The Profession of Construction Engineering - Essay Example

Definition of the Problem: Within the profession of construction engineering, the problem is safety management and involves the falls, dust and injuries associated with equipment. The Problems Falls Falls significantly affect construction operations with many of them leading to deaths and disabilities. According to Taylor and Easter (2008), more than 35% of accidents in construction are associated with falls and slips. This is three times higher when compared to the next category of accidents that is roadway accidents or being hit by an equipment or object while working. Therefore, it will not be enough if we simply follow the regulations and local guidelines put forward by the state only. Fall can result in a very serious injury even if a worker falls from comparatively modest height. When we look at the statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, it can be observed that in 2011, almost 540 fatal injuries at workplace were just due to fall in industries. In those scenarios where the height of the fall was known, almost 57 percent workers fall from a height of 20 feet or bit less than that. Out of these one in every four falls was from a height of about 10 feet or lesser than that. The industry deals with safety risks from activities such as roofing whereby workers are expected to take precautions for their own safety since not much can be done to maintain 100% safety. Enhancements to work at high heights such as scaffolds and ladders are also part of the risk since workers also slip and fall from them while in some cases the scaffolds and ladders fall causing deadly injuries to the workers using them. It is usually supposed that deadly falls are those where the victim falls from a height higher than three meters while in reality falls below this height can be deadly especially when the head hits the ground first. According to Feld and Carper (2004), safety belts are regarded as the solution to falls in construction, but they only help to address falls in situations where the worker remains in a stationary position for a considerable period. It is not reasonable to provide a person painting a roof with a safety belt with no specific place to hook it. On the other hand, most construction managers rarely assess the experience of workers with regards to tasks requiring them to work in high heights to avoid paying higher costs. However, even with such evaluations, some workers may provide false information so as not to lose the job. Falls may also be associated with deep trenches on the ground that may be unknown to workers and without visible signs (Cheng, Kelly & Ryan, 2013). Dust Dust is a common health issue in construction since it creates from most of the activities involved such as excavation and loading, cutting stone, and cement use. Sustained exposure to dust contributes significantly to respiratory problems through accumulation of dust in the lungs. Some silica containing components such as stones and tiles pose greater problems when inhaled. Apart from temporary discomfort experienced when dust is inhaled, the long-term effects may not be detected easily. Other problems include cracking of the skin and eye problems (Rowlinson, 2004). Construction workers may not have an option if safety gears are not provided other than working in those conditions. Apart from the health impact on the construction workers, people living in the surrounding are also affected by the dust in the same way especially the weak people such as the senior population and babies. The scale of work in construction is a limiting factor towards establishing effective dust control measures. Air masks are recommended to cover the nose while goggles can help to protect the eyes. However, it may not be possible to protect every person through these means. Construction managers must engage in practices that minimize the dust generated from the daily tasks. Water application on dusty surfaces is a practical way of reducing dust while workers emptying cement bags need to do it in a way that minimizes dust even when they wear protective clothing (Hinze, 2006). Injuries Associated with Equipment The construction industry applies a wide range of equipment, from simple hand held tools to heavy machinery that requires skills and experience. The hand held tools cannot be ignored since they contribute many minor injuries that lower the worker’s capacity to do the tasks effectively. Apart from when the tools are being used, they may also hurt workers in the store or if they fall from a high height on workers below them. Mishandling of hand held equipment might cause accidents to the user and other workers in the surrounding. Some may cause small pieces to be threw to the nearby places while others may be detached from the handle causing injuries to the user or other workers. Some sharp cutting tools may also hurt the user (Goldsmith, 2007). Powered equipment includes small mortar driven machines to heavy plant and machinery. These require skilled and experienced operators to ensure their safety. For example, excavators and loading shovels may cause accidents causing harm to the driver and other workers in the surrounding if not driven properly. In some situations, they are applied to lower objects in to trenches dug on the ground while workers wait below. There is high risk if the operator is inexperienced. Cranes lift heavy objects and may cause harm in case of mechanical faults. Workers may also be electrocuted when using electrical appliances or if they come in to contact with un-insulated electric cables. Other equipment may cause fire that may destroy them while on the other hand causing injuries to workers. Some equipment such as welding machine causes