Commercial Development in Dee Why CBD - Case Study Example

Risk Assessment Report: A Commercial Development in Dee Why CBD Name: Institution: Table of Contents Introduction 3 Design Phase 4 The Possible Risks 4 Conceptual Design Phase 4 Detailed Design Phase 5 The Proposed Solutions 6 Justifications of the Proposed Solutions 8 Construction Phase 8 The Possible Risks 9 The Proposed Solutions and their Justifications 10 Conclusion 12 References 13 Introduction Owing to the many developmental projects in the world today, there is a lot of construction work in many areas. Regardless of the magnitude of the project, the presence of risks in the project cannot be underestimated. Professionals in all construction works should always give risk assessment of their projects a first priority. This can be explained in many ways. First, assessing risks and controlling them is essential in making the project more economical as such controls minimise costs that would otherwise be incurred in such post-risk situations as frequent renovations, hospitalisations, resettlements, among many other avoidable expenses. Secondly, risk assessments help minimise or completely eliminate instances of loss of lives both during and after construction. Finally, risk assessment for any technical project is a requirement of the law. It is, therefore, essential for it to be carried out in order to not only minimise loss of property and lives, but also fully comply with the existing laws of the land. This report provides a comprehensive risk assessment analysis with respect to the construction of the proposed new commercial development in Dee Why CBD all the way from the acquisition of land to the completion of the construction process. Situated at 914-930 Pittwater Road within Dee Why CBD town, the new eight-storey office development is to have full basement car park, a ground floor that would house the foyer with some commercial space, and then 7 levels of open plan office space for lease. There would also be a lift, toilets, bathrooms, and kitchens for every level. Separately for the Design Phase and Construction Phase for this office development, this report identifies the potential risks, carries out an analysis of those risks, proposes their mitigation strategies, and justifies those proposed risk control measures. Design Phase In any building project, it is usually very essential that the risks are assessed and controlled as early as possible. This typically refers to the design phase of the project. This is critical in the sense that it aims at not only ensuring up-to-standards occupational safety in the course of the project progress, but also ensures that the structure built is economical both in the short-term as well as in the long term. The Possible Risks Conceptual Design Phase One of the risks in this phase is information transfer with inaccurate projected objectives of the construction work. As was rightly mentioned in the introductory section of this report, risk assessment helps make a project more economical. In the event, however, that wrong objectives are passed over by the design team to the construction phase, there is likely to be a problem especially in establishing the cost factor. Such cost impacts may be strenuous either to the contractor or the developer. This is certainly is a risk that the design phase for this office development in Dee Why CBD should critically take into account. Secondly, the environmental risk of the building to be constructed in relation to the climate around the Dee Why CBD is indeed a risk factor. The design phase should thoroughly study and analyse the climate around the site, and this will help the designers recommend the best construction materials and other resources with respect to this office development. Thirdly, risk identification is typically done in the conceptual stage of the project. For this Particular project, another critical risk factor would arise from poor identification of risk factors for the eight-storey office development project in the Dee Why CBD. Ideally, the risk identification process should not take any risk to chance. Any ignored risk has a high possibility of causing greater harm, particularly for high-risk construction projects such as this office development project in the Dee Why CBD. Knowledge Management is also a critical parameter in the design phase. It is important to mention that all the information on the design adopted for any construction structure should be readily available for the developer, the construction team, and the users of the completed structure. In this case, inadequate knowledge-transfer by the designers of this eight-storey to the subsequent parties and users of the building poses a risk. The construction team requires information from the design phase for it to carry out the actual construction. The building users will also require information on how well to operate in the building, and such information is available from the design team as well as the construction team. Detailed Design Phase Poor or incomplete design is a risk factor to be considered here. An eight-storey office development in such a city as the Dee Why CBD is such a high-risk project whose designers need to be highly objective. Incomplete design from the design phase is a risk not only to the construction team, but to the end users of the building as well. To the construction phase, the risk is associated with ‘guessed’ construction for the incomplete designs, while to the tenants; the risk is associated with living in a substandard office development. Secondly, the detailed design phase may pose risk with respect to matching the requirements of the developer with the existing conditions in the Dee Why CBD as well as the financial aspect. In the event, for instance, that the developer’s financial muscle is far much lower than the designer’s projected project demands, the designer might end up designing a building that is not only substandard, but also one that is weak and prone to such calamities as earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes. Failure to adequately streamline the office development requirements with the developer’s wishes may, therefore, pose as a threat in this eight-storey construction project in the Dee Why CBD. Inaccurate projection in changes in design during the construction phase may also pose as a risk in this project. Whereas it is the responsibility of the designers to fully take such changes into account during