Identification of Safety Hazards in Highway Construction Projects

Despite a global emphasis on safety, construction personnel experience many occupational injuries. The dynamic nature of construction sites makes it highly challenging and impossible to eliminate the hazards associated with these injuries. However, an awareness of them and acknowledgement of their potential dangers are crucial first steps in improving the safety of the workers. This paper aims to add to the construction safety body of knowledge by conducting a thorough literature review and identifying, defining, and categorizing the safety hazards that affect the transportation sector of the construction industry. A keyword search yielded 463 publications subjected to a multi-step screening/exclusion process that eliminated 227 articles, leaving 236 deemed qualified for additional examination. Fourteen (14) construction safety hazards were identified and categorized as primary, physical, chemical, ergonomic or other, and based upon how often they were mentioned in the literature, working at heights, material and equipment handling, and heavy machinery appear to be the most hazardous to workers’ safety. Recognizing the hazards, taking preventative measures, and implementing best practices for managing them is vital to improving worker safety and reducing the severity of injuries when they do occur. The results of this study will help employers in the construction industry detect potential safety hazards and lower the likelihood that highway workers will sustain occupational accidents and injuries from them.