Edel Langan compares and contrasts the concept of safety in construction design from an international perspective, looking at the frameworks under which construction professionals in the UK, US, Australia and Ireland operate, and suggesting how the territories could learn from each other.
Safety in building design is concerned with eliminating or controlling health and safety risks as early as possible in the lifecycle of the construction project. There is much evidence of the degree of influence that designers can have on construction safety. However, that influence diminishes as the building schedule moves towards start-up, with the ideal period being during the concept and design phase.