Construction accident prevention

Shorttitle: The research investigated the net benefit of accident prevention and explored the relationship between preventative costs and benefits, with a view to drawing attention to the economic consequences of effective/ineffective management of health and safety by contractors in the UK construction industry. A quantitative research methodology was employed in investigating these costs and benefits within the UK construction industry. The relationships between these costs and benefits were examined. The costs of accident prevention were found to be positively and significantly (P < 0.005)associated with benefits of accident prevention. These associations were modelled using simple linear regression, and from these models it can be inferred from the results that the more contractors spend on accident prevention the more they derive benefits of accident prevention, which would improve health and safety performance on construction sites. This developed model should provide good guidance to assist contractors in developing effective and efficient health and safety management for UK construction industry.