Causes, Solutions, and Adoption Barriers of Falls from Roofs in the Singapore Construction Industry

Abstract

Fall from roof (FFR) has been a perennial problem in the construction industry. It has been one of the leading sources of injuries and accidents in many countries. The objectives of this paper are to (1) investigate the causes of fall from roof; (2) identify control measures to roof safety that are being used in the Singapore construction industry; (3) evaluate these controls based on specific working on roof scenarios; and (4) investigate factors that influence the adoption of these solutions. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with experienced practitioners in the Singapore construction industry. In addition, two focus group discussions were conducted to discuss fall protection solutions for six critical and common working on roof scenarios identified during the interviews. Results suggested that FFR accidents and injuries were caused by a combination of individual and organizational factors. Cost-effectiveness, workers competency, and site constraints are the most critical factors that differentiate solutions to specific roofing scenarios. Despite the existing solutions, it was found that some contractors are reluctant to implement appropriate solutions in their roof work due to (1) cost; (2) time pressure; (3) power imbalance; and (4) on-site constraints. Based on these findings, it was suggested that establishing a roof association would help reduce FFR accidents and injuries by addressing the following issues: (1) design working-on-roof best practices; (2) improve tendering process; and (3) develop and manage a licensing roofing worker program.