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Building information modelling (BIM) has received wide coverage within the research, academic and industry communities over the last decade. Yet, its degree of integration with various industry standards in the architecture, engineering and construction sector varies extensively. An exploratory research approach explores the interoperability between the construction design and management (CDM) regulations and BIM. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

The research design comprised: a methodical “state-of-the-art” review of extant literature – exploring some 19 variables emerging from the literature review; detailed content analyses of the current CDM regime (CDM 2015); and conducting a “test” to map and determine the degree of interoperability between BIM and CDM. The study develops several meta-matrices and a framework for BIM and CDM interoperability.

New insight reveals that BIM provides a systematic approach for the discharge of CDM obligations. The framework developed is easily transferable into BIM common data environments (CDEs) and offers an expeditious discharge of CDM obligations.

Some features of the developed BIM/CDM interoperability framework invite further tests to predicate the degree of discharge of CDM obligations. Duties related to provision of pre-construction information invite further research.

Little research provides insight into the interoperability of BIM and the CDM regulations. Therefore, this study contributes to the knowledge relating to the degree of interoperability of BIM in construction systems, processes and standards.

Sets out to examine the need to educate professionals involved in all trades at all levels throughout the construction industry so that the industry as a whole becomes safety conscious. States that the European legislation governing the conduct of building operations from inception, through use and maintenance to demolition is now in place, and in the UK the CDM regulations came into effect in March 1995 and implement the European Community Temporary or Mobile Construction Site Directive. Says that many problems have been instigated by the CDM in the UK in smaller contractors on smaller jobs who may become the “principal contractor”, without having the financial, managerial or technical resources of the larger contractor, yet having the same safety responsibilities. This would seem to potentially create a problem which affects the operation and validity of the regulations. Seeks to address these problems and inconsistencies in the knowledge and expertise gap concerning safety in the construction industry. Aims to address a number of questions: how can we ensure the long‐term safety on site?; how can these problems be alleviated, while achieving in this case the worthwhile goal of safer building?; how can the problem of the small builder be addressed on a European basis?; can the training and education of those in the building trade be altered to improve safety awareness and procedures? Anticipates that feedback information will be generated regarding safety standards and their optimization throughout sectors of the industry. Recommends that all trades and professions must incorporate safety within their particular skill training and all persons involved should be licensed by the trade association and a consumer safeguard and the safety of persons in the industry.

The purpose of this paper is to report on findings from a research project, commissioned by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), to investigate the integration of health and safety with pre‐construction planning.

Four steering groups and three expert panels were interviewed, using focus group methods, to define critical success factors through qualitative, grounded theory, analysis.

The main outcomes from the analysis are: critical success factors rely on adopting integrated teams; and effective two‐way flow of information is essential. Also, existing design and management tools can be adapted to satisfy the factors identified as opposed to prescribed requirements for a standard health and safety plan.

This study has informed further research including the development of a gateway process model and supporting integrated management tools. It has also informed HSE with policy decisions for their review of CDM.

The prevention through design (PtD) initiative places a duty on designers to originate designs that are inherently safe for construction, maintenance, occupation and demolition. In the UK, legislation has been introduced creating a new statutory role called the principal designer (PD) to ensure that PtD occurs during the design process. To realize this objective, PDs under the regulations must have appropriate skills, knowledge and experience (SKE) of occupational safety and health risks as they relate to construction products. However, there is a paucity of knowledge, in the extant literature and in practice, regarding what specifically constitutes PDs’ SKE of PtD and how to measure the same.

The study undertook a systematic review of meanings of SKE and carried out content analyses to provide robust conceptualizations of the constructs SKE. This underpinned the development of nomological networks to operationalize the constructs SKE in respect of PDs’ ability to ensure PtD.

PDs’ SKE of PtD are presented as multidimensional constructs that can be operationalized at different levels of specificity in three theoretical models.

The models indicated in this study can assist project clients to clarify the PtD SKE of prospective PDs in the procurement process. Correspondingly, PDs can look to these frameworks to identify their SKE gaps and take steps to address them.

This study contributes to the PtD literature by providing theoretical frameworks to clarify the PtD SKE of PDs. The study provides a basis for future research to empirically test the attributes of these as they relate to PDs’ competence to ensure PtD.

This paper aims to report on the findings from a research project, commissioned by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), investigating the integration of health and safety (H&S) with construction planning.

