Environmental Health and Safety Performance Optimization in Mega Construction and Urban Development Projects

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@article{1718870,
      author = {Muhammad Arslan Anwar Bhutta},
      title = {Environmental Health and Safety Performance Optimization in Mega Construction and Urban Development Projects},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {9},
      number = {12},
      pages = {3642-3653},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1718870.pdf},
      abstract = {Mega constructions and urban development initiatives in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are increasing the scope and pace of built-environment delivery, alongside raising the technological complexities involved in achieving the objectives of such ventures. This review explores how environmental, health and safety (EHS) performance can be improved in giga and mega projects through integrating risk management, digital technologies, health safety and worker engagement, environment management and emergency preparedness measures. This paper adopts a rapid review approach similar to the one outlined in the Springer template below; the research approach revolves around trends, challenges, pragmatic trade-offs and possible futures rather than focusing exclusively on a particular case study. Literature between 2020 and 2025 is analyzed based on topics including the risks of construction under Saudi Vision 2030, high-rise building hazards and risks, occupational safety regulations, digital safety technologies, exposure to climate risks, circular construction and project level performance indicators. The findings indicate that best EHS performance is achieved when regulatory programs are turned into learning systems that utilize leading indicators, advanced planning with the help of BIM technology, IoT-based monitoring of the project site, employee participation and emergency response drills. Major impediments in terms of performance improvement include interface problems between contractors, linguistic diversity of the workforce, heat stress, problems related to temporary structures, poor data integration, and environmental challenges related to dust pollution, waste disposal, energy consumption and water demands. An optimal EHS model for mega Saudi projects is provided at the end of the review.},
      month = {June},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I12-1718870}
  }