Construction shortcuts: An invitation to disaster

The competitive nature of the construction industry necessitates the contractor complete a project in the shortest time as a matter of financial survival. Safety may be sacrificed when speed of construction is the top priority. Shortcuts taken during construction leading to disaster can be as simple as a laborer not wearing personal protection equipment or as complex as a failure to build a structure in the proper sequence. There are several technically induced failures that plague the construction industry on a regular basis. These failures could be easily avoided, if field personnel understood the potential for disaster of some of their shortcuts. The shortcuts discussed here are: absence of permanent bracing, failure to install construction bracing, and improper planning.