Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategies in EPC Construction Site

Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects are the backbone of infrastructure development in India

and globally.Their turnkey nature streamlines delivery but also centralizes risk responsibility under a single contractor, creating

multiple points of failure across the engineering, procurement, and construction phases.From design errors and vendor issues to

safety lapses and labor disruptions, these risks have the potential to derail timelines, escalate costs, and compromise safety.

Despite the availability of international frameworks such as ISO 31000 and PMBOK, the application of structured risk

management in Indian EPC firms remains inconsistent and often reactive. This study investigates critical risk categories in EPC

projects and evaluates real-world mitigation strategies based on quantitative and qualitative data. A mixed-methods research

design was adopted, involving 42 professional survey responses and five project case studies spanning sectors such as power

transmission, metro depot infrastructure, and refinery expansion. Tools like Probability-Impact matrices, Composite Risk Index

(CRI), and risk heat maps were employed to identify and rank high-risk events. Findings show that regulatory approval delays,

vendor underperformance, and construction site safety violations are the top contributors to project inefficiencies. A five-stage

Risk Management Framework (RMF) was developed and retrospectively applied to a metro depot case, demonstrating

improvements in procurement planning, coordination, and reduction in rework. The study concludes with clear, actionable

recommendations for institutionalizing risk management in EPC projects through digital tools, standardized reviews, and

stakeholder accountability. These outcomes aim to empower EPC firms to enhance predictability, reduce losses, and embed a

risk-aware culture in their operations.