AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DESIGN FOR SAFETY IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Design for Safety (DfS) Regulations was in operation in the construction industry on 1 August 2016. Prior to the Regulations, the industry was introduced to DfS through the Guidelines on Design for Safety (DfS) in Buildings and Structures in 2008. In other industry such as the oil and gas industry and transport sector of Singapore, there is a mature practice of design review process which takes place starting from the design stage of projects. In addition, the three focus groups – construction industry, transport sector and oil and gas industry are exposed to high risks projects. Therefore, their rich and vast experiences in this area are valuable to the construction industry to enhance the implementation of DfS in the industry. The research begins with literature review to create a fundamental understanding on DfS. The research then proceeds to collecting research findings through twelve interviews with professionals of various disciplines and observations on review meetings of three different projects. The findings were analysed and cross-examined using NVivo to determine key factors such as competency, ownership, bidding and government intervention affecting the effectiveness of implementing DfS in the construction industry. A total of 119 nodes were coded during the process. The paper concludes with proposed recommendations at three levels – company, industry and government to suit the industry’s needs to enhance the effectiveness of DfS. Rewarding, training and enhancing groundwork understanding are some of the recommendations designed to address prominent challenges. The limitations and further studies of the research were presented in the conclusive chapter.