the detailed design, it may pose as a challenge to some designers and indeed to most designers. The possible associated risk herein is the likelihood of massive variations in both the recommended materials for the construction and their corresponding costs. Finally, there is a possibility of lack or inadequate knowledge on technical conditions. As was mentioned earlier, this Dee Why CBD office development project is a high-risk project that requires that both the designers and constructors have complete knowledge in technical conditions. Lack of or incomplete comprehensive knowledge in design and installation of lifts, basement car park facility design, and material-environment match in the design phase is a risk for such a project. The Proposed Solutions The designers of the eight-storey office development in the Dee Why CBD should set objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound (SMART). They can achieve this by involving virtually all stakeholders such as the engineers, the contractors, the developer, the local authorities in the Dee Why CBD, and environmentalists while setting up the objectives. The designers should also partner with environmental experts in their quest to design the office development in a manner that is in line with the climate and surrounding of the Dee Why CBD. While setting the project’s objectives by hearing from all the concerned stakeholders, the designers should as well comprehensively identify the risks in this project based on the views and recommendations of every stakeholder. The design team should be able and willing to clearly explain and clarify their design to all the concerned stakeholders such as the construction team, the developer, the local authorities, and the environmentalists. The design team should hire an independent design expert to verify that all design parameters of such a building are all met. The design team should allow the developer to explain themselves both orally and in writing on their requirements of the project, and discuss it with the designers in a roundtable meeting. The design team should seek the services of an economic consultant and quantity surveyor in order to be able to accurately project any future changes in the design materials and their respective prices in the near future as well. Finally, the project contractor should seek the services of extremely knowledgeable and highly qualified designers to serve in the design team of this eight-storey office development in Dee Why CBD. Justifications of the Proposed Solutions By including all the stakeholders in their design team, the designers will ensure that they set a comprehensive objectives plan that encompasses all expectations of the stakeholders. Additionally, such a move will ensure that the design team comprehensively documents and takes into account all the possible risks in this project’s design. Environmental experts will be crucial in advising the designers about the climate of the site in the Dee Why CBD. Such information will be useful to the designers especially in the selection of the best construction materials for this office development as well as in the adoption of the most appropriate design for this eight-storey office development. By clearly explaining the details of their design to the construction team, the designers will ensure that the construction phase does not in any way suffer ambiguities in the course of their work. Moreover, this will help them fully adhere to every design safety standard set by the design team in the course of their construction work. By discussing with the developer in a roundtable, both the design team and the developer will settle on a common ground in which the expectations of the developer and the designers’ technical specifications will match. More importantly, however, is the fact that such a move will ensure that the developer gets the exact office development that they desire and that the designers, on their part, design a building that meets all the design requirements. Construction Phase Most risks in this phase are associated with the activities carried out by the construction team during the actual implementation of the originally designed structure. Considering the site for this eight-storey office development – Dee Why CBD –, the risk assessment for this phase should be exhaustively analysed. The most important aspect of the risk assessment for the construction phase is the occupational safety of the workers before, during, and after the construction process. The Possible Risks Falls and Falling Objects: For an eight-storey building, it will almost be impossible to underestimate the possibility of falls and falling objects. According to section 274 of the Work Health and Safety Act (WHS Act), any construction work that involves the risk of a person falling more than 2 metres is classified as high risk construction for which a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) should be prepared. For this project, excavations will be encountered because of the said full basement car park and ground floors, the normal foundation notwithstanding. All these might instigate falls. As was explained by the developer, all buildings within the proposed Development site at 914-930 Pittwater Road Dee Why, NSW will be demolished to pave way for this office development. During such demolitions, falling materials, walls, and debris may cause serious injuries to the workers at the site. Some objects that may fall during the construction process include tools, scaffolding components, precast concrete walls, and materials stacked at the workplace. Traffic Management: The proposed Development site is at 914-930 Pittwater Road, which according to the WHS is classified as a high risk construction work. At 914-930 Pittwater Road, some of the risk factors that may cause injuries to pedestrians, site workers, and drivers include construction vehicles, powered mobile plant, pedestrians, and non-construction vehicles alike. With all these commotion along the 914-930 Pittwater Road during the construction process, it is highly likely that accidents may occur. Electricity: During electrical installations in this office development and indeed in any construction work, there are risks of accidental contact with the electrical lines. The electricity to be used in the site for other construction tasks also poses a similar risk to workers and unsuspecting members of the public (if the site is not enclosed). Dangerous Manual Tasks: