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Research seeks ways to improve risk avoidance through design

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has partnered with HSE to create a funding scheme to research how risk avoidance through design is currently being taught in Schools of Architecture in the United Kingdom.

The objectives of the research are to: 

1. determine the extent to which health and safety is integrated within the design elements or otherwise of undergraduate architect training across Higher Education institutions in the UK;
2. establish the reasons why areas are included or omitted within the training along with a qualitative assessment of the value of the material used and;
3. suggest approaches through which the universities and architect accreditation bodies are able to improve and positively influence the teaching of hazard elimination and control within undergraduate training building by evidence of good practice identified.

The research is being undertaken by a University of Sheffield team of Daniel Jary (lead researcher), Leo Care, Howard Evans, and Rosie Parnell.

The project will run from January to December 2010 and build on their experience of teaching health and safety within the undergraduate design studio at the University’s School of Architecture.

Comment: Many involved with construction safety will welcome this research. Designers have been seen as slow to fully embrace the concept of construction safety through design as required by CDM 2007. If this research identifies ways to improve understanding amongst the next generation of architects it will be worthwhile.

This article was posted on 27th January 2010 in ALL LATEST NEWS, CDM 2007, CDM 2007 DESIGNERS.
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