychosocial hazards in the workplace to 773 broader Australian building industry responses, supervisor task conflict for NT workers was more concerning, at 10.9% higher than the broader Australian cohort. Within the NT sample, comparisons between fly-in and fly-out/drive-in and drive-out (FIFO/DIDO) workers and non-FIFO/DIDO workers were also performed to determine specific local psychosocial hazards. When comparing FIFO/DIDO workers’ responses to their NT peers, role overload and supervisor task conflict were significantly higher, and co-worker and supervisor support were lower. In FIFO/DIDO environments, praise and recognition, procedural justice, and change consultation were at concerningly lower averages than the broader NT building and construction industry. These results suggest that the NT building and construction industry, and particularly FIFO/DIDO operations, require greater resourcing, investment, and focus on workplace mental health initiatives to improve the work environment and wellbeing of this workforce and mitigate hazards that can lead to distress and the high rates of occupational suicide found in this jurisdiction and industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health, Safety, and Wellbeing in the Engineering and Construction Industry)
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<p>The five-pillar model for mental health interventions in the workplace in the building and construction industry (the Blueprint).</p> Full article ">
13 pages, 354 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Impact of Social Identity on the Bullying of Construction Industry Apprentices
by Peter Greacen and Victoria Ross
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(21), 6980; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20216980 - 26 Oct 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2319
Abstract
Background: There is a lack of literature specifically examining the workplace bullying of apprentices and trainees in traditional, male-dominated sectors such as the Australian building and construction industry. Using social identity theory (SIT), the aim of this study was to gather the attitudes, [...] Read more.
Background: There is a lack of literature specifically examining the workplace bullying of apprentices and trainees in traditional, male-dominated sectors such as the Australian building and construction industry. Using social identity theory (SIT), the aim of this study was to gather the attitudes, thoughts, and feelings of construction industry leaders to better understand how social identification (i.e., group membership) impacts bullying on targets and perpetrators and the willingness to report bullying to targets and bystanders. Method: One-on-one, semi-structured interviews using a purposive sample of eight leaders from construction and blue-collar industries. Qualitative data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Four overarching themes were identified: difficulties for apprentices transitioning into industry, the need for continued improvement in industry culture, reluctance to report bullying, and rethinking apprenticeships to empower. Each theme provides insight into the psychosocial phenomenon of the bullying of trade apprentices and suggests that an apprentice’s level of social identification with work groups shapes how bullying is identified, interpreted, and prevented. Conclusion: Findings from this study will be important for tailoring evidence-based interventions, human resource policies, and initiatives for education and awareness training. Themes also highlight systemic inadequacies impacting apprentices’ mental health and skill development, with implications for the future sustainability of apprenticeship training agreements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health, Safety, and Wellbeing in the Engineering and Construction Industry)
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