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Thesis by Patrick A. Manu
"The United Kingdom (UK) construction industry is one of the worst industries in the UK in terms ... more "The United Kingdom (UK) construction industry is one of the worst industries in the UK in terms of health and safety (H&S) performance. Numerous injuries, deaths, dangerous occurrences and work related illnesses are reported annually in the industry, and these are associated with huge economic and social costs which make the need for H&S improvement inevitable. The pursuit of improvement has triggered studies into construction accident causation which have emphasised the need to pay attention to underlying accident causal factors which emanate from the pre-construction stage in order to have sustained improvement in H&S. Construction project features (CPFs), such as nature of project, method of construction, site restriction, procurement method, project duration, level of construction, design complexity, and subcontracting, which are organisational, physical, and operational characteristics of projects emanating from pre-construction decisions fall in this category of underlying causal factors. However, despite the significance of underlying causal factors to H&S, not much attention by way of research has been given to CPFs. As a result, insight into how CPFs influence accident occurrence, the degree of their inherent potential to influence accident occurrence (i.e. their potential to cause accident) and their associated degree of H&S risk (i.e. the likelihood of accident occurrence due to CPFs) remain elusive in the extant construction H&S literature. This research was thus undertaken to empirically investigate the mechanism by which CPFs influence accident occurrence and assess their degree of potential to influence accident occurrence and their associated H&S risk.
Adopting a mixed method approach, the accident causal influence of CPFs was investigated. Following a conceptualisation of how CPFs influence accident occurrence based on systems models of accident causation, a qualitative inquiry involving semi-structured interviews with experienced construction professionals was undertaken to provide empirical verification of the conceptualised view. Subsequent to the qualitative inquiry, a questionnaire survey was undertaken to elicit relevant data from experienced professionals in construction management roles to enable the assessment of the degree of potential of CPFs to influence accident occurrence and their associated H&S risk. From the analysis of data, it was found that CPFs, emanating from pre-construction decisions, influence accident occurrence by their inherent introduction of certain associated H&S issues (which can be termed as proximal accident factors) into the construction phase of projects to give rise to accidents. There are also causal interactions between CPFs and the proximal factors which can reduce or increase the presence of proximal factors. CPFs have varying degrees of potential to influence accident occurrence which can generally be high or moderate and is influenced by: the extent to which their proximal factor(s) is common (in other words prevalent) within them; and the degree of potential of the proximal factor(s) to influence accident occurrence. Where CPFs apply on a project, they are generally associated with medium risk or high risk. Whereas with medium-risk CPFs some risk control measures would suffice in mitigating risk, with high-risk CPFs substantial measures are required. As a consolidation of the research findings, a toolkit, called CRiMT, has been developed. CRiMT provides H&S risk information regarding CPFs and it has the potential of assisting pre-construction project participants in managing the accident causal influence of CPFs from the early stage of project procurement.
In view of the findings, the accident causal influence of CPFs should thus not be ignored or underestimated in construction project delivery. Pre-construction project participants, especially those whose decisions determine CPFs, ought to take into consideration the H&S effects of CPFs when making decisions which determine CPFs. Also, pre-construction project participants ought to plan and implement commensurate risk control measures in the early stage of projects to eliminate or mitigate the H&S risk posed by CPFs.
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Book Chapters by Patrick A. Manu
Ankrah, N. A. and Manu, P. A. (2012) Organisational culture and climate change driven constructio... more Ankrah, N. A. and Manu, P. A. (2012) Organisational culture and climate change driven construction. In: Proverbs, D.G. Booth, C., Lamond, J. and Hammond, F. (Eds.) Solutions for climate change challenges of the built environment: Blackwell publishing.
Refereed Journal & Conference Articles by Patrick A. Manu
Building information modelling (BIM) has been proposed as an enabler for greater efficiency and e... more Building information modelling (BIM) has been proposed as an enabler for greater efficiency and effectiveness within the UK construction industry, providing digital management of construction data throughout the project life cycle. The potential benefits of BIM have been widely discussed in published literature but relatively less attention has been paid to the discipline/profession-specific challenges of wider industry adoption. Further studies, such as the authors' ongoing research, could help to remedy this.
