Safety net applications in developing countries: Turkey and Iran case study

Abstract

In this study, safety net applications, which are used as a collective protection measure in high-rise building constructions, in small and medium sized enterprises were investigated. For this purpose, safety net inspection form has implemented to building construction sites in Turkey and Iran. Study is focused on not only the presence of safety measures, but also the importance of correct application. In addition, it is aimed to draw attention to both the failures in the safety net applications and the general approaches to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) measures and awareness levels of the practitioners. Results show that there are many shortcomings in the safety nets in construction sites. The prominent shortcomings are determined as testing and labeling of safety nets. Moreover, factors that reduce the effectiveness of the safety net are observed frequently. The level of deficiencies varies by the level of detail of legal regulations and standards in the country. This paper makes important contributions to research field on the effectiveness of working at height measures.