Utilising the fuzzy analytic network process technique to prioritise safety challenges in construction projects

This study aims to identify and rank the obstacles to implementing a safety program in the Iranian construction industry. The obstacles were identified through literature review and interviews with experts in the Iranian construction industry. Because of the complex structure of the relationships between the obstacles and their mutual effects, the fuzzy analysis network Process method was used to model them. Obstacles to safety implementation were identified and ranked using the proposed model. Fourteen obstacles were identified in the three organisational, contractors, and systems dimensions. The most critical obstacles include tight project schedules, resource constraints, fierce competition between contractors to reduce time and cost. This study showed that the Iranian construction industry, despite its advantages, faces obstacles in the successful implementation of safety programs. It seems that the identified obstacles can be removed by modelling the safety program in project scheduling. However, more studies are needed in this area.