Health and Safety Devices of the Construction Company - Report Example

Health and Safety Devices A Report Name Subject………., Semester ........., Class ……. Professor ……………….. January 20, 2009 Contents Contents……………………………………………………………………02 Health and Safety Devices…………………………………………………03 Statutory Requirements………………………………………………………………..03 Policy Statement of the Construction Company……………………………………..03 Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994………………………….03 Safety Systems of Work………………………………………………………………05 Legislation……..…….………………………………………………………………05 Public Utilities and Services……...…………………………………………………06 Fire Precautions……………………………………………………………………..06 Vehicles and Machinery…………………………………………………………….06 Cranes and Hoists...…………………………………………………………………07 Scaffolding and Ladders…….………………………………………………………07 Electrical Apparatus…………………………………………………………………08 Tools and Equipment………………………………………………………………..08 Personal Protective Clothing…….…………………………………………………..08 Miscellaneous……………………………………………………………………….08 Hazards associated with Luffing Tower Crane and Control Methods…......……….09 Works Cited……………………………………………………………………………11 Varadharajan Thiruvenkataswamy January 16, 2009 Health and Safety Devices Statutory Requirements Policy Statement of the Construction Company: The policy of the company is to ensure that as far as it is practicable and reasonable all efforts would be made to safeguard the company employees, university students, professors, lecturers, staffs, administrators, workers and other visitors to the site from ill health or injury and to preclude any avoidable property damage. Builders and other organization employees who enter the site for the purpose of carrying out their individual work shall be required to conform to the ‘Health & Safety at Work Act’. 1974 Construction contractors who are occupying a reserved area of the construction site shall themselves be found responsible for adopting working practices on their site. Any disregard or failure to comply with the policy and procedures outlined in this document will render the construction contractor’s employee to be permanently secluded from the site. Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 The above regulations are primarily aimed at enhancing the overall management and co-ordination of health, welfare and safety spanning construction projects in an attempt to preclude any large number of serious and fatal accidents or cases of ill health which are regularly witnessed in constructions projects of this nature. The Regulations also further places duties on all individuals who can act as a contributor to the health and safety of a construction project. Duties are variously placed on clients, contractors and designers while an exclusive new duty holder namely the planning supervisor is instituted. New documents, safety and health plans along with health and safety files are also introduced. A proper emergency procedure is in order here. In the case of small time injuries attracting medical attention the construction workers should see the site’s first aid personnel. While major injuries shall be taken care of 999 emergency services. In the event of fire caused in the site, the construction workers shall act according to the dictates of “Fire Precautions on Work Contracts”. The building contractor carries the sole responsibility for health and safety on the construction site. The site has to be inspected regularly by the client and whenever there is an occurrence of danger, accident taken place or a disease spreading on the site, a change in work conditions, a new hazard surfacing or a complaint has been lodged. The builder should be allowed to be present during an inspection and also given advance notice of such inspections. The construction company has to make it readily accessible to all its documents and parts of the construction site to visiting inspectors such as the University’s facility manager or health and safety advisors from any concerned party. Also the construction company has to notify the supervising officers of any operations involving hazardous or toxic materials and substances prior to their commencement. Before any work commences for example on insulating materials, coating, cement panels or any other such material containing asbestos the Supervising Officer has to be intimated immediately about it. Request might be made by the officer to have the materials analyzed by a laboratory. If in fact asbestos is detected then compliance has to take place with “Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987” (as amended). Safe systems of work: Legislation: As per the Safety & Health legislation in vogue presently the builder is responsible for making sure that the multi-storey car park is built in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act along with: i) The ‘Construction (General Provision) Regulations 1961,’ (as amended) ii) The ‘Construction (Working Places) Regulations 1966,’ (as amended) iii) The ‘Construction (Lifting Operations) Regulations 1961,’ (as amended) iv) The ‘Construction (Health & Welfare) Regulations 1966,’ (as amended) v) The ‘Controls of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987,’ (as amended) vi) The ‘Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994,’ (as