Health and Safety Procedures - Research Paper Example

HEALTH, SAFETY AND RISK ASSESSMENT s Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Case Study 3 Outline of Implementation Strategy 14 3.1. Requirements for Construction Work 15 3.2. Hazard Management Plan 15 3.3. Site Logistics Plan 16 3.4. Specialized Sections for Site Operations 17 3.5. The use of Industrial Control Equipments 18 Conclusion 18 Bibliography 19 Case Study This paper will be based on a case study that involves a college hiring contractors to develop a new learning facility. Within the site, there are vehicles both delivering and collecting materials from one end of the college to the other. There is also the movement of heavy goods, JCBs, cranes and people in the area. Routes for both vehicles and pedestrians are segregated within the site. After an incident involving workers sustained minor injuries after incidents with one of the vehicles in site, the contractors are proposing to undertake a healthy and safety operation. The study will delve into identifying the significance of protective equipment, and viable recording systems in maintaining health, safety and tracking potential risks. Further, the study will critically develop a health, safety and risk assessment manual to guide construction. Finally, the proposed action plan based on the case study will be outlined. Safe Working Procedures 1.1. Requirements and Importance of Personal Protective Equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to equipments worn to prevent as well as minimise worker’s exposure to serious workplace injuries resulting from physical, radiological or mechanical not excluding any other applicable workplace hazards. PPE equipments are required to be safely designed to fit a particular working environment. Significantly, such equipments should be comfortable and of appropriate size to fit the worker. It must also be maintained clean and fashionable in all aspects (Personal protective equipment at work 2013:1-3). The purpose of the equipments is mainly to effectively reduce employee exposure to hazards at acceptable levels. All items of personal protection are required to inflict a barrier between the user and the hazard present in the working environment. Straining models may cause discomfort to the wearer and impair their working ability and thus discouraging wearers from implementing their use. In turn, such workers are exposed to the risks of ill health and injuries associated with such hazards. Therefore, it is required that PPE equipments we well designed in order to counter such challenges. Practices of occupational health and safety use hazard control and intervention as a way of mitigating workplace hazards. The policy framework as provided in the hierarchy of hazard control elaborated administrative controls that are also entailed in the permit-to-work systems. Permit to work systems refers to the control required to maintain workplace activities in order to control accidents and hazards. According to the Guidance on permit-to-work Systems codes (2005:5-10), permit-to-work systems are formal recorded processes that are used to implement control in workplaces pose potential hazards to the workers. They also act as channels of communication between site managers and workers in the hazardous environment. The systems are modelled to perform a risk assessment process through identifying: i. Tasks and carrying out appraisal to identify its nature and associated hazards ii. Associated risks and necessary moderation controls and precautions iii. The extent required for the implementation of controls depending on the identified risk level The use of protective clothing is a vital administrative control that must be embraced in the case study that guides this paper. The use of personal protective is governed by the European Union directive on PPE equipment. The directive ensures that all safety devices designed to be worn by employees for protection against any health hazards meets highlighted basic safety requirements. The legislation that came into force in 1992 compels all companies placed in the EU member states to comply with the directive. Article 1 of the directive categorizes PPE into three categories comprising of equipments of simple design, those of complex design and those that do not fall in either of the mentioned categories (Council Directive 1989: 399/19). According to the Health and Safety Committee, the most frequent causes of accidental death and injuries in construction sites include falls, mobile plants, falling materials, trips and electrical accidents (Health and Safety Executive 2006:7). Basing our study on the case study, mobile plant acts as a significant hazard that expose people to injuries. As indicated in the case study, a worker sustained minor injuries in a collision accident with a vehicle in the site. The fact that routes and roads for pedestrians and vehicles are segregated within the site present a major risk to all people within the vicinity. The risk level in the study should be regarded as high and be acted on immediately in order to prevent major injuries that could lead to death. Thus, the nature of construction sites as illustrated by the Health and safety in construction code (2006:7) is a representative of a non-event ground that may be muddy and dusty. People walking on the site may easily be injured and killed by vehicles especially reversing ones. Drivers and