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    Dr. Charlie Zhang

    EN 1042

    1000 E. University Ave

    Laramie, WY 82071

    Phone: (307)766-4232

    Email: chengyi.zhang@uwyo.edu

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    Construction Safety

    PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS ON ENGINEER MANUAL 385 EFFECTIVENESS OF REDUCING NUMBER AND SEVERITY OF MISHAPS

    The United States Army Corps of Engineering Manual 385 (EM 385) has become a vital part of construction operations on all Department of Defense (DOD) construction projects to create a safer work environment. With tremendous effort on developing and enforcing the EM 385, the question of whether the EM 385 provides any value for project safety is critical to the construction industry at large. This study looks for causation between the EM 385 and mishap reduction by isolating three dependent variables and a variety of explanatory variables. The data was compiled using both the OSHA Data Initiative (ODI) and the Federal Spending Database. A structural equation is developed to conduct multiple regression analysis assuming EM 385 will reduce the number of mishaps and the severity of mishaps. However, the result shows the effectiveness of EM 385 on reducing the number and severity of mishaps is not significant.

    LEAN TRIZ METHOD TO PREVENT SAFETY RELATED PROBLEMS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

    The construction industry needs safer practices due to its complex and fragmented nature. Therefore, making errors visible is essential to the process of error proofing. With the Lean concept, it becomes possible to design out errors and develop ways to prevent errors before they turn into defects. Lean also creates a more productive and effective process when implementing innovative methods such as TRIZ, a problem solving, analysis and forecasting tool. Lean TRIZ is a new approach to improve construction processes while reducing the likelihood of defects. It strongly coincides with the elimination or possible prevention of errors originating from unsafe actions and conditions. Considering the high number of accidents in the construction industry, it is of utmost importance to implement tools and techniques to prevent the probability of such occurrences. Therefore, this study proposes a new method for error prevention with the implementation of the Lean TRIZ method to minimize safety-related problems in construction. Then, real construction problems caused by unsafe practices and conditions are analyzed with the Lean TRIZ method. The main contribution of the study is to introduce the Lean TRIZ concept and analyze the feasibility of applying this method to solve safety problems. In addition, the study provides a guide and encourages construction practitioners to benefit from the solutions provided by this research in the context of Lean TRIZ methodology.
    Contact Us

    Dr. Charlie Zhang

    EN 1042

    1000 E. University Ave

    Laramie, WY 82071

    Phone: (307)766-4232

    Email: chengyi.zhang@uwyo.edu

    Find us on Instagram (Link opens a new window)Find us on Facebook (Link opens a new window)Find us on Twitter (Link opens a new window)Find us on LinkedIn (Link opens a new window)Find us on YouTube (Link opens a new window)