Sustainable building works are safer than conventional constructions? The review

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of sustainable constructions, which need a series of requirements for their design, from the pre-project stage to its demolition. Many workers are involved in the construction stage, thus, the following question arises: Are sustainable buildings safer for workers during the construction process? Thus, this work aims to map, through a bibliometric review, the relationship between certification of sustainable constructions and worker safety, considering only new constructions. The methodological process consists of a literature review using the PRISMA methodology. Thus, the articles analyzed showed that, in several cases, the opposite of what was expected occurred: in the works of certified buildings there were a greater number of work accidents than in conventional ones. For this reason, proposals for pilot credits for LEED certification were presented, aimed at implementing the concerns with Occupational Health and Safety. The research groups that published most of the works found in this review are from the United States. Thus, the articles reviewed mostly demonstrate the reality of your location. It is noteworthy that in Brazil, there are no studies showing whether the construction stage of sustainable constructions is safer than conventional constructions, or whether the number of work accidents is higher or lower in certified constructions. The results obtained show that health and safety at work must be part of the certification system for a sustainable construction, as well as the prevention projects, safety and health of the worker, contribute in a positive way to reduce risks. In the Brazilian case, the analyzed references indicated that the certification procedures applied in the works contribute positively to the improvement of worker safety due to the inspection of compliance with the existing federal and municipal state regulations.