Using AHP for determining priority in a safety management system

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was used to determine the priority of processes outlined in the BS8800 Guide to Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems for the Hong Kong construction industry. Analysis of variance was used to further investigate the differences among three different kinds of construction enterprises: joint venture (JV), well-established (W-E) and small and medium sized (SME) enterprises. This study of 32 construction enterprises suggests that JV and W-E enterprises are able to demonstrate stronger commitment to strategic safety issues whereas SMEs focus more on the short-term safety issues in implementation of safety management system. The results also indicate that "Safety Training" may be a problem area in all three groups. When considering differences shown between groups, these rankings can be used as a guide for the practical implementation of the British Standard BS8800 Safety Management System in construction enterprises in Hong Kong.