Research Study Idea: Safety as Addressed by Public Owners

Public construction projects often feel different from private work. Many practitioners and some studies suggest safety performance on public projects is worse than on comparable private projects. Why is that? Is it the competitive bid system that drives contractors to cut corners on safety? Or do public owners play a smaller role in shaping safety on site? Here’s a compact, practical research idea for a university study that explores how public owners influence construction safety through their contract documents and oversight.

Why this matters

Public owners control billions in construction spending every year. If public procurement practices unintentionally weaken safety incentives, the consequences are wide reaching. A clearer picture of how federal, state, and municipal contracts address safety can help agencies update procurement language, improve oversight, and reduce injuries on public projects.

Core research questions

How do contract documents from federal, state, and municipal owners address contractor safety obligations?
Are public contract provisions proactive safety tools or primarily reactive compliance statements?
Does the competitive bid process in the public sector affect contractors safety investment and performance?
How does owner involvement during construction correlate with safety outcomes on public projects?
What contract clauses, oversight practices, and incentive structures are associated with better safety performance?

Study design and methods

This research can mix qualitative and quantitative methods to build strong, actionable findings.

Document analysis. Collect standard contract templates and sample project contracts from a range of public owners. Code clauses related to safety responsibilities, training, safety plans, incident reporting, penalties, incentives, owner inspections, and subcontractor management.
Comparative review. Compare public contract language to private-sector standard contracts to identify key differences in safety wording and enforcement language.
Interviews and surveys. Talk with public owners, project managers, safety managers, and contractors to understand how contract clauses play out in the field. Use surveys to quantify owner involvement levels and perceived barriers to safety.
Case studies. Select representative public projects and track safety performance metrics such as TRIR and lost time incidents, plus qualitative records of safety meetings and inspections.
Statistical analysis. Where data allow, model relationships between contract features, procurement method, owner involvement, and safety outcomes. Control for project size, complexity, and trade mix.

Key contract elements to examine

Safety program and plan requirements, including submission and approval timelines
Owner right to inspect and stop work for safety violations
Training and qualification clauses for the contractor workforce
Incident reporting procedures and information sharing with the owner
Incentive and penalty structures tied to safety performance
Subcontractor management and flow down language
Insurance, bonding, and indemnity language that may shape contractor behavior

Possible data sources

Public owner procurement portals and contract libraries
Freedom of Information Act requests for contract templates and project records
OSHA and state injury databases for safety metrics
Industry associations and contractor partners willing to share safety records

Expected contributions

Evidence-based recommendations for public owners on contract language that better promotes safety
Guidelines for owner involvement during construction that improve safety outcomes
A framework for evaluating procurement practices that balance cost and safety performance
Opportunities for pilot procurement models that include safety incentives

Practical implications for agencies and contractors

Research findings can inform simple, practical changes such as:

Clearer, enforceable safety plan submission and approval steps
Defined owner inspection frequencies and roles for safety oversight
Contractual incentives for low incident rates and proven safety programs
Requirements for documented subcontractor safety management

Limitations and ethical considerations

Access to complete contract sets may be restricted in some jurisdictions
Public projects vary widely in size and type, so comparison needs careful matching
Protect confidentiality when collecting incident and personnel data

Next steps for students and faculty

If you are a student or faculty member interested in pursuing this study, consider starting with a pilot sample of two or three agencies. Build partnerships with a few contractors and one or two public owners who are willing to share contracts and safety data. Seek interdisciplinary collaborators in public policy, construction management, and law to strengthen the analysis.

This research is practical, timely, and directly useful. A short, well executed study could influence procurement guides and reduce injuries on public projects nationwide.