Developing an ensemble risk analysis framework for improving the safety of tower crane operations under coupled Fuzzy-based environment

Even though some studies have focused on the contributing factors leading to the accidents stemming from tower crane operations, there has been a dearth of an inclusive risk analysis-based framework providing the safety decision-makers with a full picture of critical causal factors, critical risks, and the control measures to be implemented in one holistic frame. In view of these shortcomings, an Ensemble Risk Analysis Fuzzy-based Framework (ERAFF) to improve the safety of tower crane operations is developed in this study. The novel contributions of the developed ERAFF based on its step-by-step application to several construction sites are observed to be threefold as follows: (1) determination of critical causal factors through considering their significance concurrently with their influence levels, (2) identification and prioritization of risks threatening the lives of relative workers by considering the association of causal factors and the identified risks, and (3) provision and prioritization of beneficial control measures. The results obtained from the proposed ERAFF are further validated using the focus-group-discussion approach. Through the application of the proposed framework to the selected projects, it is observed that ERAFF assists the concerned safety personnel in making the final prudent decisions, helping them successfully maintain the safety performance of a project.