Subcontracting is noted for its adverse health and safety (H&S) influence in construction. Using ... more Subcontracting is noted for its adverse health and safety (H&S) influence in construction. Using interviews with five of the top 20 UK contractors and one medium-sized contractor, this study explored how main contractors manage the H&S influence of subcontracting with a focus on their in-house measures. Some in-house measures found are: restricting the layers of subcontractors on projects; working with a regular chain of subcontractors; implementing a H&S reward scheme for subcontractors; and insisting on non-working subcontractor foremen who have direct responsibility for the safety of workers in their trade. These measures appear to be influenced by clients, industry peer groups, and the moral justification for occupational H&S, and they offer inter-organisational learning opportunities for contractors in devising measures to mitigate the H&S influence of subcontracting. These findings should also allay concerns that removing some of the legislative hurdles in connection with on-going red tape debate will result in poorer H&S.► Contractors' measures for managing the H&S influence of subcontracting are studied. ► A number of regulatory and in-house measures are reported. ► The in-house measures offer inter-organisational learning opportunities. ► The findings have implications for external drivers of H&S apart from legislation. ► There are also implications for on-going debate on H&S red tape challenge in UK.
Construction project features (CPFs) are organisational, physical and operational attributes that... more Construction project features (CPFs) are organisational, physical and operational attributes that characterise construction projects. Although previous studies have examined the accident causal influence of CPFs, the multi-causal attribute of this causal phenomenon still remain elusive and thus requires further investigation. Aiming to shed light on this facet of the accident causal phenomenon of CPFs, this study examines relevant literature and crystallises the attained insight of the multi-causal attribute by a graphical model which is subsequently operationalised by a derived mathematical risk expression that offers a systematic approach for evaluating the potential of CPFs to cause harm and consequently their health and safety (H&S) risk implications. The graphical model and the risk expression put forth by the study thus advance current understanding of the accident causal phenomenon of CPFs and they present an opportunity for project participants to manage the H&S risk associated with CPFs from the early stages of project procurement.► The accident causal influence of construction project features (CPFs) is examined. ► The mechanism by which CPFs influence accident occurrence is modeled graphically. ► An expression for assessing risk associated with CPFs is also presented. ► These outputs offer tools for managing the accident causal influence of CPFs.
Following the human tragedies in football stadia in Great Britain, several safety legislative req... more Following the human tragedies in football stadia in Great Britain, several safety legislative requirements have been passed to ensure spectator safety. Among such requirements is the requirement for seated accommodation for all spectators. Since the introduction of this requirement, there is however growing concern over the prolonged standing of spectators in seated areas as seated accommodation are not designated for standing and could thus poses risk to the safety of spectators. This study therefore investigated how spectator standing in seated accommodation affects the safety of spectators, and why spectators stand in seated accommodation by the use of semi-structured interviews. The interview participants included football club safety managers, a safety officer responsible for issuing safety licences at designated grounds and a spectator. The study indicates that the safety risk posed by spectator standing in seated areas include a spectator falling over a seat or guard rail and the obstruction of access for emergency services. The study further indicates that spectator standing is influenced by factors such as the fixture of the game, moments of excitement, spectator comfort, and the atmosphere of the crowd. The findings of the study provide valuable insight to stimulate proactive thinking towards implementing measures in relation to football stadia design and management to ensure safety.
In the pursuit of Health and Safety (H&S) improvement within the UK construction industry, severa... more In the pursuit of Health and Safety (H&S) improvement within the UK construction industry, several studies have been conducted to identify accident causal factors to enable the development of accident prevention measures. Adding to such studies, a critique of H&S literature demonstrates that construction project features (CPFs) such as the nature of project, method of construction, site restriction, project duration, procurement system, design complexity, level of construction, and subcontracting contribute to accident causation and that their contribution is through the introduction of proximal accident causal factors into the construction process. However, the extent of this contribution by these CPFs remains sparingly known and requires further investigation. The study provides this insight by indicating that the extent to which CPFs contribute to accident causation is influenced by two factors; the extent to which the proximal factors contribute to accident causation; and the extent to which the proximal factors are prevalent within the CPFs. In line with this fresh insight, an approach for determining the extent to which CPFs contribute to accident causation is put forth. The approach proposes to use a qualitative–quantitative rating scale to determine the two determinant factors and then combine them using a mathematical formula to obtain the extent to which CPFs contribute to accident causation. By this approach the grey areas in literature concerning the extent to which CPFs contribute to accident causation will be illuminated and by that contribute to improvement in construction accident prevention.
