Prevention through Design (PtD). The importance of the concept in Engineering and Architecture university courses

Abstract

Although the concept of Prevention through Design (PtD) is not new, many injuries still occur at construction sites because it is poorly implemented by engineers and architects, or it is not implemented at all. The aim of this paper is to quantify how Prevention through Design is taught in university design or construction courses offered as part of Engineering and Architecture under/degrees in Spain that focus on the construction of concrete structures. Objective and subjective methodologies were used to compare courses from the under/degrees taught in the previous system (Old) and those under the Bologna process. A survey of 454 Engineering and Architecture students was conducted, course lecturers were interviewed, and an objective analysis of the contents of the syllabi in the under/degrees was carried out. Occupational Health and Safety had a greater presence and importance in the courses under the Old degrees than those created to comply with the Bologna process. Analysis of the contents included in the syllabi showed that although the integration of occupational prevention decreased in construction courses in the Bologna degrees, the number of courses dealing with OHS topics increased, but they did not necessarily include the topic of Prevention through Design. Lack of education and training in Prevention through Design was found in those courses dealing with the construction of concrete structures that were included in the study. The Bologna degrees have not been an improvement in this respect. An enormous effort is necessary to improve the understanding and implementation of the Prevention through Design concept. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.