Abstract
Risk assessment was introduced when the Occupational Safety and Health Law amendments of 2006 in came into force in Japan. From then on, risk assessment has been implemented in the majority of construction companies.
The number of accidents in the construction industry has been declining as a long-term trend. However, the number of fatal accidents has remained almost unchanged in recent years. Safety levels in the Japanese construction industry would rank within the top ten in the world. However, when compared with the number of fatalities per 100,000 construction workers in the UK, Japan's fatality rate is about three times higher than that of the UK.
Why is risk assessment not showing a significant effect in Japan? We clarify the differences between the Japanese and UK legal systems, including risk management and actual site conditions, through interviews with administrative staff, clients, and constructors related to the construction industry in the UK. Based on this research, the future direction of safety and health in the construction industry in Japan is discussed.
