Building a safer future: Analysis of studies on safety I and safety II in the construction industry

The construction industry is one of the most dangerous, with daily dangers and hazards. The industry commonly employs Safety I, a reactive approach to reduce accidents and incidents by identifying and controlling hazards. Safety II focuses on using worker strengths and promoting ongoing improvement. Nevertheless, both Safety I and II have faced criticism for their excessive emphasis on regulatory compliance (Safety I) and executive constraints (Safety II), respectively. Hence, this paper presents a rich synthesis of Safety I and II literature in the construction industry between January 2000 and December 2023 prior to proposing strategies for integrating them to build a safer future by focusing on the strengths of implementing each technique. In this scientometric research study, 35 related research papers were sought and selected after checking and validating the Web of Science journal database. Bibliometric analysis, through HistCite and VOSviewer software programmes, was then used to create maps from network data and illustrate an exploration of the prevailing literature discourse. Interpretivism was then used to develop application and combination strategies for the new theory of integrating Safety I and II in the construction industry. Results reveal that the historical progression of research undertaken has developed from first introducing and identifying the field of research (2011 to 2015) to then providing solutions (2015 to 2019) and finally to making constructive suggestions (post 2019) for a safer future. Notably, prominent topics in recent years have examined resilience and progress toward safety improvements by the combination of Safety I and II concepts. This research highlights the positive outcomes that can be achieved via Safety I and II integration in the construction industry. Furthermore, this paper offers efficient and pragmatic techniques for incorporating Safety I and II approaches in the construction industry, which are crucial for promoting a comprehensive integrated approach to safety administration. By combining existing safety practices with a focus on learning from successes, organisations can create a safer work environment, improve productivity and foster continuous improvement.