other operators mostly injured or killed by overturning vehicles. The site also exposes people to hazards related to falling material. By the fact that there is movement of goods and people may get struck by such loads that may roll from their platforms. In severe cases, people can be buried by falling materials especially during excavations or structural collapse. As a general requirement, the construction site should be barricaded and isolated to restrict entrance to ensure the general safety of people present in the environment. Outdoor projects may require a chain link fence with controlled access points to ensure that no single construction area is accessible to unauthorised personnel or vehicles. Isolation areas in this case will include vehicle loading and unloading areas. It is probable that the noise related hazards would be experienced within the site as the movement of vehicles, loading and offloading of heavy loads may cause noise pollution. To manage the traffic and noise hazards presented in the case study, the following isolation requirements should be considered: a. Demarcating routes to represent paths of people by providing enough space to cater for traffic demand through determining the required capacity to be accommodated b. Establish communication with the city construction authorities and affected neighbours about the nature of the construction work. (Best practice in street works & highway works 2001:12-3). c. Erect a display board outside the site. The board should identify key personnel undertaking the construction and contact details, preferably phone numbers and physical location of contractor. The duration of the construction works should also be specified. d. Ensure that there is enough access to emergency services 1.2. Tracking and Highlighting Potential Risks Viable recording systems are components of the management outlining strategy that are used to highlight potential risks that may prevent a future occurrence and thus ensures that standard security solutions are handled effectively and efficiently. The success of systems at a workplace is determined by the degree of awareness by people carrying out that particular activity. This means that if they are unaware of the isolation requirements, the system develops limited or no effects in prevention of accidents and occurrences that pose danger to them. Based on the case study, the contractor management could use a strategy based on the components below to track and highlight potential risks and prevent future incidents from occurring. a) Creating System Archives Risk assessments and certificate offered by external bodies at any stage of the construction process act as important documents to be referred to. Therefore, it is a prerequisite to record and archive risk assessments and certificates for at least duration of thirty days after completion. This process serves to ensure that effective auditing and monitoring of the systems can be achieved using the stored data. Checks carried out by external regulatory authorities to validate compliance should also be carefully recorded and used to reinforce safe working practices. Monitoring records are supposed to be archived on site and reviewed periodically during all permit-to-work audits. b) Using Check Lists Continuous risk assessments enable the risk management team to determine the severity of the hazard, the availability of control measures, control actions to be implemented as well as the urgency and timeliness of reducing the identified hazards. For proper risk management, the contractors should record: • Identified risks associated with traffic control hazards, • Develop a sketch of the site layout • Examine behavioural activities in the site • Consult workers and other affected parties about any issues and problems observed • Review the incident and injury records • Review any security and unedited footage available and identify common intersection areas Contractors should also develop a day-to-day permit monitoring checklist that guides them to record all related occurrences for future reference and complete data collection. These checklists would include pre-requisite checks of safety rules to be observed by all workers, evidence of training and understanding levels of workers’ risks in the workplace, daily records of all incidents and accidents as well as all workers concerns associated to hazards present. Checklists should also be derived from each employee’s duties and records of any peculiar incidents arising from their conduct recorded. c) Conducting Regular Audits, Reviews and Assessments These recording systems require periodic reviews into the permit-to-work systems with the aim of assessing their effectiveness. The review mainly includes all indicators and incidents that relate to inadequacy in work controlled activities. Checklists are also developed from each employees duties. Regular audits are conducted by competent people. Most preferably, site contractors contract external auditors who are unbiased and familiar with local constructions management systems. Auditing includes examination of monitoring records and all non-conformities with permit-to-work systems recorded. Additionally, remedial procedures are established and effectively addressed. The management is then notified of the non-conformities that cannot be resolved immediately Health and Safety Manual This document contains written procedures that specify details and procedures to be adhered to both contractors and employers working in construction sites. 