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Is the construction site a safer place under the USACE or local government guidelines? The case of Afghanistan

Mohammad Hashim Ibrahimkhil (Building Construction Department, Kabul Polytechnic University, Kabul, Afghanistan)
Laith Hadidi (Construction and Engineering Management Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia)

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

ISSN: 0969-9988

Article publication date: 3 January 2022

Issue publication date: 8 May 2023

211

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to assess the safety level of construction sites in Afghanistan following the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) safety practices and compare this with other construction sites in Afghanistan that follow local government safety guidelines. The USACE oversees and funds many infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, and these projects are supposed to follow the same standards implemented in the USA, including safety standards. The local government of Afghanistan also funds infrastructure projects in Afghanistan; however, these do not follow USACE best practices. This research explores the question of whether the USACE standards provide a safer construction site. The effect of the USACE standards on safety practices in construction projects is also investigated in the Afghanistan construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review and other safety checklists were used to develop a safety checklist containing 104 items (questions) in 17 categories. Subsequently, the checklist was used to assess the safety performance of 57 construction projects (25 USACE projects, and 32 governmental projects). Utilizing quantitative analysis, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (Rho) and Mann–Whitney tests were carried out for correlation and statistical disparity between USACE and governmental projects.

Findings

The safety performance level of Afghan government projects was found to be poor in relation to other developing countries, while in USACE projects it was excellent. In addition, fire prevention, safety administration, PPE, heavy equipment, and handling and storage of materials for all types of contractors were the most overlooked aspects of Afghan Government projects.

Practical implications

The findings clearly demonstrate the deficiencies in construction sites observed during this study and also support the adoption of USACE standards in Afghanistan projects.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the safety of construction sites in Afghanistan. The study also demonstrates the benefits of adopting international standards (USACE) to improve the safety of construction sites in a developing country such as Afghanistan. The findings provide evidence of the safety of the Afghanistan construction industry compared to other developing countries. These findings will contribute to the Afghan Government's efforts to track injury statistics.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The effort of the respected anonymous reviewers is highly appreciated and recognized. Acknowledgment is also extended to King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and Kabul Polytechnic University. The support of the Smart Mobility and Logistics interdiciplinary research center at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals is also appreciated.

Citation

Ibrahimkhil, M.H. and Hadidi, L. (2023), "Is the construction site a safer place under the USACE or local government guidelines? The case of Afghanistan", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 30 No. 4, pp. 1379-1400. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-05-2020-0361

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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