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The Dark Side of Value-for-Money: How Public Procurement Affects Workers’ Safety in the Construction Industry

Ågren, Robert LU orcid ; Olander, Stefan LU and Widén, Kristian LU (2012) CIB W099 International Conference on “Modelling and Building Health and Safety” p.525-533
Abstract
Studies on shading behaviour of contractors have in the past been focused on lack of product quality and other factors affecting the customer. This study of 222 publicly procured road and railroad projects aim to analyse shading behaviour from a perspective of workers safety. The study shows, though with limitations in statistical power, that the number of reported incidents related to workers’ safety increases in projects with high numbers of bidders, i.e. projects under high competitive pressure, further the number of days of registered sick leave also increases with higher numbers of bidders. However, measures directly related to contractors shading behaviour do seem to increase prediction of number of accidents and sick leave days. It... (More)
Studies on shading behaviour of contractors have in the past been focused on lack of product quality and other factors affecting the customer. This study of 222 publicly procured road and railroad projects aim to analyse shading behaviour from a perspective of workers safety. The study shows, though with limitations in statistical power, that the number of reported incidents related to workers’ safety increases in projects with high numbers of bidders, i.e. projects under high competitive pressure, further the number of days of registered sick leave also increases with higher numbers of bidders. However, measures directly related to contractors shading behaviour do seem to increase prediction of number of accidents and sick leave days. It is suggested that public authority has to construct bid competitions in manners which does not necessarily aim at the best bargain but rather have a fair bargain approach balancing the goals of the contractor and the goals of the public client. This can be done by balancing the allocation of risks more evenly among the parties ex ante. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
bidding, construction, workers’ safety, incomplete contracting, Property rights, public procurement
host publication
Proceedings of CIB W099 International Conference on “Modelling and Building Health and Safety”
editor
Krisiani Tjandra, Imelda
pages
525 - 533
publisher
National University of Singapore
conference name
CIB W099 International Conference on “Modelling and Building Health and Safety”
conference location
Singapore
conference dates
2012-09-10 - 2012-09-11
ISBN
978-981-07-1421-5
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
07b63808-24ae-42c1-b433-00578bac7de5 (old id 3055542)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:23:17
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:58:28
@inproceedings{07b63808-24ae-42c1-b433-00578bac7de5,
  abstract     = {{Studies on shading behaviour of contractors have in the past been focused on lack of product quality and other factors affecting the customer. This study of 222 publicly procured road and railroad projects aim to analyse shading behaviour from a perspective of workers safety. The study shows, though with limitations in statistical power, that the number of reported incidents related to workers’ safety increases in projects with high numbers of bidders, i.e. projects under high competitive pressure, further the number of days of registered sick leave also increases with higher numbers of bidders. However, measures directly related to contractors shading behaviour do seem to increase prediction of number of accidents and sick leave days. It is suggested that public authority has to construct bid competitions in manners which does not necessarily aim at the best bargain but rather have a fair bargain approach balancing the goals of the contractor and the goals of the public client. This can be done by balancing the allocation of risks more evenly among the parties ex ante.}},
  author       = {{Ågren, Robert and Olander, Stefan and Widén, Kristian}},
  booktitle    = {{Proceedings of CIB W099 International Conference on “Modelling and Building Health and Safety”}},
  editor       = {{Krisiani Tjandra, Imelda}},
  isbn         = {{978-981-07-1421-5}},
  keywords     = {{bidding; construction; workers’ safety; incomplete contracting; Property rights; public procurement}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{525--533}},
  publisher    = {{National University of Singapore}},
  title        = {{The Dark Side of Value-for-Money: How Public Procurement Affects Workers’ Safety in the Construction Industry}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}