It is recognized that many design professionals lack the necessary knowledge of construction safety and site operations to adequately design for construction safety. Fortunately, researchers, government offices and practitioners have developed tools that assist designers in designing for construction safety.
SliDeRulE (Safety in Design Risk Evaluator) assists building designers with assessing the construction safety risk associated with their designs.
The Sustainable Construction Safety and Health (SCSH) rating system helps evaluate construction worker safety and health on construction projects.
Alan Speegle (The Southern Company) compiled a 1600 item Prevention through Design list, mostly from the process (i.e., industrial) construction sector.
NIOSH commissioned educational modules that provide an overview of the PtD concept and identify specific PtD ideas for architectural aspects, concrete, structural steel and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems.
Safety researchers sponsored by the Construction Industry Institute developed over 400 design suggestions that could be used by design professionals to minimize or eliminate safety hazards in their designs. These design practices were incorporated into a computer design tool titled Design for Construction Safety Toolbox (WS101-01), which can be purchased from the CII.
The Health and Safety Executive in the United Kingdom (the equivalent to the US OSHA) developed several documents that help designers comply with the requirement that they design for construction safety. These documents are available here .
Safety professionals in Australia have created a tool called Construction Hazard Assessment Implication Review (CHAIR). CHAIR’s goal is to identify risks in a design as soon as possible in the life of a project and considers construction, operations, and maintenance activities. This process specifies that all stakeholders review the design in a prescribed and facilitated method to ensure that the occupational safety and health issues of these stakeholders are considered in the design phase of the project.
Safe Design Guidelines distributed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
OSHA’s hazard identification training tool may prove helpful for education design engineers and other non-safety professionals about common construction site hazards.
Workplace Design Solutions developed by NIOSH:
Preventing Falls from Heights through the Design of Embedded Safety Features
Preventing Falls through the Design of Roof Parapets
Construction Workplace Design Solutions developed by the OSHA Alliance Program’s Construction Roundtable:
Falls_From_Roof_(Roof Anchors)_Rev5
Falls_From_Floor_Openings_Rev2
Falls_From_Non_Moving_Vehicles_Rev1
Roof_Hatch_Access_and_Hole_Protection_rev7
Skylight_revised8
Parapets_rev9
Falls_From_Ladders_Rev6
Three Point Control (7-12-16)
Falls_From_Roof_(Roof Anchors)_Rev5
Scaffold_Design_Solution_Sheet_rev12
Falls_From_Structural Steel _(Construction Loads)_Rev11
Falls_From_Structural_Steel_(Beam_Columns)_Rev4
Workplace_Design_Solution_Industrial_large_duct_Rev10
Prevention through Design 