ABSTRACT
In spite of the high costs of work accidents (Hinze, 1991), many construction companies in Brazil adopt as their only safety management strategy being in compliance with safety mandatory regulations. In Brazil, the main regulation related to construction industry is the NR-18 standard (Work Conditions and Environment in the Construction Industry). However, compliance with these standards might not be sufficient to guarantee excellence in safety performance, since they cover only minimal acceptable preventive actions. This statement is also applicable to regulations on safety and health management systems, such as OHSAS 18001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems). Like quality systems standards, OHSAS 18001 also does not establish performance targets, but is concerned with the compliance to some managerial routines.
