Exploring the metro construction accidents and causations for improving safety management based on data mining and network theory
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
ISSN: 0969-9988
Article publication date: 13 January 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify the causative factors of metro construction safety accidents, analyze the correlation between accidents and causative factors and assist in developing safety management strategies for improving safety performance in the context of the Chinese construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve these objectives, 13 types and 48 causations were determined based on 274 construction safety accidents in China. Then, 204 cause-and-effect relationships among accidents and causations were identified based on data mining. Next, network theory was employed to develop and analyze the metro construction accident causation network (MCACN).
Findings
The topological characteristics of MCACN were obtained, it is both a small-world network and a scale-free network. Controlling critical causative factors can effectively control the occurrence of metro construction accidents. Degree centrality strategy is better than closeness centrality strategy and betweenness centrality strategy.
Research limitations/implications
In practice, it is very difficult to quantitatively identify and determine the importance of different accidents and causative factors. The weights of nodes and edges are failed to be assigned when constructing MCACN.
Practical implications
This study provides a theoretical basis and feasible management reference for construction enterprises in China to control construction risks and reduce safety accidents. More safety resources should be allocated to control critical risks. It is recommended that safety managers implement degree centrality strategy when making safety-related decisions.
Originality/value
This paper establishes the MCACN model based on data mining and network theory, identifies the properties and clarifies the mechanism of metro construction accidents and causations.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The research described in this paper is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71801214, 72071201 and 71801082). The authors sincerely acknowledge the editors and anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and constructive suggestions, which considerably improve the exposition of this work.
Citation
Deng, Y., Liu, Z., Song, L., Ni, G. and Xu, N. (2023), "Exploring the metro construction accidents and causations for improving safety management based on data mining and network theory", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-06-2022-0603
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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