2.1. Duties and Responsibility In a construction company, both the directors and workers have a duty ensure they work in a healthy environment. i. Company directors are mandated to ensure that the business complies with regulatory requirements. ii. Workers are supposed to ensure they take care of their well-being as well as that of others by adhering to policies and procedures defined at their respective workplaces 2.2. Risk Management The risk management process is used to effectively control risks associated with health hazards in a construction site. According to the process, plant users should: a. Identify hazards b. Assess the risks involved c. Implement risk control measures d. Review control measures a) Identified Hazards and Risks Involved As indicated above, risk management begins with identification of hazards and their assessment so as to implement effective measures. Traffic hazards are common occurrences in construction sites that are characterised by vehicles delivering and collecting materials from one place to the other. The segregation of routes for both pedestrians and vehicles within the site may also present a traffic hazard as either of the road users may encroach the other in turn creating risks. Pedestrians using routes designated for vehicles may be involved in road accidents that may be fatal leading to serious injuries and at extreme cases death. The movement of heavy goods from one point of the site to the other pose great danger to loaders as well as drivers. Lorries that transport such loads may be involved in accidents within the site leading to injuries. Workers who load and offload materials are exposed to injuries arising from heavy loads. These injuries commonly affect loaders’ backs, hands and other body parts that carry the loads. They may also sustain injuries arising from load falls that may result to injuries and in extreme cases deaths. Loaders are also prone to lose body parts that during injuries. In workplace vehicle incidents related to traffic hazards, pedestrian movement and reversing vehicles, loading and unloading activities happen to be the most common activities that expose people to risks. Thus, people working near vehicle and earth moving equipment are exposed to the most risk that could result to injury and death in severe cases. Worst of all, people visiting such work sites are equally exposed to the risks The main risk that could probably affect workers and other people using and passing through the site would be sustaining death and injuries from car accidents and collisions. In addition, the presence of heavy vehicles delivering and collecting materials from one end of the college to the other would present a traffic hazard and pose risk to all site users as they would collide with each other. Vehicle related traffic hazards would be exposed when vehicles reverse and manoeuvre, pick and deliver or arrive and depart. On the other hand, traffic hazards involving pedestrians will occur due to the following factors: a. Lack of physical barriers to demarcate walkways and crossings b. Jammed and obstructed pedestrian routes that may divert them to the use of unsafe routes and short-cuts c. Same use of routes for pedestrians, as well as vehicles, may cause collisions that may lead to accidents leading to serious injuries and even death. d. Poor maintained pedestrian routes may be unsuitable may pose dangers to users. For example, routes that have blind corners and inadequate lighting may cause accidents b) Employee Empowerment i. Staff Training Safety training acts as a good measure through which an employer/contractor can use to establish and maintain safety and healthy working environment. It also proves their determination to enact a healthy work related environment. Actually, the willingness of the management to take part in this exercise reflects the importance of safety in a given environment. Training materials are designed to reflect the managements’ expectations for safety. Employees are equipped with positive information through leadership participation. The training must include Health and Safety Commission’s Construction Industry Advisory Committee requirements. Better comprehension is achieved through demonstrations that give employees a chance to participate. For training to be successful, the following steps should be adhered to: a. Prepare the employee for the work to be performed b. Use demonstrations and detailed explanations to present the job c. Use practical illustrations to involve the employee d. Be available for the employee in case they want to ask any questions and want to seek any clarifications Equipping workers with safety requirements enables them to become more productive and efficient to work in a safer and effective environment as they put into practice what they have learned. They are made more aware and cautious of the risks present in their working environment and are able to deal with such challenges before the intensity of their damage magnifies. In turn, contractors become more profitable and are able to meet their goals in terms of cost, production and safety. These training sessions should be conducted regularly and evaluated depending on employee performance and incidents reported. Employee training is usually conducted on the initial stages of the work. The period acts as an orientation