Research Reports

In this study, we aim to analyze the causes of fatal accidents in the construction industry over the past three years from various perspectives, extracting distinctive characteristics among incidents and emphasizing the need for corresponding measures. Firstly, we analyze the characteristics of fatal accidents based on primary information factors such as project types, construction scales, and construction types. Subsequently, through multidimensional analysis considering primary information factors simultaneously, such as project types and construction scales, project types and construction types, and construction scales and construction types, we derive the characteristics of fatal accidents in the construction industry. This study underscores the importance of developing measures tailored to these characteristics. The fatalities resulting from accidents in the construction industry are predominantly concentrated in private sector projects, with a high proportion occurring in small-scale construction sites with a budget of less than 5 billion. Furthermore, when categorized by construction type, public civil engineering and private building projects collectively account for the majority of the total fatalities, particularly in construction projects with budgets below 5 billion and above 300 billion. In summary of the analysis results, a significant number of fatalities in construction accidents over the past three years have occurred in construction sites with budgets of less than 5 billion in the private sector. This indicates the need for enhanced measures for accident prevention, particularly focusing on small-scale sites in private sector construction. Comprehensive analysis of multidimensional results based on accident types and objects reveals that fatalities resulting from "falling" accidents and those caused by "visible structures" are most prominently observed in small-scale private construction projects (budgets less than 5 billion) in the building sector. While acknowledging the limitation of analyzing only the data on fatalities in the construction industry over the past three years, multidimensional analysis of various accident characteristics and factors such as project scale enables the following policy recommendations. To prevent or reduce fatalities in construction site accidents, tailored measures are required for small-scale sites with budgets less than 5 billion. Support, such as providing worker safety education at the public level, is necessary. Considering the high proportion of fatalities associated with visible structures and construction machinery, there is a need to specify and strengthen safety inspection measures related to these objects. For example, enhancing inspections for visible structures during initial safety checks or conducting regular inspections during construction activities is necessary. The age group of fatalities being 50 years and above signals aging in the workforce on construction sites. Alongside reinforcing safety education for individual workers, support policies should be developed to encourage the influx of younger workers. Given that the major cause of fatalities is unsafe behavior by workers, strengthening management supervision including safety education for workers, should take precedence. Additionally exploring and utilizing various smart safety technologies capable of monitoring and providing signals for workers' inattentive behavior should be considered. Enhancement of safety management and education in the early stages of construction is required and a system for calculating and implementing appropriate construction schedules should be established. Particularly measures for applying appropriate schedules to small-scale private construction projects need to be devised. The fact that a majority of fatalities occur in segments where the completion rate is less than 10% or in phases close to project completion exceeding 80%, indicates deficiencies in the completeness of safety management systems in the early stages and pressures nearing project completion as factors contributing to accidents. Finally for CSI data to be effectively utilized as a resource for reducing future construction accidents detailed data on incidents must be input without any missing information and additional data collection is also required.