The influence of a goal programming approach for safety management practices on the performance of a selected Indian construction organization

Abstract

The construction industry in India is the second most important contributor to its gross domestic product. However, high rate of accidents and fatalities have tarnished the image of industry in India. Although the industry contributes significantly to the Indian economy, safety management is the primary concern alongside with frequent workplace accidents. The role of safety management is vital to improve safety performance of an organization. The functions of safety management include planning, organizing, staffing, directing, controlling and coordinating safety activities with an aim to minimize accidents/injuries. Safety trainings, employee participation, compliance of safety procedures and motivational schemes are part of safety management which influences the overall safety performance. Several metrics were developed to measure the safety performance of an organization but not a single measure will reflect the overall performance. The present study considered parameters pertaining to the safety management which have influence on the safety performance of a construction organization in India. The parameters are analyzed by formulating a goal programming model. The results of the study suggests that much improvement is needed in the area of safety trainings and the revised targets were established.