Analysing safety risks when constructing over public spaces

The safety issues at construction sites in the Netherlands have acquired a new dimension in recent years, largely because of a growing trend in the Randstad (western conurbation) to build on complex urban construction sites at dense and multi-functional locations. In The Hague several buildings have been built over the motorway ¿Utrechtse Baan¿, the main access route to the city. Traditionally, it was the municipal policy to close the road whenever heavy construction elements need to be erected. However, as there is no viable alternative route into the city, closing off the road and rerouting the traffic is not always an possible solution.; it leads to a barrage of protest. In this paper we present the findings of a study, which analysed this situation from various perspectives. These findings highlighted the crucial importance of placing safety on the agenda at the earliest possible stage in the project planning. National and local safety regulations also turned out to have a key role in this process. The level of risk involved in erecting heavy structural elements proved to be an unexplored area in the case of The Hague. The paper also uses the findings from the case study in The Hague to present the results of a quantitative analysis of the safety risks of construction operations above motorways.