some of the manual tasks during the construction of this eight-storey office development will include operating mobile plant, putting up scaffolding, and dealing with bricks, timber, and ladders. In the course of doing such tasks, site workers risk injuring themselves with those manual tools and tasks. Noise: Noise is indeed inevitable in any construction work. Overexposure to noise and extreme noise levels are a hazard in a construction work as they expose both workers and the passers-by to the likelihood of either a reduced or complete loss of hearing by the victims. Steel Construction: In this construction project, erection of columns, beams, bracing, rafters, and girts will come in handy. These also pose a threat of falls to the workers. Public Access and Workplace Security: WHS Regulations require that construction workplaces be free from unauthorised entry as such entry may lead to fatalities and serious injuries. Some of the risks that may be posed by such entry into the proposed Development site at 914-930 Pittwater Road include electrocution from live cables, falls, and injuries from falling objects. The Proposed Solutions and their Justifications The risk of falls and falling objects for this Dee Why office development may be controlled variously. First, the site workers should ensure that working load limits are not exceeded, and that the correct equipment is used in raising and lowering objects. Secondly, the site workers therein should ensure they adequately secure the elevated area using a physical barrier e.g. toe boards, or infill panels constituting a guardrail system. Thirdly, the construction team should install perimeter containment screening using plywood and timber, with its framework having the ability to withstand the load of the screen. Other control measures that may be used to contain the likely hazards associated with falls in this site include zoning of the adjoining area, catch platforms and nets, road diversions, working outside normal time, and use of tool lanyards. In traffic management for the proposed site at Pittwater Road, a number of strategies may be employed. To begin with, the construction team should specify the preferred travel paths for vehicles within the proximity of the site. Here, entry and exit points to the proposed site, haul routes for debris/ plant materials, or traffic crossing another stream of traffic are excellent strategies to adopt. Secondly, traffic taming strategies should be implemented in order to contain speed and the potential to take incorrect routes as well. Under this strategy, arrangements should be made for people and vehicle traffic within this site in addition to selecting travel routes that are remote to the workplace. Thirdly, pathways for vehicles and pedestrians should be devoid of any obstacles. Additionally, the construction team should ensure that they manage the movement and velocity at which vehicles move in such a way that it reduces the possibility of pedestrians and operators along the 914-930 Pittwater Road incurring injury. In so far as handling of manual tasks is concerned, the most important action that should be taken by the constructor is to ensure that manual equipment, tasks, and work environments for this Dee Why CBD office development are significantly minimised. First, they should buy pre-packaged materials in tinier compartments. Secondly, they should use mechanical systems like cranes, forklifts, hoists, brick elevators, and vacuum lifting machines. Thirdly, enough space should be dedicated to any manual tasks being handled. Other risk prevention strategies associated with manual tasks and equipment that may be considered for this eight-storey office development include placing materials near workplaces, proper maintenance of tools and equipment, use of the right tool for the right task in the correct manner, and improvement of design and ease of handling materials and components. The risks associated with electrocution for this project may be mitigated seeing to it that any electrical installation in the office development adheres to the AS/NZS 3012: Electrical installations – Construction and demolition sites standards. Specific measures that should be taken for the Dee Why CBD project include the use of distribution boards and switchboards, marking of construction wiring, protection of cords and extension sets, installation of lighting and emergency lighting, and Residual Current Devices (RCDs) specified for all construction wiring. Whereas noise is inevitable in construction sites, certain control measures may be taken to reduce the allowable noise levels within the site. For this construction project, some of these measures include using complementary equipment and methods that reduce noise, enclosing noisy equipment, installing silencers on certain noisy equipment, and most importantly, ensuring that all workers around any noisy equipment within this site wears personal hearing protection such as plugs, ear canals, ear muffs, and PPEs. For public access and security, risk mitigation strategies include installing fences around the site and fitting them with locks to prevent unauthorised entry, locking electrical switchboards, and use of electronic swipe cards at the entrance points to the site. Conclusion Going by the WHS Regulations, this office development in Dee Why CBD qualifies as a high risk construction work. That in itself explains why a thorough risk assessment for the project is necessary. In conclusion, therefore, not a single risk factor (however small it is) should be taken for granted. For this project, the risks range from falls, electricity, manual tasks, traffic, public access and workplace security, incomplete designs, inaccurate transfer of objectives, incomplete risk assessment, inadequate knowledge on technical conditions, and lack of knowledge management by the design team. All are equally important. References Carpenter, J., (2003): Practical Application of Risk Management. The Structural Engineer, 15 July 2003, pp. 19-20 Duckett, W., (2005): Risk Analysis and the Acceptable Probability of Failure. The Structural Engineer, 2 August 2005, pp. 25-26. Mann, A., (2003): Risk in Structural Engineering. The Structural Engineer, 20 May 2003, pp. 12-17. Safe Work Australia (2011). Code of practice: Managing risks in construction work. Smith, N., Merna, T., Jobling, P., (2006): Managing Risk in Construction Projects. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK. Read More

