Design for Environmental Health and Safety (DfEHS) in Construction

The construction industry remains one of the most hazardous and environmentally impactful sectors worldwide, with high rates of occupational injuries, exposure to hazardous materials, and significant environmental burdens. Traditional safety management approaches often focus on controlling risks during construction rather than eliminating them at their source. Research and practice increasingly show that many environmental health and safety (EHS) risks originate from early design decisions, including material selection, structural configuration, construction methods, and spatial planning.Design for Environmental Health and Safety (DfEHS), including Prevention through Design (PtD), promotes integrating risk identification and mitigation into the planning and design stages of a project. Advancing design-led strategies offers a proactive pathway to reduce worker injuries, minimize environmental harm, and improve long-term health outcomes across the lifecycle of built assets.RationaleDespite advances in construction safety management and environmental sustainability, EHS considerations remain insufficiently embedded in early design processes. Many hazards affecting workers, occupants, and surrounding communities originate from decisions made during conceptual and detailed design stages, yet systematic methods for integrating EHS into design practice remain fragmented and underdeveloped.Recent advances including BIM-enabled risk modelling, digital twins, AI-assisted design optimization, lifecycle assessment tools, and PtD frameworks offer new opportunities to embed EHS criteria directly into architectural and engineering workflows. However, further research is needed to validate these tools, integrate them into professional practice, and evaluate their measurable impact.This Research Topic aims to address this gap by advancing knowledge, tools, and frameworks that position design as a primary mechanism for risk elimination and environmental protection, shifting EHS from reactive compliance to proactive design excellence.ScopeThis Research Topic focuses on design-centered approaches that integrate EHS into construction projects across their lifecycle. Submissions must explicitly demonstrate how design decisions influence hazard elimination, risk reduction, environmental performance, or long-term health outcomes.Themes of interest include, but are not limited to:o Prevention through Design (PtD)o BIM- and AI-enabled safety and environmental risk modelingo Lifecycle health and safety design (construction, operation, maintenance, deconstruction)o Sustainable and low-toxicity material selectiono Ergonomic and human-centered designo Climate-resilient and health-oriented infrastructureo Policy, governance, or educational frameworks that institutionalize EHS in design practiceArticle Types WelcomeOriginal Research Articles, Review Papers, Systematic Reviews, Case Studies, and Methodological or Framework Development Papers. Interdisciplinary contributions bridging architecture, engineering, construction management, design, environmental science, and occupational health are particularly encouraged. Topic editors: Vigneshkumar Chellappa, Martina Zelenakova Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82881/design-for-environmental-health-and-safety-dfehs-in-construction