amended) vii) The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) Other standards, such as those applied by the rail network and operating companies, airports, ports, underground or tram owners and operators, must also be adhered to where relevant. The hiring, erection, use and dismantling of tower cranes must be carried out with due regard to the requirements of UK health and safety legislation. The responsibilities outlined in the Health and Safety at Work Act, and Construction (Design and Management) Regulations provide the framework under which cranes on construction sites must be operated. There are particular issues in crane use relating to the use of machinery and the regulations governing lifting. Detailed guidance on tower crane lifting is given in BS 7121-5:1997 (Skinner Hilary et. al, 2006). Public Utilities and Services: The Company shall give a written notice at least for a week’s time for all break-ins and connections to hospital services and public utilities. The basis of such break-ins and connections shall be accepted after agreeing to by the Supervising Officer. Fire Precautions: The Company shall ensure that it meets the university’s requirements for ‘Fire Precautions on Work Contracts’. Excavations: No digging; driving of stakes; or other ground disturbances shall take place until the company has so far as possible, practicable and reasonable familiarized itself with all the underground services in relation to the envisaged work; made sure that all the concerned people who are to work on this project have been fully briefed on the underground services and are competent enough to handle the same; determined whether any Permits are required; evolved an agreed statement of method. Vehicles and Machinery: The Company has to ensure that all employees who are drivers or operators are fully trained and instructed to use vehicle and machinery. No personnel under 18 shall be allowed to operate any sawing / cutting machine having a circular blade, any planing machine for surfacing which is not fed mechanically, or any spindle moulding machine, unless they have gone through a training course which is approved; giving signal to cranes; driving dumpers; operating hoists or mechanical lifting appliances. It is totally prohibited for any person other than the driver to ride on vehicles which are meant to carry passengers. All safety guards will be kept in place whenever the machinery is being operated. Driver and operators are required to report any defect whatsoever to their immediate reporting heads. Wherever machinery or vehicles are being used outside the construction site, they shall not be left running while being attended to and shall comply with existing road safety regulation. Cranes and Hoists: The Luffing tower Cranes which has been hired by the company and other hoists shall only be operated by competent persons, in an orderly manner, adhering to the regulations in vogue and the codes of practice. Under no circumstances shall the Luffing tower cranes shall be allowed to operate over building which are occupied. A method statement has to be issued to the supervising officer at least seven days prior to the commencement of operations, either erecting them or any subsequent operations, involving Luffing tower cranes or other hoists. Scaffolding and Ladders: While scaffolding shall be erected by competent personnel it shall be blocked off and notices to the effect fixed. Any work carried out from scaffolds will be supported by fully boarded platforms replete with toe boards and guarded rails. Ladders should be of sound British Standards. Adequate testing over a period of twelve months must have been carried out and a label depicting the last test date must be affixed on the ladder. Also it should be of sufficient length and protected at the top and bottom to preclude lateral movements. It is prohibited to throw or drop anything from scaffolding or ladders. Also usage of any step ladders should be on a firm even platform and standing on third of top step must be avoided while nobody is permitted to stand on the top platform of the stepladder. Electrical Apparatus: All apparatus of electrical nature should be tested and the test should comply with ‘Electricity at Work Act 1989,’ and BS7671: ‘Requirements for Electrical Installations’, (as amended). Tools and Equipment: While the company should ensure that all the tools are provided to the workers, only competent persons should use the tools for the purpose it is meant to be used. The operator must wear safety helmet, possess eye and ear protection while using cartridge tools. In cases of fire risks and explosions use of cartridge tools should be avoided. The cartridge tools are to be maintained as per the manufacturer’s specifications and control should be exercised toward issue of such tools. Personal Protective Clothing: The Company shall provide suitable protective clothing essential for protection against expected hazards that might be encountered while at work. Protective gear is maintained as per manufacturer’s recommendations. While it is safe to wear hard hats all the time on the work site, all safety should be tested immediately prior to us. Miscellaneous: Besides the above enough amenities such as mess huts, toilets, washing