A combination of group and individual interviews were undertaken with qualitative methods of analysis to develop an integrated process model.

The model developed uses “Gateway” decision points, which allows flexibility and the early integration of H&S at a strategic level, although detailed planning is still required through the use of integrated management tools.

This study will help practitioners who wish to integrate CDM principles using a process model. It has also informed the HSE with policy decisions for their review of the Construction Design and Management Regulations 1994.

Previous research on construction H&S has tended to concentrate on site management. This study extends knowledge and understanding of how H&S can be integrated at the planning stage of projects.

Designers have a key role to play in the Prevention through Design (PtD) practices in construction projects. Nonetheless, previous studies indicated that the issue of competencies to perform and sustain such practices over time is of a significant concern. This study aims to explore the key attributes of designers' competencies for PtD practices in construction.

By using the Scopus database, a total of 86 papers related to PtD in construction published in peer-reviewed journals were reviewed and analysed using the well-established systematic literature review (SLR) methodology.

The review indicates that in order to be competent in PtD implementation, designers need to be equipped with tacit and explicit knowledge, technical and soft skills and experience related to PtD. Furthermore, the review identifies attributes of these competencies. Additionally, a framework that links key PtD elements/principles with the PtD competencies is presented.

The findings would enable contribution to the industry by providing the necessary references for design organisations to improve their designers' PtD competencies and hence, be able to meet their responsibility under relevant occupational safety and health (OSH) legislative framework.

This study extends the PtD literature in the construction context by providing deeper insights into the conceptualisation of relationship between competent designers and PtD elements. The novelty also lies in the consolidation of PtD competency attributes for designers in construction that could act as a reference for any future developments related to PtD competency assessment for designers.

Against the backdrop of the contribution of design to the occurrence of occupational injuries and illnesses in construction, design for occupational safety and health (DfOSH) is increasingly becoming prominent in the construction sector. To ensure that design interventions are safe for construction workers to build and maintain, design firms need to have the appropriate organisational capability in respect of DfOSH. However, empirical insight regarding the attributes that constitute DfOSH organisational capability is lacking. The purpose of this paper, which trailblases the subject of DfOSH organisational capability in construction, is to address two key questions: what organisational attributes determine DfOSH capability? What is the relative priority of the capability attributes?

The study employed three iterations of expert focus group discussion and a subsequent three-round Delphi technique accompanied by the application of voting analytic hierarchy process.

The study revealed 18 capability attributes nested within six categories, namely: competence (the competence of organisation’s design staff); strategy (the consideration of DfOSH in organisation’s vision as well as the top management commitment); corporate experience (organisation’s experience in implementing DfOSH on projects); systems (systems, processes and procedures required for implementing DfOSH); infrastructure (physical, and information and communication technology resources); and collaboration (inter- and intra-organisational collaboration to implement DfOSH on projects). Whilst these categories and their nested attributes carry varying weights of importance, collectively, the competence-related attributes are the most important, followed by strategy.

The findings should enable design firms and other key industry stakeholders (such as the clients who appoint them) to understand designers’ DfOSH capability better. Additionally, design firms should be able to prioritise efforts/investment to enhance their DfOSH capability.

The equability of environment, social and economic elements becomes a major issue to be achieved as to attain sustainability in the development of a construction project. As to cater to social sustainability, the Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health in Construction Industry (Management) also known as OSHCIM has been introduced by the government to improve safety practices amongst Malaysia’s construction practitioners. The basic principle adopted in OSHCIM is Prevention through Design (PtD), which enhances the elimination of hazards during project design stages. This concept is inspired from the implementation of Construction (Design and Management) (CDM) Regulations in the United Kingdom. The concept has also been adopted and practised in many developed countries including Australia and Singapore. The aim of this study is to identify the dominant accident causes in Malaysian construction industry. In this study, the secondary data were gathered from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) accident statistics. A content analysis and frequency distribution analysis were adopted to determine causal factors that contribute to the fatality. The findings show the existence of design-related causal factors, which is also incorporated with other causes of accidents. This is true as every accident occurs due to more than one factor. Thus, these inputs will recommend further exploration to determine the design-related causal factors. This may help the industrial players, including stakeholders, practitioners and researchers, to have more focussed efforts and resources in ensuring the success of OSHCIM’s implementation to reduce the accident statistics in Malaysia.