Project schedule optimisation for safety management in construction

In construction project management, safety management processes are of capital importance for project success. Project schedule is the baseline for project control, therefore construction scheduling has to address safety related issues of construction activities. The schedule model should demonstrate that scheduled process provides a safe working environment to construction workers, in terms of interferences with other activities, space requirements, hazard protection and availability of temporary facilities. Therefore, avoiding time-space
conflicts of activities is an important requirement to be fulfilled by project schedule. A schedule evaluation and optimisation procedure is proposed with the aim of improving safety management of construction process. Safety assessment and optimization of the project schedule is achieved converting the original schedule in an activity network plotted on resource – space
chart and in a flowline chart, based on a Location Breakdown Structure. Therefore, time – space conflicts of activities related to trades and locations can be detected, and the safety of the scheduled processes can be improved. In the control phase, resource – space charts of the controlling schedule can provide useful documentation of the project status for construction safety coordination. The proposed schedule safety assessment and optimization procedure is
performed on a case study of a building renovation project.