Health and Safety Aspects in the Construction of Roads Across All Regions in Europe - Coursework Example

Health and Safety Aspects during on the construction sites (Road Construction Case Study) Introduction Every other nation has policies that aim to promote actions to enhance safety and health for people working in construction sites. Normally, when there is high number of accidents as well as people getting sick in the industry indicates that safety measures needs to be put in action (Health and Safety Executive Bomel Ltd, 2004). Construction industries loose workers as a result of poor measures needed to protect them (workers) during their work. Often cases of ill health relating to asbestos are reported as well European Agency (2004) found the main causes of accidents and ill health in construction sites to be; Individuals falling from ladders, Falls through delicate roofs, Construction machinery, Engagement with mass movement, Poor handling practices (manual handling) Vibrating machines/equipment Exposure to dusts (cement dusts) or fumes Road construction project has found that when there is development and effective worker safety management system, then the cases of ill health and accidents perhaps is reduced. The system will provide a common safety framework that will incorporate all parties in construction project of a road, create health and safety responsibilities for each group, ensure that contractors comply with construction site safety management system and integrate management actions to enhance quality assurance and cost-efficiency/effectiveness (Trbojevic et al, 1994: 355). Aim of the report The report aimed to provide a case study health and safety aspects in the construction of roads across all regions in Europe. The discussion will be stimulated by the collection of different case studies in order to obtain a comprehensive health and safety management system in an industry to allow healthier and safer environment. The target groups of the report are all the major players that influence the construction industry. They include procurers of construction work (private and public), architectures, engineers and surveyors and policy makers. The case study is separated into three distinct categories; a) The design phase A case of how effective health and safety management in Greece (Egnatia motorway) describes design phase of the system (Egnatia Motorway, 2013). The project involved the construction of a dual carriageway based on the international standards. Therefore, the initiation of the project had to comply with occupational safety and health standards (OSH). This was to help contractors reduce serious and fatal accidents at the cause of the project. This phase emphasises on checklist events, communication and accident analysis without merely ignoring training of the individuals in various sectors of the project. The most important aspect that led to the success and reduced accidents in Egnatia Motorway was that pre-training for contractors as well as sub-contractors was conducted prior to the commencement of the project. This was a key initiative that reflects an important of having a health and safety design for a project. Safety and health coordinators Risk assessment tools; Egnatia Motorway project coordinators developed RIEM (Risk Inventory and Evaluation Method) tool that helped the project manage the welfare issues and occupational safety and health risks factors. This tool develops comprehensive actions for management of accidents in the construction sector. b) The construction phase The basis of any other health and safety law of a nation like Saudi Arabia for instance, is to enhance safe health at workplace. This phase shows the responsibility of both the employees, employers and even the members of the public in road construction. Regarding the construction of Egnatia Motorway, the primary regulation of the nation at road construction site required the duty holders to; 1) ensuring that there is an organized movement of vehicles and pedestrians in the construction site to avoid accidents that comes as a result of collations, 2) ensuring that the routes created for people and vehicles are sufficient and appropriate for use while the construction of road continues, 3) firm actions to the dangerous movement of either people or vehicles and 4) ensuring that the ‘working transport’ (machines used in the construction site) are forbidden from ridding in unsafe places or situations. The management of health and safety during the construction phase would be guided successfully through risk assessment, observing the regulations of the safety management systems and regular provision of training of employees in the site. Coordinated safety management: This aspect describes safety management system implemented during the construction of Egnatia Motorway. The system emphasised on the three basic health elements which are risk assessment during construction process and the working environment, audit and inspections of the construction site using the standards of OSH and embracing motivation and safety campaign in the construction site. This ensured that safety was enhanced through three stages; Stage 1: workers are surveyed on the matters of safety and health, Stage 2: The questionnaires are collected and the information recorded, Stage 3: Regular medical