Exploring Precursors of Construction Accidents in China: A Grounded Theory Approach

The implementation of precursor management can improve safety performance of construction projects through effectively managing the correlations between construction accidents and their precursors. However, a system of comprehensive knowledge about what precursors mean within the context of construction safety is still lacking. This study aims to capture the nature of precursors in the construction industry and explore the process of a precursor event evolving into a construction accident to fill this gap. Based on 135 construction accident reports in China, this study adopts grounded theory to identify different types of accident precursors and explore their interactions with the development of the accident. An indicator system of precursors for construction accidents was developed, which included two major categories of precursors: behavioral factors and physical factors and five minor categories of precursors: individual behavior factors, organizational driving factors, objective physical factors, construction environmental factors, mechanical equipment factors. In addition, a precursor management strategy that includes the three stages of identification, response and effectiveness testing was established. The results of the study reveal the correlations between precursors and construction accidents, which can promote construction professionals’ better understanding about precursors and improve their capabilities of managing precursors in practice.