phase that introduces all workers to an organization. During the period, workers are familiarised with their work areas, hazards present as well as prevention techniques. This phase is characterised by workers development of skills and necessary abilities to be utilised in their respective workstations. Trainings are offered to all employees irrespective of age and gender. They must be conducted regularly especially after risk areas have been identified. Additionally, the following group of workers should also be trained: • Transferred workers from one station or workplace to the other • Workers returning to work after leaves or breaks • New workers Training sessions conducted on the first days do not necessarily cover all aspects of the requirements. Thus, orientation sessions that fit the needs of the workplace and the type of the work done are conducted by supervisors from time to time to ensure that all safety areas are covered. Employers are not only required to provide PPE to all their workers but also to ensure the proper use of such equipment. This is done through conducting worker training sessions that enable them to know why and when they need the equipment, its limitation, how to use it for protection, and its proper care, maintenance and disposal when necessary. While implementing the use of PPE, employers are also required to design and implement a PPE program that addresses present hazards, maintenance, employee training, the use of protective clothing; and evaluation and monitoring programmes to be used when assessing the implementation. ii. Staff Implementation Activities Having identified hazards and risks present in the environment, it is imperative to note that the most significant factor that would reduce risks within the site is to first ensure that employees always arm themselves proper protective equipments. This step would ensure that all employees are well protected against hazards that may be present in the working environment. Secondly, administrative and work control strategies should be implemented. These controls establish effective and efficient processes and procedures that would be required in an environment. In this case, employees are supposed to minimise the severity of risks by eliminating unnecessary movements. This ensures that an employee is in the right place doing the right duties. Additionally, it encloses an employee to a working area that is well conversant to then and thus reduces the risk level of being involved in injuries or exposure to hazardous regions that they are not familiar. The implementation of engineering controls ensures that minimal risks are observed in a site. These would entail putting into practice and physical change to the workplace. For example using devices to reposition objects or divert traffic. In this case, workers would ensure they: • Separate traffic routes that block vehicles from physically entering pedestrian space • Implement pedestrian barriers like entrances and exits that prevent people from walking in front of vehicles • Use traffic control barricades to determine the movement of people and vehicles at specified routes • Position mirrors for pedestrian and vehicle use • Construct overhead walkways that allow pedestrians to use footbridges and stay away from vehicles • Use physical barriers with inward opening gates • Use traffic lighting systems • Use visible signs and clear visibility of either vehicle or pedestrians • Surface roads with material that can easily drain water thus avoiding muddiness and flooding on the road thus causing hazards as vehicles may fall when trying to pass through the mud. Others choose to divert to pedestrians routes that may introduce accidents and injuries. The surfaces should also be well maintained and free from any obstructions such as potholes that may cause vehicles to divert to other routes. • Display clear signs indicating instructions to be followed and restricted zones within the site. For example, restricted parking lots should be indicated as well as headroom, speed limits and any other hazards. These instructions guide the drivers when using the roads Employees could minimise risk by using the hierarchy of risk control. This risk-controlling method ranks hazards from the highest level of protection to the lowest reliability in the rank as shown below. The Hierarchy of Control Examples of Methods Eliminate the hazard Eliminate the interaction between vehicles and pedestrians by Ensuring pedestrian routes are provided for Substitute the hazard with something safer Replacement of existing routed with demarcated ones for either pedestrians or vehicles Isolate the hazard from those it is exposed to Determine the capacity required to accommodate traffic demands by deciding the amounts of space to be used for different activities like loading and any other transporting activities Use engineering controls Using traffic control tools and signage’s to control traffic Installing lighting, road speed limit signage and other vehicle warning and limiting symbols Use administrative controls Opt for appropriate channels to route traffic around and within the site by deciding on the required traffic movements available like creating and demarcating ‘no go zones’ or restricting entry to authorised personnel only. Ensuring safe access to welfare activities for all site users Use personal protective control Providing all vehicle and machine controllers with highly