This research dissertation focuses on evaluating why health and safety (H&S) is important in the construction industry and how it can impact the overall operational performance of organizations in the construction industry. It is not only moral and ethical business responsibility of the construction organizations to provide safe working environment to their labor force but it is also an important business requirement in the modern world. The organizations operating in the construction industry are required to implement the health and safety systems which will be helpful in ensuring the protection of the workforce from the natural hazards or the incidents which occurs due to mismanagement at the workplace. The construction jobs are considered to be the most dangerous jobs in the economy of the United Kingdom and the main reason behind this is the rate of accidents and hazards were very high in this industry. There are significant percentages of the workers which have lost their lives and have faced major injuries while performing their job related responsibilities in the construction based organizations. The recent awareness regarding the implementation of effective health and safety procedures in the construction companies have resulted in various safety measures that have been taken by the organizations operating in this industry with an intention to ensure the protection and safety of their workers. It is nowadays the Corporate and Social Responsibility of the organizations to provide safe and secure working environment to their employees. This particular research has been designed by using secondary data sources and the researcher has considered the case study approach in order to undertake this research. The case study of Balfour Beatty which is a one of well known construction company of the United Kingdom has been considered for this study. The case study is helpful in exploring the health and safety systems which are implemented by the management of the Balfour Beatty. The data collection method which is considered for this particular study is secondary research method. The main outcomes of the research shows that in the modern world, it is the primary responsibility of the industrial organizations to adopt appropriate health and safety measures in order to avoid any potential damage and ensure the protection of the labor force. The research findings reflect that employees working at the construction sites are playing an important role in the business growth and development of the construction companies, therefore, ensuring the safety and health of the staff members can create a direct impact on the business results of the construction organizations. The outcomes of the research study shows that effective performance of the health and safety department in the construction firms can help a great deal in order to continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the H&S related strategies and policies of the organization. The main findings of this research show that health and safety measures are not only crucial for the large construction companies but they are equally important for the medium and small construction based organizations. The research outcomes show that the management of Balfour Beatty is focused on ensuring the health and safety of everyone which is working for or with the organization. The projects of the company are designed and executed in a manner that health and safety of the project team is planned and ensured from day one. The leadership of Balfour Beatty is not only concerned about the safety of its employees but protection and safety of the customers and suppliers is also given importance by the organization.
Research Questions
- Why it is important for the organizations operating in the construction industry to formulate and implement appropriate health and safety procedures?
- How effective health and safety measures can be helpful in enhancing the performances of the labor force working in the construction industry?
- How the construction companies can provide safe and secure working environment to the organizational labor force by promoting the health and safety culture?
Research Objectives
- To evaluate the importance of health and safety in the construction industry.
- To identify that how effective health and safety related measures can create a positive impact on the overall performance of the construction organizations.
- To identify the health and safety procedures that could be helpful in avoiding and preventing any type of damage to the lives of the work force which are working in the construction industry?
- To assess the role of effective health and safety systems in improving the profit margins of the construction companies.