The construction industry is deemed a hazardous industry in terms of occupational safety and health (OSH) which is the obligation of all project parties during the project life cycle. This research aims to investigate the role of the client in fostering construction safety, in the planning and design stages in the Gaza Strip, a territory of Palestine. A quantitative survey was designed and used where the response rate of the distribution came to 72.48 (79 responses). The results were obtained from questionnaire responses and findings based on the ranking indicate a lack of awareness of the construction project clients about their responsibilities on OSH practices. Establishing a special unit in the syndicate of engineers to review the design and plans and consider their compatibility with new design theories that deal with safety and establishing an independent institutional body. The body concerned with OSH issues in all aspects and clauses is necessary to make a real revision for consultant firms� classification criteria with a high priority for OSH issues. With considering these issues a major criterion in the classification will be made while reducing the classification in the event of injuries and deaths at the company. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group on behalf of the Architectural Institute of Japan, Architectural Institute of Korea and Architectural Society of China.