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Managing the adverse health and safety impact of subcontracting: Findings of a qualitative inquiry

Manu, Patrick; Ankrah, Nii; Proverbs, David; Suresh, Subashini; Adukpo, Emmanuel

Authors

Patrick Manu Patrick.Manu@uwe.ac.uk
Professor of Innovative Construction and Project Management

Nii Ankrah

David Proverbs

Subashini Suresh

Emmanuel Adukpo



Contributors

S. Laryea
Editor

R. Leiringer
Editor

W. Hughes
Editor

Abstract

Despite the economic benefits of subcontracting, it is widely known to be one of the factors influencing adverse health and safety (H&S) outcomes on projects. Given the increasing complexity of construction technologies which inevitably means that specialisation in construction will grow, it is expected that there will be even more subcontracting in the future, and hence the need for measures to address the adverse H&S influence of subcontracting. In the UK, beyond the legal health and safety requirements which offer some opportunity for mitigating the H&S impact of subcontracting, there is limited insight as to how main contractors manage this adverse impact in terms of their in-house H&S practices. Using semi-structured interviews with key management personnel of 6 UK contractors, the research question, “how do main contractors manage the adverse H&S influence of subcontracting, in terms of their in-house H&S practices?” was investigated. The inquiry revealed that beyond the legal requirements, two strategic measures adopted by the investigated contractors are: restricting the layers/tiers of subcontracting on projects; and having a regular chain of subcontractors. These measures are aimed at addressing the communication, teamwork, competence, and safety culture issues that are associated with workforce fragmentation introduced by subcontracting. Given that the adverse H&S influence of subcontracting is an international phenomenon, these findings provide a learning opportunity for all construction contractors within and outside UK, particularly the large and medium contractors who often sublet work packages.

Citation

Manu, P., Ankrah, N., Proverbs, D., Suresh, S., & Adukpo, E. (2011, July). Managing the adverse health and safety impact of subcontracting: Findings of a qualitative inquiry. Paper presented at West Africa Built Environment Research (WABER) Conference, Accra, Ghana

Presentation Conference Type Conference Paper (unpublished)
Conference Name West Africa Built Environment Research (WABER) Conference
Conference Location Accra, Ghana
Start Date Jul 19, 2011
End Date Jul 21, 2011
Publication Date Jan 1, 2011
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Pages 735-744
Keywords health and safety, subcontracting
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/970065
Publisher URL http://www.waberconference.com/
Additional Information Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : West Africa Built Environment Research (WABER) Conference