visible and reflective clothing that would ensure they are visible to other road users Providing other protective materials such as head gears to workers for protection against head injuries should any accidents occur. It is important to note that administrative, personal and protective control measures cannot be used to control the hazard from the source as they are reliant on human behaviour and supervision. Without a combination of other control measures, these methods prove to be less effective in minimising risks. Outline of Implementation Strategy Health and Safety programmes are usually behaviour based as most of the hazards are closely related to unsafe individual acts as opposed to unsafe working conditions and environment. Death and injury risks present themselves in work places where pedestrians, vehicles and mobile plants share the same roads and work area. Traffic management in a construction site involves the safe movement of pedestrians, mobile plants and vehicles through and within sites where work is carried out. The manual developed in the previous section was based on the following legislative information. 3.1. Requirements for Construction Work Construction companies engaging in risk construction works are require carrying out safe work method statements (SWMS) before commencement of any associated works. High risk construction sites are defined by the movement of powered mobile plant as well as their promiscuity to a road, railway line or traffic area that is widely used by pedestrians and other vehicles (Code of Practice for Deconstruction and Construction Sites (2013: 7-9). The method statement serves the purpose of identifying high risk construction sites, associated hazards, control measures and the implementation strategies for risk control. Therefore, contractors are mandated to communicate effectively with all affected partied including neighbours, city construction authorities and neighbours about the location, nature and progress of their works. Construction sites classified under the WHS regulations must be guided by a WHS management plan that defines risk management procedures associated with a site. Traffic management planning, an important component identified in the case study that guide this paper should therefore be incorporated in the plan. The method statement also entails information and instruction regarding the involvement of workers in the construction work. This includes the equipments and effective training procedures of handling pollution and emergencies. Most importantly, summarised documents specifying these procedures should be visibly displayed around the site. All employers and contractors also obliged by the law to provide workers with understandable procedures that guide their health and safety as well as that of others within the site (Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007: 18). 3.2. Hazard Management Plan Hazard management plans assist risk management by communicating information regarding control measures to be applied. According to the Code of Practice for Deconstruction and Construction Sites (2013:14-5), code 3.37 stipulates that the design of site layouts should minimise all potential effects on users and neighbours. The Best practice in street works and highway works code (2001:12-14) highlight the importance of traffic signing and protection of pedestrian diversion and work areas. For effective management, construction managers are obliged to employ a competent bank man whose main duties are to provide assistance regarding control of vehicles accessing and leaving the site thereby ensuring that construction works have minimal traffic disturbance and that pedestrian safety is strictly observed. The code (3.34) also notes the disruption of noise caused by vehicle movements, deliveries, loading and unloading of heavy loads (Code of Practice for Deconstruction and Construction Sites (2013: 14). As a result, construction sites are required to strictly adhere to and be guided by the site hour variation sheet that guides timely unloading and offloading of materials at specified hours of the day. The roles and responsibility of all people in the work place are also communicated effectively to ensure team work and adherence to set regulatory standards. In addition, procedural instructions associated with traffic and noise control including in emergency situations are communicated effectively. 3.3. Site Logistics Plan Important risk control measures involves elimination of hazards and when impossible minimizing them to reach reasonable practible grounds. Basing our facts on the case study that guides this paper, the following measures may be implemented in the work plan to eliminate traffic related hazards. As discussed earlier, the most common and effective way of risk management is eliminating the risk in question. The separation of intersection points where people and vehicles meet would therefore act the most important step when controlling traffic related risks. In order to achieve this, there should be defined routes for specifies purposes and discussed below. 