Relationship network of safety management elements in the construction industry under the perspective of resilience

Abstract

Purpose

Construction safety resilience is gradually gaining attention in the field of engineering construction as a new management concept and way to improve safety performance. However, how to cope with the dilemma of the unclear relationship of construction safety resilience elements at the practice level and promote the harmonization of construction safety goals and resilience enhancement paths has become an urgent challenge for safe construction.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzes the components of construction safety resilience elements. A relationship network model of construction safety resilience elements is developed by using the social network analysis method. The location and influence of each element in the network and the interrelationships among the elements are explored in depth.

Findings

The findings reveal a robust interconnection among the elements of safety resilience in the construction industry. Key components such as safety behavior, risk prevention and control mechanisms, disaster prevention and mitigation technologies as well as information technology, are positioned at the core of the network. Notably, safety behavior exerts the most significant influence over the other elements, serving as the linchpin of safety management in the construction industry. Moreover, the interplay among safety resilience elements in the construction sector can alter the structure of the relationship network.

Originality/value

This study adopts the social network approach to solve the problem that it is difficult to quantitatively analyze the elements of construction safety resilience and their interrelationships and to clarify the interactions among the core elements, which can help to further assist the construction project manager to continuously optimize safety resilience and improve construction safety.

Citation

Liu, K., Kou, Y., Liu, Y. and Yang, X. (2024), "Relationship network of safety management elements in the construction industry under the perspective of resilience", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-07-2024-0848