Thirdly, risk identification is typically done in the conceptual stage of the project. For this Particular project, another critical risk factor would arise from poor identification of risk factors for the eight-storey office development project in the Dee Why CBD. Ideally, the risk identification process should not take any risk to chance. Any ignored risk has a high possibility of causing greater harm, particularly for high-risk construction projects such as this office development project in the Dee Why CBD.

Knowledge Management is also a critical parameter in the design phase. It is important to mention that all the information on the design adopted for any construction structure should be readily available for the developer, the construction team, and the users of the completed structure. In this case, inadequate knowledge-transfer by the designers of this eight-storey to the subsequent parties and users of the building poses a risk. The construction team requires information from the design phase for it to carry out the actual construction.

The building users will also require information on how well to operate in the building, and such information is available from the design team as well as the construction team. Detailed Design Phase Poor or incomplete design is a risk factor to be considered here. An eight-storey office development in such a city as the Dee Why CBD is such a high-risk project whose designers need to be highly objective. Incomplete design from the design phase is a risk not only to the construction team, but to the end users of the building as well.

To the construction phase, the risk is associated with ‘guessed’ construction for the incomplete designs, while to the tenants; the risk is associated with living in a substandard office development. Secondly, the detailed design phase may pose risk with respect to matching the requirements of the developer with the existing conditions in the Dee Why CBD as well as the financial aspect. In the event, for instance, that the developer’s financial muscle is far much lower than the designer’s projected project demands, the designer might end up designing a building that is not only substandard, but also one that is weak and prone to such calamities as earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes.

Failure to adequately streamline the office development requirements with the developer’s wishes may, therefore, pose as a threat in this eight-storey construction project in the Dee Why CBD. Inaccurate projection in changes in design during the construction phase may also pose as a risk in this project. Whereas it is the responsibility of the designers to fully take such changes into account during the detailed design, it may pose as a challenge to some designers and indeed to most designers.

The possible associated risk herein is the likelihood of massive variations in both the recommended materials for the construction and their corresponding costs. Finally, there is a possibility of lack or inadequate knowledge on technical conditions. As was mentioned earlier, this Dee Why CBD office development project is a high-risk project that requires that both the designers and constructors have complete knowledge in technical conditions. Lack of or incomplete comprehensive knowledge in design and installation of lifts, basement car park facility design, and material-environment match in the design phase is a risk for such a project.

The Proposed Solutions The designers of the eight-storey office development in the Dee Why CBD should set objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound (SMART). They can achieve this by involving virtually all stakeholders such as the engineers, the contractors, the developer, the local authorities in the Dee Why CBD, and environmentalists while setting up the objectives. The designers should also partner with environmental experts in their quest to design the office development in a manner that is in line with the climate and surrounding of the Dee Why CBD.

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