From Safety in Design to Safety by Design

In this article we explore the resurgence of Safety in Design as a proactive strategy for eliminating workplace hazards from the outset of a project. Discover how integrating safety into design improves outcomes across industries—from construction to retail—and drives efficiency, compliance, and worker well-being throughout a system’s lifecycle.

Safety in Design: Where Hazards Begin

Decades of experience in workplace health and safety point to two primary sources of risk: unsafe conditions (flaws in physical designs) and unsafe behaviors (human adaptations to poor systems). Both originate from design decisions.

Design shapes our workspaces. It determines whether machines avoid pinch points or walkways prevent congestion. When these design details fail, risks take root. Worse still, flawed design encourages poor behavior: a 30-meter trek for tools might seem minor, but it wastes time and pressures workers to take shortcuts that may ignore safety protocols.

The takeaway? We must design systems that accommodate human imperfection if we expect safe outcomes. Integrating safety into design helps eliminate risks upfront, reducing costly fixes and reactive solutions later.

Safety in Design: A Lifecycle Perspective

Tools like HAZOP, LOPA, SIL, and FMEA are highly effective in high-hazard industries, but true safety by design demands a broader, human-centered lens.

While traditional process safety aims to prevent catastrophic events like chemical leaks, many incidents arise from routine tasks—awkward lifts, poor visibility, or conflicting layouts that push pedestrian routes into machinery zones. These gaps emerge when function overshadows usability.

Effective safety in design anticipates every phase of workflow:

• During construction: Materials can be moved without risky lifting, scaffolding supports natural work flow, and safe access is available for work at height.
• In daily operations: Maintenance and procedures are practical and intuitive. A filter that takes 20 minutes and a system shutdown to change might be ignored; make it a 5-minute job with simple access, and compliance improves.
• Long term: Design allows for adaptability and future upgrades without introducing risk—transforming temporary fixes into lasting solutions.

Safety in Design: Across All Industries

So-called "low-risk" sectors—retail, office spaces, and tech environments—often overlook safety in design at their own expense.

In retail, a poorly placed shelf becomes a hazard if overstocked. In offices, non-ergonomic furniture can cause long-term strain injuries. Prevention is always more cost-effective than correction.

One bookstore chain experienced this after a shelf collapse. By involving store managers in the redesign, they resolved safety issues and improved efficiency—aligning layout with actual worker movement.

The key? Engage daily users early in the design phase. Builders, operators, and maintainers know the friction points—the minor inconveniences that, left unchecked, become major risks. Early involvement isn't just inclusive; it's smart engineering.

Check out this recent webinar, Safety in Design: The Next Frontier in Design Processes from our Associate Antea Group USA here.

Conclusion: Why Safety in Design Matters

Safety by design is more than a checklist—it’s a mindset. It's the recognition that safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness all emerge from thoughtful design systems that work with people, not against them.

The most effective safety programs aren’t enforced—they’re embedded into blueprints from day one. When design serves as the backbone of safety, the workplace becomes not just compliant, but comfortable and intuitive.

Find out more about construction safety solutions and related services here.

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