Impacts of Lean Construction on Safety Systems: A System Dynamics Approach.

Area of Science:

• Construction Management
• Occupational Safety and Health
• Systems Engineering

Background:

• Lean construction is recognized for reducing waste and accidents, but its specific impact on safety requires systematic investigation.
• Existing research lacks a comprehensive understanding of how lean construction practices influence construction safety.
• A gap exists in quantifying the extent to which lean principles contribute to improved safety performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a conceptual model demonstrating the influence of lean construction practices on construction safety.
• To systematically analyze the correlations between specific lean tools and key construction sub-systems affecting safety.
• To provide empirical evidence on the effectiveness of lean construction in mitigating safety-related issues.

Main Methods:

• A system dynamics approach was employed to model the construction system, comprising environment, equipment, management, and employee sub-systems.
• Data were collected from 448 construction projects in China to validate the conceptual model.
• Simulations were performed to assess the impact of five lean tools on the identified construction sub-systems.

Main Results:

• 5S management positively impacts site control and environmental safety.
• Visual management significantly enhances safety compliance and management effectiveness.
• Just-in-time management improves safety facility layout and safety plan development.
• The Last Planner System and conference management boost safety training and plan implementation.

Conclusions:

• Lean construction practices offer a targeted approach to significantly improve construction safety.
• Specific lean tools demonstrate measurable positive effects on various aspects of site safety.
• The study provides valuable insights for implementing lean construction to achieve superior safety performance.