facilities, drying rooms etc for the existing number of persons on the work site has to be set up by the Construction Company. Any abuse of amenities provided shall render the amenities being withdrawn forthwith for the specific offender. Safety knowledge Training, Security, Access to Site, vehicle parking, use of cameras, use of mobile phones, intoxicating liquors/drugs, trading etc are other areas where appropriate controls and restrictions are to be implemented to regulate and ensure smooth progress of the construction project. Hazards associated with Luffing Tower Crane and Control Methods: While the collapse of tower cranes is rare, accidents and near misses do occur. Generally these result from events, either singly or in combination, that are not anticipated, events or actions that cause unexpected loads or from errors during erection, use or dismantling. Failures of any part of the crane or load carrying systems are likely to cause serious accidents – which generally involve bother crane operators, or other site personnel or the general public. Hazards Operations that involve erection, reconfiguring and dismantling cranes are particularly hazardous. When a crane is in use, poor operation or failure of warning devices or structural members are most likely to result in a serious incident. All personnel involved in specifying, procuring, planning, erecting and operating tower cranes, as well as those on site around it, should understand the major hazards associated with their safe use and stability. It is very vital that the personnel carrying out the erection, reconfiguration, use and dismantling of tower cranes are trained and competent. Some safety critical devices may require a tower crane to have an uninterrupted power source and this must be taken into account early in planning (Skinner Hilary et. al, 2006). The following list of hazards though not exhaustive still relates to the construction operation being envisaged here. (a) Erection, climbing or dismantling (b) Overload (c) High Wind loads (d) Structural failure (e) Load failures or impact (f) Proximity Hazards (g) Overhead power lines. There are other different types of hazards associated with Luffing tower crane equipment namely (i) Crushing hazards (ii) Foundations and Structural supports (iii) Loss of backward stability and (iv) Wind speed. Control methods Measures to be adopted to minimize the risk and damage associated with such hazards include: (1) Employees shall not be in or under the tower, jib, or rotating portion of the crane during erecting, climbing and dismantling operations until the crane is secured in a locked position and the competent person in charge indicates it is safe to enter this area, unless the manufacturer's instructions direct otherwise and only the necessary personnel are permitted in this area. (2) The supervisor shall verify that tower crane foundations and structural supports are installed in accordance with their design to prevent or minimize hazards to the lowest level that is practicable associated with foundations and structural supports of the equipment. (3) Backward stability must be considered before swinging self erecting cranes or cranes on traveling or static undercarriages for minimizing the associated hazard to the lowest level that is realizable. (4) Wind must not exceed the speed recommended by the manufacturer or, where manufacturer does not specify this information, the speed determined by a qualified person. (5) On jobsites where more than one fixed jib (hammer head) tower crane is installed, the cranes shall be located such that no crane may come in contact with the structure of another crane. (6) Cranes are not permitted to pass over one another. (7) Towers shall be erected plumb to the manufacturer's tolerance and verified by a qualified person. (8) As set out in HSE Guidance Note GS 6 devices that are designed to be fitted on cranes are not to be considered as a safe system of work. Works Cited Applied Science & Technology Index, 1978, H.W.Wilson Company, University of Michigan, Digitized Apr 24, 2006 Avallone, Eugene A., Baumeister, Theodore, Sadegh, Ali, Marks, Lionel Simeon, 2006, Marks Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineer, McGraw Hill Professional, Edition 11: illustrated, revised, ISBN 0071428674, 9780071428675 Austen, A.D., Neale, R.H., 1984, Managing Construction Projects: A Guide to Processes and Procedures, Edition: 3, International Labour Organization Control of Contractors, , Viewed on January 16, 2009. Couture, Bruno, 1990, Construction Projects, Terminology and Linguistics Directorate, Ministry of Supply and Services, ISBN 0660558025, 9780660550828 Fire Safety Engineering College, , Viewed on January 16, 2009. Havers, John A., 1971, Handbook of heavy construction, McGraw-Hill, University of Michigan, Digitized Nov 7, 2007 Ridley, John R., 2002, Safety with Machinery, Elsevier, ISBN 0750648309, 9780750648301 Skinner, Hilary, Watson, Tim, Dunkley, Bob, Blackmore, Paul, 2006, Tower Crane Stability, CIRIA, ISBN 9781860176548, 0860176541 Smith, Nigel J., Merna, Tony, Jobling, Paul, 2006, Managing Risks in Construction Projects: In Construction Projects, Blackwell Publishing, Edition 2: illustrated, revised ISBN 1405130121, 9781405130127 Read More