Improving Safety Management in Pre-cast Construction Projects

Pre-cast construction projects face significant occupational safety challenges due to high-risk activities, such as lifting, transportation, and assembly, which are often absent in conventional construction. In developing countries, the lack of a comprehensive safety framework exacerbates the problem. Most previous research has focused on traditional construction, leaving a clear gap in addressing the specific safety requirements of pre-cast construction. This study aims to develop a specialized occupational safety management framework for pre-cast construction sites in Syria. A total of 45 occupational hazards were identified through literature review, expert contributions, and field visits. Data was collected through a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS. The results revealed 9 major hazards, such as falling from a height, falling elements, crane failures, poor communication, and the absence of safety protocols. Assembly workers and crane operators were found to be the most exposed, with tower cranes identified as the most hazardous equipment. The proposed framework consists of two phases: a proactive phase focusing on preventive measures, such as the use of fall protection systems, securing the handling of pre-cast elements, and enforcing strict crane operation protocols; and an implementation phase concerned with incident investigation and corrective actions. This framework provides a practical tool to improve safety performance and serves as a valuable reference for pre-cast construction projects in developing countries. Keywords: Risk management, Occupational safety, Health, Pre-cast construction, Site, Tower crane, Syria.