Evaluation and Prioritization of Safety Risks in Iranian Construction Projects: Application of Analytic Hierarchy Process

Arefnazari, Mahdi; Amirkardoust, َAli Asghar; Lork, Alireza

doi:10.22034/cpj.2025.522040.1364

Evaluation and Prioritization of Safety Risks in Iranian Construction Projects: Application of Analytic Hierarchy Process

https://doi.org/10.22034/cpj.2025.522040.1364

Volume 7, Issue 4 - Serial Number 74
July 2025

Pages 29-54

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Mahdi Arefnazari ¹

َAli Asghar Amirkardoust ²

Alireza Lork ³

¹ Ph.D. Candidate in Civil Engineering and Construction Management, Department of Civil Engineering, Kish International Branch, Islamic Azad University

² Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Roudehen International Branch, Islamic Azad University

³ AliReza Lork, Department of Civil Engineering, Ka.C., Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

Construction projects in Iran face numerous safety risks due to technical complexities and varying environmental conditions. This study aimed to identify and prioritize safety risks by integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Eleven key risks were extracted from the literature and expert opinions, and evaluated through a pairwise comparison questionnaire by 30 civil engineering and project management experts. The results revealed that "motorized equipment and cranes" (weight 0.48), "earthwork operations" (0.27), and "lack of skilled personnel" (0.13) are the most critical risks. An inconsistency rate of 0.07 validates the reliability of the findings. Recommendations include regular equipment inspections, workforce training, and digital monitoring. By addressing the research gap in safety analysis in Iran, this study provides practical solutions for project managers and contributes to the sustainable development of the construction industry

Keywords

Risk Management

Construction Safety

Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Construction Projects

Risk Assessment

Subjects

Civil Engineering

Ahmadi, M., Shariati, M., & Rafiei, M. (2022). Safety Challenges in Iranian Construction Projects.
Journal of Civil Engineering and Management, 28(3), 45-59.
Al-Sami, H., Al-Najjar, M., & Ahmed, S. (2023). Environmental Risk Assessment in Construction
Using AHP. Sustainability, 15(4), 1234-1248.
Ghaffari, A., & Ebrahimi, M. (2025). Enhancing Safety Performance in Construction Sites Through
IoT-Based Monitoring Systems: Evidence from Iranian Projects. Automation in Construction, 162, 104-
118.
Hosseini, M. R., Martek, I., & Chileshe, N. (2023). Safety Management in Construction: A Global
Perspective. Construction Management and Economics, 41(5), 321-337.
Hosseini, M. R., Chileshe, N., & Zuo, J. (2024). Digital Transformation in Construction Safety
Management. Automation in Construction, 159, 104-120.
International Labour Organization. (2023). Global Trends in Occupational Safety and Health. ILO
Press.
Kerzner, H. (2022). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and
Controlling (13th ed.). Wiley.
Kim, H., & Nguyen, T. (2023). Multi-Criteria Decision-Making in Construction Risk Management.
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 30(8), 345-362.
Li, J., & Kim, S. (2022). Impact of Safety Training on Construction Site Accidents: Evidence from
South Korea. Safety Science, 145, 105-119.
Mahdavi, M., Hosseini, S., & Babaafjaei, A. (2023a). Modelling and Comparison of Plastic
Performance in Ten Types of New Steel Braces under Pushover Analysis. Computational Engineering
and Physical Modeling, 6(2), 73-89.
Mahdavi, M., Babaafjaei, A., & Hosseini, S. R. (2023b). Evaluation and Comparison of Seismic
Performance in Irregular Steel Structures with Modern Concentrically Braces. Computational
Engineering and Physical Modeling, 6(4), 57-76.
Mahdavi, M. (2023). Comparing the Performance of Diagonal, A-Chevron, Gate, Knee, Rhombus and
X Braces with the Finite Element Method. Advanced Structural Mechanics, 1(3), 209-227.
Mahdavi, M., Hosseini, S., Babaafjaei, A., Chaghakaboodi, S., & Ghasemi, F. (2024). Optimizing the
Life Cycle of Residential Buildings by Combining Hierarchical Analysis and Value Engineering
Methods with the Classic and Widely Used AHP Analysis Model. Karafan Journal, 21(3), 347-366.
Mohammadi, A., Tavakolan, M., & Khosravi, Y. (2021). Financial Risk Prioritization in Construction
Projects Using AHP. International Journal of Project Management, 39(6), 654-667.
Rezaei, F., Hosseini, S. M., & Tavakoli, A. (2022). Risk Management in Improving Project
Performance in Iran. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 148(4), 123-135.
Saffari, H., & Mousavi, S. M. (2024). Risk Assessment of Construction Projects Using a Hybrid Fuzzy
AHP-TOPSIS Model: A Case Study on High-Rise Buildings in Tehran. Journal of Structural
Engineering and Construction, 12(3), 45-60.
Tavakolan, M., & Mohammadi, A. (2023). A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Framework for Safety
Risk Prioritization in Mega Construction Projects. International Journal of Project Management, 41(6),
678-692.
Zareei, S., & Hosseini, M. (2024). Evaluating the Impact of Human Factors on Construction Safety: A
Systematic Review of Middle Eastern Projects. Safety Science, 171, 106-122.

XML

PDF 826.76 K