Assessing Safety Scores of Multimodal Activities to Integrate Safety into Construction Planning

Different activity modes may have different safety impacts, which should be analyzed during the planning stage while deciding the appropriate modes of the activities to improve construction safety. However, to our best knowledge, limited studies are available to evaluate the safety impacts of different activity modes. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to analyze the safety risks of different activity modes, assess their safety scores, and determine the best modes, considering time, cost, and safety. Data were collected through two surveys from construction industry experts to identify significant safety risks in various activity modes and assess the frequency and severity of the safety risks. Safety scores of various modes of four major activities in building construction, including foundation work, reinforcement work, concreting, and formwork, were determined. The technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution was used further to analyze the activity modes, considering their time, cost, and safety scores. The findings of this study would support the industry by providing a framework that empowers construction planners and managers to assess quantitatively the safety impacts of various activity modes, ultimately improving worker safety and project outcomes.