3.4. Specialized Sections for Site Operations According to the codes provided for by the health and safety executive on the safe use of vehicles on construction sites (2009: 19), traffic management in a construction site should include loading bays that are to be situated strategically in locations that vehicle can easily manoeuvre without any accidents and difficulties. Additionally, these areas should be well identified using visible signs and posts. Additionally, reversing should be avoided using loading systems that adapt to multi directional procedures. However, in cases when it cannot be eliminate, loading and unloading procedures can be reorganised by designing large areas that are enough for vehicles, fixing mirrors at dark corners, using warning devices, clearly marking designated reversing areas, ensuring reversing detection materials such as sensors, cameras, rear vision and windscreens are in good condition. In sites where vehicles reverse, workers are required to be conversant with the routes and areas. Vehicle onsite parking should be well provided as a measure of minimizing risks arising from mobile plant and vehicles. Accidents resulting from stationary plant and vehicles continue increasing and thus pose a need to get rid of such materials by parking them in their designated places. Parking for private vehicles should be provided for away from the working area. In most cases, these vehicles are used by pedestrians or people who have visited the site for a short period of time. Thus, demarcating their boundaries to be a little bit far from the main ground serves as a significant way of reducing the annoyance of using routes with heavy machinery and vehicles within the site as they try to get parking. These also minimizes the probability of private vehicles being parked along traffic routes and thus blocking such routes or creating risks associated to stationary and immovable plants in a site. Pedestrians are well protected through hazard elimination. Thus, the removal of vehicles and mobile plant that act as the hazards in a defined work place minimizes the risks (Health and Safety Executive Safe use of vehicles on construction sites 2009:6). However, it is important to note that in some cases this plan may only be implemented theoretically would be deemed practically impossible. In such cases the risks would be minimised by strongly defined pedestrian routes characterised by a number of people walking would naturally encourage all road users to use the designated safe routes. The creation of barriers also block people from taking potentially hazardous roots that would lead to vehicle intersections and accidental aftermaths that would result to serious injuries or even death. Demarcations can include clearly marked foot paths and walkways by painting lines on the specified designation along with powerful signage. 3.5. The use of Industrial Control Equipments The code guiding health and safety executive on the safe use of vehicles on construction sites (2009: 23) pre requisites the importance of using signallers to direct pedestrian and vehicle movements. These competent methods are used to ensure that road users are safe by signalling them what action to take while using designated routes. Site managements are required to authorise the use of signallers who are easily identifiable through their clearly visible life saver jackets and helmets in all areas of traffic control. Road marking and signage applicable to traffic control within a site avert vehicle operators to enter or exit exclusion and parking zones, limit their speed limit, pedestrian or vehicle crossing, blind corners, steep gradients, and other relevant hazards. Conclusion Health and safety procedures are important programmes that help contractors to reduced construction costs. Examination of these performance histories allows contractors to gauge their success in observing healthy and safety. The construction company offers a number of assignments and a sense of accomplishment that appeal to many people. As years pass by, the industry’s workforce will become more diversified to include s discrete workforce. As a result, human and healthy safety issues in such a working environment need to be looked into critically. Bibliography BEST PRACTICE IN STREET WORKS AND HIGHWAY WORKS (2001). Department of Transport Code of Practice: The Stationery Office [Online]. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/4383/bestpracticeinstreetworks.pdf [Accessed: 09 December 2014] CONSTRUCTION DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS .2007. [Online]. Available at www.highland.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/.../cdm_2007_b. [Accessed: 09 December 2014] CODE OF PRACTICE FOR DECONSTRUCTION AND CONSTRUCTION SITES. 2013. Department of Markets and Consumer Protection (7th Ed) [Online]. Available at http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/business/environmental-health/environmental-protection/Documents/Code-of-practice-for-deconstruction-and-construction.pdf. [Accessed: 09 December 2014] COUNCIL DIRECTIVE OF 21 DECEMBER 1989 ON THE APPROPRIATION OF THE LAWS OF THE MEMBER STATES RELATING TO PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. (1989). Office Journal of the European Communities. [Online]. Available at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:31989L0686&from=EN. [Accessed: 09 December 2014] GUIDANCE ON PERMIT-TO-WORK SYSTEMS. A GUIDE FOR THE PETROLEUM, CHEMICAL AND ALLIED INDUSTRIES.2005. Health and Safety Executive. [Online]. Available at http://www.hseni.gov.uk/hsg250_guidance_on_permit_to_work_systems.pdf. [Accessed: 09 December 2014] HEALTH AND SAFETY IN CONSTRUCTION. 2006. Health and Safety Executive. 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