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Project

SIBA – Safety management in building and construction industry

In cooperation with key players in the industry SINTEF/NTNU has initiated a project on proactive safety management in the building and construction (B&C) industry. The project's main objective is to develop knowledge, methods and tools to ensure safety during all phases of B&C projects, with particular focus on collaboration and coordination between different phases and different actors.

SIBA-forum

SIBA-forum was established in 2018 as a continuation of the SIBA -project (see description of the SIBA-project below). The purpose is to contribute to a safer building and construction industry through development and dissemination of research-based safety knowledge. The forum is a meeting place for collaboration and exchange of experience between various actors in the building and construction industry, where the SIBA-seminars are an important meeting arena. The forum is funded through the partners in the project and through externally funded research activities. An example of such a research activity is "The role of the safety representative in safety work"-project which is financed through the RVO-fund.

Read more about the SIBA-project and the SIBA-forum on the projects' website (in Norwegian)

The construction industry is one of our most hazardous industries. Each year many workers lose their lives on Norwegian construction sites. Around 100 get permanent harm and several thousand suffer from lost-time injuries. Through the project "Safety management in the building and construction industry" (SIBA), we want to contribute to a safer industry.

Through interviews in several B&C projects where project developers and contractors are involved, we have identified key challenges in the interface between different actors and different phases. These challenges form the basis for developing methods and guidelines for better safety management in the industry. We have identified eight main challenges related to safety management throughout the different phases of a B&C process (from project development and engineering to execution phase):

  1. Safety management in the early project phases (project development and engineering)
  2. Collaboration before the execution phase
  3. Time pressure and simultaneous activities
  4. Supervision of subcontractors
  5. Risk assessment process
  6. SHA-plan as an integral part of the management system (SHA: Safety, Health and Working Environment)
  7. Foreign workers – culture and language
  8. Safety skills and competencies

The project is supported by the Fund for Regional Safety Representatives (RVO-Fund), in addition to contributions from the project partners.

Go to the SIBA homepage (Norwegian): www.sikkerhet-ba.no

Key facts

Project duration

2014 - 2017