Affiliations: [a]
Polytechnic School of the University of Pernambuco, Madalena, Recife, PE, Brazil
| [b]
University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Cynthia Jordão de Oliveira Santos, Polytechnic School of the University of Pernambuco, Benfica Street, 455 –Madalena, Recife, PE, Brazil, 50720-001. E-mail:cjos_pec@poli.br.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:
Safety design covers proactive actions as it analyzes accident risks early in the enterprise life cycle, and considers the designer acting on accident prevention as a member of the construction team. OBJECTIVE:
This paper proposes an accident investigation to establish links between accident causes and design to support Prevention through Design (PtD) tools. METHODS:
This article analyzed more than a thousand severe and fatal accident cases in the construction sector. A systematic analysis method was structured based on descriptions of accident causes and measures that could be taken to avoid accidents. RESULTS:
Analyzing the severe and fatal accidents, the safety measures implemented in the project design could avoid at least 23.6% of the events. As a result, the architectural and structural designs were more effective in accident prevention. The reference percentages and the design types that are more effective in preventing accidents are analyzed through a representative sample of the analysis of the accident. CONCLUSIONS:
This research contributes to applying safety guidelines in design projects, directly assisting in project and construction management.
Keywords: Design for safety, building safety, risk identification
