Safety is far more than craftsmen wearing hard hats on construction sites. It is a philosophy that identifies and eliminates job site hazards throughout the lifecycle of a work project. When we think of construction safety, our first thought is generally that this is the responsibility of the contractor. There are, however, many more who must be involved in establishing a safe job site than just the contractor. All the participants in the construction process, from the client commissioning the work, to the constructor and to the men and women who perform the work, are integral to the process of establishing a safe site. Therefore, throughout the construction process we must have a means in place by which hazards can be identified and effectively controlled, and safe work practices promoted.
Safety stewardship is an essential component of every activity. The entire team who are authorized to perform services need to conduct all work in a safe and environmentally responsible manner and in compliance. This includes, but is not limited to:
1. First-Aid: There is a responsibility to provide first-aid to employees. That includes personnel, training, kits and equipment appropriate to the work and number of employees on site, and that all equipment are maintained. There needs to be a 24 hours ambulance and doctor designated on site. The first-aid arrangements should cover shift working, night and weekend working where this is carried out. This may mean appointing or training several people to ensure adequate cover.
2. Focused safety training modules & site-specific guidelines: Safe place of working and safe system of working are the two important requirements in reducing accidents on construction site. Though safe place of working can be provided, safe system of working can only be provided through proper training to the workmen. Project management should ensure that all workers are competent to perform the assigned work safely based on appropriate education, training and experience. Safety training should be made a part of all construction jobs. The training/orientation programme like induction training, on the job training, refresher training, job specific pre-job briefing should be carried out as mandatory requirements in line with the procedure made for training.
3. Safety Work Permit: In order to ensure safety in all hazardous jobs such as excavation, work at height, work in confined spaces, working with chemicals, welding and gas cutting, electrical works etc., safety permit should be taken. The permit procedures should be well established and practiced. The importance of permit system should be impressed upon by the line management. The record of permits should be maintained in a systematic manner and should be verified periodically by safety officials.
4. Cleaning and maintenance: Scrap lumber with protruding nails, debris in work areas and combustibles are just a few examples of hazards that can injure workers. 30 minutes per shift for effective cleaning & stacking of material is vital. Independent Logistics & Housekeeping vendor should be appointed to manage induction & overall housekeeping across vendors. Keeping job site in proper order can improve safety, morale, public relations and efficiency. This involves proper storage, use, cleanup, and disposal of various construction-related materials, dedicated material stacking zones floor wise on site etc. A good site keeping program should be well-planned, coordinated and involve everyone on a job site. The best time to clean up is immediately after debris has been created since many accidents such as tripping or slipping are caused by unsafe conditions produced by poor housekeeping. This will keep workers and on-ground team safe
5. Facilities to site workforce: This comprises of washrooms, eye wash area, dining room, drinking water and glucose station. Rest rooms or rest areas should be provided with well-equipped tables and seating for sufficient number of persons. These days mobile units are widely available and used to serve the labourers with basic facilities for their welfare. These are portable temporary units/cabins which can be easily placed from one place to another.
6. Protective Apparel and Personal Protective Equipment: Workers should be provided with appropriate protective equipment. Well-fitted helmets and protective eyewear are a necessity. Ear plugs or muffs should be arranged when working in noisy areas and protective gloves should be worn when workers are around toxic chemicals or lumber. Anti-slip footwear or protective boots should always be worn especially in dusty, wet or toxic environments. Fall harnesses are very important for every construction worker. It is requisite to foresee and plan even for the miniscule condition like heavy machine operators should wear highly visible clothing so they can be located and seen with ease when working with heavy.
7. Site Scrutinization: Scaffolds are commonly used on construction sites and are linked to a high number of injuries. Scaffolds should be designed, erected, altered and dismantled only by competent people and the work should always be carried out under the direction of a competent supervisor. Scaffolders should always adopt methods of work to prevent falls during the erection of scaffolding. Ladders are another essential construction site tool that carry a high potential for danger. All of the steps of slabs of the ladder should be secured properly. A ladder should be of proper strength and of a height that always keeps it at least one meter above the landing. The upper and lower end of the ladder should preferably be fastened or secured properly. Heavy machine operators need to be extra careful to double check their work areas and equipment.
8. Electrical accidents: People suffer electric shock and burns when they use unsafe equipment and when they contact overhead power lines and buried cables. Many serious accidents have occurred when buried services have been damaged during excavation work. In particular, contact with any electricity cables can result in explosion and burns to those in the vicinity. Escaping gas which ignites can cause serious injury and/or property damage as a result of fire and explosion. Excavation work should not start until steps have been taken to identify and prevent any risk of injury arising from underground services. It is essential that service-locating devices are used by properly trained people to identify, as far as possible, the actual location of the underground services.
9. Moving goods safely: Many construction workers are seriously injured during lifting operations because of accidents such as cranes overturning, material falling from hoists; and slinging failures. To avoid the risk of injury it is essential that all material handling is properly planned. Where possible, avoid people having to lift materials at all. Where lifting is unavoidable provide mechanical handling aids wherever possible. It is essential to make sure that all equipment used for lifting is in good condition and is used by trained and competent workers.
10. Health risks: Any hazardous substances that are going to be used, or processes which may produce hazardous materials, should be identified. The risks from work that might affect site workers or members of the public should then be assessed. Designers should eliminate hazardous materials from their designs. Where this is not possible, they should specify the least hazardous products which perform satisfactorily. Contractors often have detailed knowledge of alternative, less hazardous materials. Designers and contractors can often help each other in identifying hazardous materials and processes and suggesting less hazardous alternatives.
To promote the integration of safety into regular work practices there must be a clear assertion by the individuals controlling the work that safety is important. Safety begins with the attitude that accidents are preventable and that requirements for safe work practices must be followed. These basic safety tips are designed to keep everyone safe on the construction site.
While many of them are rational, they are still overlooked numerous times a day around the world. The one thing that every construction worker needs to remember is that accidents happen and everything that they do when they are on the job can be potentially hazardous in one way or another. Therefore, they need to be cautious every minute of the day. The importance of safety must be regularly emphasized so that the workforce understands that although schedule and production are important, work must be performed safely.
“The first duty of business is to survive, and the guiding principle of business economics is not the maximization of profit, but the avoidance of loss”
— Peter Drucker, Management Consultant & Educator