Safety and Health in Prefabricated Construction: A New Framework for Analysis

Abstract

Given the promise of productivity gains, cost-effectiveness and environmental efficiency, contemporary prefabrication strategies continue to shape not only the means of production and assembly for buildings, but also the extended population of workers and their accompanying job conditions. While the widespread belief is that the impacts from prefabrication will yield healthier and safer conditions when compared to traditional methods, there is little evidence, often contradictory, to support this claim. This study aims to provide a foundation of knowledge on prefabrication in the context of health and safety, and to reexamine the problems associated with occupational risk using a balanced framework.