Assessing risk in sustainable construction using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM)

Traditional tools found in occupational risk assessments are a preliminary hazard analysis and checklists, both based on the isolation of a particular activity from the entire process and created for application in specific environments of manufacture. This strategy makes the results of such evaluations distant from real situations. Construction is a complex endeavor and can involve multiple contractors and groups working under each contractor. Work occurs under constant change and varying demands. In this context, as workers move through their daily journey, their health and safety are often are threatened by activities carried out by other contractors or groups. The study utilizes the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM), which aims to describe how function couplings may be combined in such a way that variability of performance, rather than failure or poor functioning, creates an occupational risk. The study also contributes to the evolution of FRAM, by proposing the application of the analytic hierarchy process, to investigate the relative importance of the criteria and alternatives for the identification of phenotypes of performance variability, as well as the aggregation of variability.