Building information modelling (BIM) has been proposed as a technology enabled process for the re... more Building information modelling (BIM) has been proposed as a technology enabled process for the realisation of the performance ambitions of the construction industry through integrated management of information in virtual 3-D formats. Significant challenges however exist which undermine its implementation within the construction industry. The identification of these challenges is an imperative precondition for successful implementation of BIM given the associated risk. The design phase has particularly been cited as a significant beneficiary of process improvement and efficiency gains expected from the deployment of BIM. Despite the critical role of the design phase to project delivery and consequently BIM usage, few studies have sought to interrogate the challenges faced by designers. A qualitative approach was adopted through semi-structured interviews to solicit perspectives of UK design firms on the implementation challenges being faced. Findings reveal a categorisation of challenges as design-specific, team-orientated, project-related, technology related (BIM specific), industry-wide challenges and cost. This categorisation is used as a basis for identifying critical challenges which include: design process lag and loss of time; lack of understanding by clients regarding requirements for the BIM model; lack of learning feedback from projects on which BIM has been used; and lack of supply chain integration. Variation in the challenges across different maturity levels of firms is also confirmed in this study, particularly in relation to cost of implementation. Awareness of these challenges provides opportunities for identifying effective solutions for their mitigation.
Construction projects in Ghana are predominantly procured through the traditional route which has... more Construction projects in Ghana are predominantly procured through the traditional route which has been reported to be characterised by adversarial client-contractor relationships. In an effort to engender more collaboration in client-contractor relationships, studies have often advocated for projects to be procured through partnering arrangements. Clearly, central to the use of client-contractor partnering in a context such as Ghanaian construction industry where there is no report of client-contractor partnering is its perceived applicability. A pilot questionnaire survey of clients and contractors and subsequent analyses rather suggest that client-contractor relationships are not just adversarial but are even more paternalistic in nature. The analyses further suggest that partnering is applicable in the Ghanaian construction industry despite the predominant adversarial and paternalistic client-contractor relationships. Although these findings are not conclusive given the limited scope of the survey, they provide a preliminary positive indication of the use of partnering in Ghana.
"The United Kingdom (UK) construction industry is one of the worst industries in the UK in terms ... more "The United Kingdom (UK) construction industry is one of the worst industries in the UK in terms of health and safety (H&S) performance. Numerous injuries, deaths, dangerous occurrences and work related illnesses are reported annually in the industry, and these are associated with huge economic and social costs which make the need for H&S improvement inevitable. The pursuit of improvement has triggered studies into construction accident causation which have emphasised the need to pay attention to underlying accident causal factors which emanate from the pre-construction stage in order to have sustained improvement in H&S. Construction project features (CPFs), such as nature of project, method of construction, site restriction, procurement method, project duration, level of construction, design complexity, and subcontracting, which are organisational, physical, and operational characteristics of projects emanating from pre-construction decisions fall in this category of underlying causal factors. However, despite the significance of underlying causal factors to H&S, not much attention by way of research has been given to CPFs. As a result, insight into how CPFs influence accident occurrence, the degree of their inherent potential to influence accident occurrence (i.e. their potential to cause accident) and their associated degree of H&S risk (i.e. the likelihood of accident occurrence due to CPFs) remain elusive in the extant construction H&S literature. This research was thus undertaken to empirically investigate the mechanism by which CPFs influence accident occurrence and assess their degree of potential to influence accident occurrence and their associated H&S risk.
Adopting a mixed method approach, the accident causal influence of CPFs was investigated. Following a conceptualisation of how CPFs influence accident occurrence based on systems models of accident causation, a qualitative inquiry involving semi-structured interviews with experienced construction professionals was undertaken to provide empirical verification of the conceptualised view. Subsequent to the qualitative inquiry, a questionnaire survey was undertaken to elicit relevant data from experienced professionals in construction management roles to enable the assessment of the degree of potential of CPFs to influence accident occurrence and their associated H&S risk. From the analysis of data, it was found that CPFs, emanating from pre-construction decisions, influence accident occurrence by their inherent introduction of certain associated H&S issues (which can be termed as proximal accident factors) into the construction phase of projects to give rise to accidents. There are also causal interactions between CPFs and the proximal factors which can reduce or increase the presence of proximal factors. CPFs have varying degrees of potential to influence accident occurrence which can generally be high or moderate and is influenced by: the extent to which their proximal factor(s) is common (in other words prevalent) within them; and the degree of potential of the proximal factor(s) to influence accident occurrence. Where CPFs apply on a project, they are generally associated with medium risk or high risk. Whereas with medium-risk CPFs some risk control measures would suffice in mitigating risk, with high-risk CPFs substantial measures are required. As a consolidation of the research findings, a toolkit, called CRiMT, has been developed. CRiMT provides H&S risk information regarding CPFs and it has the potential of assisting pre-construction project participants in managing the accident causal influence of CPFs from the early stage of project procurement.
