Analysis of attributes critical to the designer's prevention through design competence in construction: the case of Malaysia

The impact of Prevention through Design (PtD) practises in improving OSH in the construction sector has been recognised by scholars and industry practitioners. Even though there is now a significant body of PtD literature, the context of profiling the designers' PtD competence in developing countries, such as Malaysia, remains elusive. Due to the recent implementation of PtD-based guideline in Malaysia, the Occupational Safety and Health in Construction Industry (Management) (OSHCI(M)), the need to recognise the characteristics of a competent designer in fulfilling OSHCI(M) requirements is important and timely. To address this gap, a two-pronged research approach was adopted. First, 135 practitioners were selected using purposive sampling to participate in the questionnaire survey. This is followed by discussions with practitioners who have experiences in OSHCI(M) projects, to further validate the survey findings. The findings highlight that the top five important PtD competency attributes were knowledge-based attributes i.e. (construction, design feature, risk and hazard, management concepts and legislative framework). Meanwhile, design and construction experience, hazard-related and collaboration skills were also significant for PtD competency. The findings also indicate that continuous efforts related to collaborative contractual arrangement, early education, professional training and institutional pressure are needed to bridge the designers' priori and experiential knowledge and skills, where the new normal of OSH practice is required to address the required OSHCI(M) duties. This study extends the current PtD literature in terms of providing a new perspective on designers' PtD competence in the field of construction, from the context of developing countries.