The Relationship Between Construction Site Logistics and Occupational Safety: The Roles of Material Flow, Storage, and Site Management

Koçali K., Öztürk Koçali E.

International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management, cilt.16, sa.1, ss.91-114, 2026 (Scopus)

Özet

Construction-site logistics, encompassing material movement, storage practices, and the spatial configuration of the site, represents a fundamental component of project execution. Nevertheless, the relationship between construction logistics and occupational safety remains insufficiently integrated at the theoretical level and is supported by limited empirical evidence. This study investigates the influence of construction-site logistics on occupational safety outcomes, with particular attention to material flow management, storage management, and construction site layout planning (CSLP). A thematic literature review was conducted rather than a systematic review or meta-analysis. The review drew upon five academic databases and incorporated 37 peer-reviewed and institutional sources. As the study does not employ primary empirical data, the available evidence was synthesized through thematic analysis. The findings indicate that logistical decisions constitute important structural antecedents of accident probability and interact with organizational and behavioural factors that also shape occupational safety. Three principal mechanisms explain this relationship: spatial proximity mediates safety outcomes, flow frequency amplifies exposure to hazards, and spatial disorder produces cascading safety consequences. Facility interaction flows, which are determined partly by layout-planning decisions, emerge as among the strongest quantitative predictors of accident probability on construction sites. Moreover, Just-in-Time (JIT) delivery introduces dynamic safety risks that may remain inadequately addressed by conventional safety-management systems designed around relatively static conditions. Based on the synthesized evidence, a four-dimensional logistics–safety framework is proposed, incorporating four dimensions and their corresponding measurement indicators: SRI, IFR, PTL, and DML. The review further identifies five major research gaps that warrant investigation in future studies.