In view of the findings, the accident causal influence of CPFs should thus not be ignored or underestimated in construction project delivery. Pre-construction project participants, especially those whose decisions determine CPFs, ought to take into consideration the H&S effects of CPFs when making decisions which determine CPFs. Also, pre-construction project participants ought to plan and implement commensurate risk control measures in the early stage of projects to eliminate or mitigate the H&S risk posed by CPFs.
"
Ankrah, N. A. and Manu, P. A. (2012) Organisational culture and climate change driven constructio... more Ankrah, N. A. and Manu, P. A. (2012) Organisational culture and climate change driven construction. In: Proverbs, D.G. Booth, C., Lamond, J. and Hammond, F. (Eds.) Solutions for climate change challenges of the built environment: Blackwell publishing.
Building information modelling (BIM) has been proposed as an enabler for greater efficiency and e... more Building information modelling (BIM) has been proposed as an enabler for greater efficiency and effectiveness within the UK construction industry, providing digital management of construction data throughout the project life cycle. The potential benefits of BIM have been widely discussed in published literature but relatively less attention has been paid to the discipline/profession-specific challenges of wider industry adoption. Further studies, such as the authors' ongoing research, could help to remedy this.
Subcontracting is noted for its adverse health and safety (H&S) influence in construction. Using ... more Subcontracting is noted for its adverse health and safety (H&S) influence in construction. Using interviews with five of the top 20 UK contractors and one medium-sized contractor, this study explored how main contractors manage the H&S influence of subcontracting with a focus on their in-house measures. Some in-house measures found are: restricting the layers of subcontractors on projects; working with a regular chain of subcontractors; implementing a H&S reward scheme for subcontractors; and insisting on non-working subcontractor foremen who have direct responsibility for the safety of workers in their trade. These measures appear to be influenced by clients, industry peer groups, and the moral justification for occupational H&S, and they offer inter-organisational learning opportunities for contractors in devising measures to mitigate the H&S influence of subcontracting. These findings should also allay concerns that removing some of the legislative hurdles in connection with on-going red tape debate will result in poorer H&S.► Contractors' measures for managing the H&S influence of subcontracting are studied. ► A number of regulatory and in-house measures are reported. ► The in-house measures offer inter-organisational learning opportunities. ► The findings have implications for external drivers of H&S apart from legislation. ► There are also implications for on-going debate on H&S red tape challenge in UK.
Construction project features (CPFs) are organisational, physical and operational attributes that... more Construction project features (CPFs) are organisational, physical and operational attributes that characterise construction projects. Although previous studies have examined the accident causal influence of CPFs, the multi-causal attribute of this causal phenomenon still remain elusive and thus requires further investigation. Aiming to shed light on this facet of the accident causal phenomenon of CPFs, this study examines relevant literature and crystallises the attained insight of the multi-causal attribute by a graphical model which is subsequently operationalised by a derived mathematical risk expression that offers a systematic approach for evaluating the potential of CPFs to cause harm and consequently their health and safety (H&S) risk implications. The graphical model and the risk expression put forth by the study thus advance current understanding of the accident causal phenomenon of CPFs and they present an opportunity for project participants to manage the H&S risk associated with CPFs from the early stages of project procurement.► The accident causal influence of construction project features (CPFs) is examined. ► The mechanism by which CPFs influence accident occurrence is modeled graphically. ► An expression for assessing risk associated with CPFs is also presented. ► These outputs offer tools for managing the accident causal influence of CPFs.
Following the human tragedies in football stadia in Great Britain, several safety legislative req... more Following the human tragedies in football stadia in Great Britain, several safety legislative requirements have been passed to ensure spectator safety. Among such requirements is the requirement for seated accommodation for all spectators. Since the introduction of this requirement, there is however growing concern over the prolonged standing of spectators in seated areas as seated accommodation are not designated for standing and could thus poses risk to the safety of spectators. This study therefore investigated how spectator standing in seated accommodation affects the safety of spectators, and why spectators stand in seated accommodation by the use of semi-structured interviews. The interview participants included football club safety managers, a safety officer responsible for issuing safety licences at designated grounds and a spectator. The study indicates that the safety risk posed by spectator standing in seated areas include a spectator falling over a seat or guard rail and the obstruction of access for emergency services. The study further indicates that spectator standing is influenced by factors such as the fixture of the game, moments of excitement, spectator comfort, and the atmosphere of the crowd. The findings of the study provide valuable insight to stimulate proactive thinking towards implementing measures in relation to football stadia design and management to ensure safety.
