Abstract
The concept of Prevention through Design (PtD) recognizes the importance of workplace design in preventing injuries and illnesses. The design of workplace systems, equipment, tasks, and products have an impact on human performance and their physical well-being. The lack of safety, sustainability and eco-design principles in workplace and new buildings design can lead to inherently flawed systems that are costly to retrofit and correct. PtD is an approach based on research and practice demonstrating that upstream design and planning decisions can influence and improve the sustainable design and safety for the workers and end users across the life cycle of a building or structure. This concept fits well within existing integrated project planning and life-cycle consideration approaches already built into Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Currently, the rating systems directly and indirectly addresses sustainability, eco-design, health and well-being outcomes for building occupants, construction workers (through Indoor Air Quality Management) and custodial workers (through green cleaning). Incorporating PtD expands this scope to foster social equity by addressing sustainability and safety in addition to health, and by addressing two building life cycle phases important for safety and health—operations and maintenance and design and construction. Workers performing these tasks face disproportionate hazards and exposures which can be prevented or reduced using design interventions. The author presents practical research and real-life case studies to demonstrate the applicability of the PtD principles in the design phase to address safety, sustainability and eco-design applications.
Presenters
Georgi PopovProfessor, Occupational Risk and Safety Science, University of Central Missouri, Missouri, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Design Management and Professional Practice
KEYWORDS
Prevention, Design, Safety, Sustainability, Eco, Design