examination of workers in the construction site. The main aim of the health and safety system is to motivate workers and provide relevant information about health and safety in order to enhance a positive and safe working environment of the site. c) Maintenance phase Important measures were taken during this phase of the project to counter health risks such as environmental pollution. Construction sites of roads are normally accompanied by air and noise pollution. Therefore, ensuring that the information concerning effects of the pollution on health is conveyed to the workers at the construction place perhaps leads to effective control of the risks associated. Building owners: The safety coordination plan of the project ensured that the safety measures were followed in the construction site. For instance, provision of lighting equipment in a place that needs plenty of light would reduce accident-related events in the site. The measures as well could be useful perhaps in future when the same project is being implemented by the new players in the road construction industry. Safety management system defines major problems that could lead to health damage. Matrix of the case Case Phase 1 (Design) Phase 2 (Construction) Phase 3(Maintenance) Risk assessment tools * * OSH (effective management) * * Safety partnership * * Workers inspections * * Improvement actions of OSH at company level * Effective safety representatives * * * Consequences of measures assessed by the case at different phases Phase 1: Risk assessment tool showed positive results in the case of construction of Egnatia Motorway. The number of occupation health injuries was reduced significantly subsequent to the implementation of health and safety management system on the construction site. This indicates that when there is a holistic control of a construction site, business benefits on the other side are achieved with safety and health aspects taken care of. Quality (health and safety management system) and environment are two factors to study in order to develop a safer site for workers. Phase 2: Inspection and campaign of information pertaining health and safety standard during the construction of Egnatia Motorway shows uncertain occurrence of occupation injuries. However, the national figures show that there is reduction in the number of accidents on the site. The unclear results from the campaign shows the weakness of using only reactive monitoring especially when evaluating the performance. Phase 3: This phase is a recap of health and safety aspects discussed in phase one and phase two. Successful results of various aspects are achieved through; acknowledging the benefits of the design phase to the whole health and safety system, inclusive management (holistic decision making/stakeholders involvement), risk assessment and prevention strategies put in place, effective operationalization of prevention system, regular training and knowledge building and performance monitoring of every activity on the checklist. Players’ involvement Effective prevention of risks needs motivation and corporation of all players in the construction site. The prevention measures to be determined depend on the quality of risk assessment and coordination programs involved in health and safety management system. Subcontractors trained during the project had several subsequent effects. Perhaps some may be unfamiliar with safety obligations and thus training will improve the situation. Employee involvement with effective surveying skills would lead the activities to success. They obtain initial overview of the risks in the site thus renovating the nature of work (reducing the risk by providing relevant information for the health and safety management system). Worker representative improve and fastens safety information to other workers in the construction site (Chan et al, 2010: 235). This will increase the level of safety awareness among workers and thus reducing the injuries in the cause of their duties. The success criteria of creating awareness at regional level involve creation of trade unions. Reference A research strategy for environmental, health, and safety aspects of engineered nanomaterials. (2012). Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. Chan, D. W., Chan, A. P., Lam, P. T., Yeung, J. F., & Chan, J. H. (2010). Risk Ranking And Analysis In Target Cost Contracts: Empirical Evidence From The Construction Industry. International Journal of Project Management, 3, 227-250. EGNATIA MOTORWAY S.A.. (n.d.). EGNATIA MOTORWAY S.A.. Retrieved December 2, 2013, from http://www.egnatia.eu/page/default.asp?la=2&id=23 European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (2004), Achieving better safety and health in construction, Information Report. Belgium: European Agency. Health and Safety Executive Bomel Ltd (2004). Improving health and safety in construction, Depth and breath-Construction transport accidents. Vol. 3, 139-146. Piodi F. (1997). The Financing of Trans-European Transport Network - Transport Series E-4. Luxembourg: European Parliament. Trbojevic, V., Bellamy, L., Brabazon, P., Gudmestad, T., & Rettedal, W. (1994). Methodology For The Analysis Of Risks During The Construction And Installation Phases Of An Offshore Platform. Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 7(4), 350-359. Read More