In the pursuit of Health and Safety (H&S) improvement within the UK construction industry, severa... more In the pursuit of Health and Safety (H&S) improvement within the UK construction industry, several studies have been conducted to identify accident causal factors to enable the development of accident prevention measures. Adding to such studies, a critique of H&S literature demonstrates that construction project features (CPFs) such as the nature of project, method of construction, site restriction, project duration, procurement system, design complexity, level of construction, and subcontracting contribute to accident causation and that their contribution is through the introduction of proximal accident causal factors into the construction process. However, the extent of this contribution by these CPFs remains sparingly known and requires further investigation. The study provides this insight by indicating that the extent to which CPFs contribute to accident causation is influenced by two factors; the extent to which the proximal factors contribute to accident causation; and the extent to which the proximal factors are prevalent within the CPFs. In line with this fresh insight, an approach for determining the extent to which CPFs contribute to accident causation is put forth. The approach proposes to use a qualitative–quantitative rating scale to determine the two determinant factors and then combine them using a mathematical formula to obtain the extent to which CPFs contribute to accident causation. By this approach the grey areas in literature concerning the extent to which CPFs contribute to accident causation will be illuminated and by that contribute to improvement in construction accident prevention.
Building information modelling (BIM) has been proposed as a technology enabled process for the re... more Building information modelling (BIM) has been proposed as a technology enabled process for the realisation of the performance ambitions of the construction industry through integrated management of information in virtual 3-D formats. Significant challenges however exist which undermine its implementation within the construction industry. The identification of these challenges is an imperative precondition for successful implementation of BIM given the associated risk. The design phase has particularly been cited as a significant beneficiary of process improvement and efficiency gains expected from the deployment of BIM. Despite the critical role of the design phase to project delivery and consequently BIM usage, few studies have sought to interrogate the challenges faced by designers. A qualitative approach was adopted through semi-structured interviews to solicit perspectives of UK design firms on the implementation challenges being faced. Findings reveal a categorisation of challenges as design-specific, team-orientated, project-related, technology related (BIM specific), industry-wide challenges and cost. This categorisation is used as a basis for identifying critical challenges which include: design process lag and loss of time; lack of understanding by clients regarding requirements for the BIM model; lack of learning feedback from projects on which BIM has been used; and lack of supply chain integration. Variation in the challenges across different maturity levels of firms is also confirmed in this study, particularly in relation to cost of implementation. Awareness of these challenges provides opportunities for identifying effective solutions for their mitigation.
Construction projects in Ghana are predominantly procured through the traditional route which has... more Construction projects in Ghana are predominantly procured through the traditional route which has been reported to be characterised by adversarial client-contractor relationships. In an effort to engender more collaboration in client-contractor relationships, studies have often advocated for projects to be procured through partnering arrangements. Clearly, central to the use of client-contractor partnering in a context such as Ghanaian construction industry where there is no report of client-contractor partnering is its perceived applicability. A pilot questionnaire survey of clients and contractors and subsequent analyses rather suggest that client-contractor relationships are not just adversarial but are even more paternalistic in nature. The analyses further suggest that partnering is applicable in the Ghanaian construction industry despite the predominant adversarial and paternalistic client-contractor relationships. Although these findings are not conclusive given the limited scope of the survey, they provide a preliminary positive indication of the use of partnering in Ghana.
Acting ethically is a defining characteristic of being a professional. It is good for business a... more Acting ethically is a defining characteristic of being a professional. It is good for business and it is good for client and public protection. However, whilst it is well-known that acting ethically could be challenging in certain circumstances, merely accepting this position without concerted efforts to advance ethics in a profession has detrimental knock-on effects for the professional, profession, industry, and society at large. The key question then is, whilst absolute ‘perfection’ may not be feasible or be in immediate reach in any national context, how do professionals and the institutions that represent their profession painstakingly work towards constantly narrowing the gap between the prevailing state of ethics and that vision of an ethical practitioner, practice, business, and industry. In this talk, I explore a range of issues on the subject of professional ethics within the construction and property/real estate sectors. The talk was delivered at an international conference jointly held by the Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy (CASLE- http://www.casle.org) and the Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS - http://www.ghisonline.org). The conference was held in Takoradi, Ghana, on 12th March 2015.
The UK Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations came into force in April 2015. The re... more The UK Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations came into force in April 2015. The regulations like its predecessor place legal duties on duty-holders in respect of the management of health and safety on construction projects. This talks was delivered at an event of the IOSH Bristol and West Branch (http://www.iosh.co.uk/Membership/Our-membership-network/Our-Branches/Bristol-and-West-Branch.aspx). The talk looked at the duties of duty-holders under the CDM Regulations 2015.