Analysis of designers’ Prevention through Design (PtD) competence in the construction industry: A study of Malaysia, Nigeria, and South Africa

•The level of PtD competence among the designers in Malaysia, South Africa and Nigeria are investigated.•PtD awareness and types of organisations had mixed associations with the PtD competence.•Competence level in the three domains were far from advanced, particularly in skill and experience.•Focus on advancing the cognitive, affective, and psycho-motor aspects in the three main domains of PtD competence. Prevention through Design (PtD) remains one of the practices for resolving occupational safety and health (OSH) challenges in the construction industry. Accordingly, possessing relevant attributes of competence in PtD practice will enable designers to contribute towards improved OSH performance. However, studies undertaken to explore the level of PtD competence possessed by designers in developing countries remain at an embryonic level. Based on previous studies, attributes of PtD competence were identified in three main domains: knowledge, skills and experience. Adopting these attributes, a gap analysis of the level of PtD competence of designers was examined using the Malaysian, South African and Nigerian construction industries. Relying on a case-study survey research design, online questionnaires were used to gather data from 177 designers serving as respondents in the three countries. The results indicated that the attributes of competence in the three domains were far from advanced, particularly in skill and experience. More attention needs to be given to advancing the cognitive, affective, and psycho-motor aspects of these attributes through theoretical and practical learning initiatives before progress can be made towards achieving substantial diffusion of PtD practice. This study was the first attempt to assess designers’ PtD competence in developing countries. The findings of this study have salient implications for enhancing the implementation of PtD in pre- and continuing education in developing countries.