Developing a generic and aggregate model of system dynamics for construction safety

ABSTRACT

To capture a big picture of construction safety, system dynamics modelling has been increasingly applied. Despite the popularity, there have been confusion and inconsistencies in variables and their interrelationships at the conceptual level. This paper aims to propose a generic system dynamics model which can be used as a theoretical framework to investigate safety problems at the macro level. The generic model defines the role of safety practices, pressures, and safety conditions and their interrelationships. At the macro level, three main feedback loops are formed by the five main aggregate variables: (1) reactive learning from accidents, (2) responding to the environment, and (3) proactive learning. A case study was conducted to apply the generic model to understand the dynamics of safety management in a construction project. This generic model provides a theoretical framework to explore an effective configuration of a safety management system and investigate how safety practices and these social, organisational, and psychological factors affect each other.

KEYWORDS:

• System dynamics
• construction safety
• simulation
• systems thinking
• complexity

Acknowledgement

The authors express their appreciation to the BRANZ Ltd. (New Zealand) and the Building Research Levy for the financial assistance for this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Brian H.W. Guo http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1475-4618

Tak Wing Yiu http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8466-7130

Vicente A. González http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3408-3863

Yang Miang Goh http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7404-3770