Towards improving health management of construction projects during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The global COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted all industries, from economic loss to deterioration of the health and well-being of workers contracting the virus. The construction industry is no exception, and the risks posed are perhaps elevated by a myriad of professionals working in proximity to each other during a project. The high rate of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)-related issues have invariably been exacerbated since the beginning of the pandemic, causing different ranges of threats to the workers. Although several studies have investigated health-related issues caused by COVID-19, the prevailing body of knowledge lacks a prescription of the preventative measures to be implemented for curbing the resultant repercussions in the Hong Kong building and construction industry. To address this knowledge gap, a hybrid methodological approach is employed in this study using structured interviews and the Best Worst method (BWM). Based on the findings, the following unique contributions are noted: (1) identification of beneficial health measures; and (2) ranking of the importance of the identified measures. The study’s findings broaden the horizon of safety decision-maker’s thinking towards minimizing the transmission risk associated with COVID-19, and improving H&S management of construction projects, by tilting their attention and resources to the top-ranked measures.