From zero accidents to well-being and positive health

This research extends the concept of Health and Safety (H&S) in the construction industry to the entire construction process in any country or region. It expands occupational safety aims from beyond zero accidents into increasing workers’ productivity by improving their health, safety, and well-being, and into creating new H&S cultural values in organizations. The following features define this concept’s approach: 1. All stakeholders, workers, and personnel on the project are responsible for H&S at work. 2. Each person on the project must be treated with care and respect because they contribute value to the construction process. 3. There are false beliefs that increasing the safety of workers means increasing costs, and that improving the H&S of workers affects productivity adversely. 4. Ensuring well-being creates an enjoyable work environment that increases productivity and improves occupational safety. 5. Worker involvement in H&S plays a fundamental role in improving the work process and analyzing safety, especially since no one knows the work better than the workers themselves. 6. Clients must procure contractors, and contractors must procure the services of subcontractors, based on their H&S record rather than only the cheapest price quote. Improved measures for management awareness, cooperation among all stakeholders and site personnel, health counselling, and positive health reinforcement measures can enhance the workers’ health at the construction site. H&S is often considered independently from other work operations on the construction site. However, H&S involves all people at the site, all stakeholders, the families of the workers, and society at large. Only through promoting a culture of occupational safety and increasing H&S awareness can society hope to attain not only zero accidents, but also overall improved health