UT Dallas team evaluates construction accidents in Persian Gulf

A team of researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences program recently studied construction accidents that occur in the Persian Gulf.

The study reveals that poor training, a lack of government oversight and limited safety equipment use all contribute to injuries and deaths that happen in the construction industry based in the Persian Gulf. This area is quickly growing, and construction workers are experience more and more accidents.

“Construction is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world,” Dr. Simon Fass, associate professor of public policy and the lead author of the study, said. “In that part of the world, there’s a confluence of several factors that likely make it worse.”

Researchers analyzed exactly 519 incidents. They interviewed safety experts so that they could better understand the kinds of accidents and the causes of these accidents. The locations included in the study were Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

“They are working in groups that might have five or six nationalities and two or three languages, and they’re supposed to be working as a cohesive team,” Fass said. “But they cannot communicate effectively with a supervisor or each other, so that’s really raising the risk of bad things happening.”