a health risk to the eyes if workers do not use safety gear (Halpin, 2005). Machinery operators engaged in substance abuse pose a significant danger to themselves and fellow workers. They may not have a stable mind to reason and act appropriately, yet substance abuse has been found to be widespread in the construction industry. According to Levitt & Samelson (2003), many construction workers engage in substance abuse to help them to cope with hard labor. The stimulants taken are considered to energize them yet contrary to this belief they do not realize the possibility of interference with their reasoning capacity and the dangers they expose to themselves and others. Potential solutions Establishing a committee Those companies that are high- ranked and well established always prefer to establish a committee that is widely composed of the upper administrative posts like security directors, risk managers as well as operational crew. Such committees not only discuss the matters regarding risk management but they also review the performance of the committee on regular basis to improve the services. Ideally speaking, such committees should involve the labor force as well. Actually craft workers or labor force are better aware about the safeguard procedures that may serve them better or being executed in the better way because they are the people who work on job sites and directly exposed to risks. Therefore, if an organization brings its labors into such committees, then it obviously reinforces comfort process on personal level. Reputed and well-organized construction companies most often prefer to have risk management directors as well, especially for their larger projects. However, they should implement the same procedures for smaller projects to ensure security at every level. While it is a fact that safety managers on small projects can add costs, these efforts should never be restricted to the managers. A manager should always be viewed as a personal help in reviewing and enhancing the attempts made by everyone on the job site. It is a fact that everyone on the job site is liable to keep the surroundings safe. Accountability should be considered a central component of a security culture. The chief executives should be active enough to keep an eye on the supervisors and individuals, making them accountable in case of any mishap. It is clear that without any accountability, the workers may go for short cuts in order to save their time, money and energy. When the programs and plans related to health and wellbeing will be implemented from the top in a construction industry and when safe job habits and culture will be enforced then the employees will also take all the refuge measures seriously-from top to bottom. Safety is a pre- planned effort in the execution of any successful project because it is obvious that every project is always built on the paper first so protection could begin as pre-planned attempt. While starting a new project, a company always works on the means, techniques and schemes that will be adopted to build a project. The exposure of the project should also be identified as well as addressed in the course of success (Cheng, Kelly & Ryan, 2013). These are the steps of pre-planning- from initial stages of excavation to the foundation process and from superstructure to equipment. Therefore, control to alleviate the exposure must be identified first and then incorporated into the final security plan. As a result, the successful pre-planning not only allows the project to go smoothly, but it also minimizes the chances of potential accidents and injuries that can hamper efficiency level at one end and cause delays in the schedule plans (Lee, & Halpin, 2003). Proactive construction organizations always make the strengthening programs as the integral part of their projects. Before they start work on any project, refuge plan is specified and gives an overview of the goals that are required to be achieved, the scope of the project and the names of the personnel along with their tasks and liabilities. The plan further includes a detailed list of medical facilities and local crisis responders, evacuation plans and emergency procedures, fall management plans and recovery procedures etc. A detailed project manual regarding welfare plan, criteria and expectations is outlined and given to every subcontractor. In addition to this, the subcontractors are also asked to submit their safeguard plans in order to spot the scope of the work as how they will participate in lessen the hazards at work and how they will contribute in providing safer environment at workplace (Feld and Carper, 2004). Next to the duties of the subcontractors, it is also important to understand that protection and shelter to employees is not just a matter of common sense. It is not only the duty of executive class but workers also play a role in order to ensure interests for any project. The employees, workers or labors must be trained enough in order to use shield equipment in a proper manner. For example, if a worker falls during work, he can protect himself if he will be aware about fall arrest method and if he knows how to regulate the system in a proper way. For that purpose, the company demonstrates the workers about risk management systems and this orientation should never be limited to those who have been recently hired (Park, & Kim, 2013). Before getting start any new project, the company should offer safety orientation to all the workers including an in depth demonstration regarding sanctuary, requirements, evacuation plans, disciplinary actions and risk management plans. In this regard, one may find some limitations. For example, it can be observed that a serious challenge for an industry is the communication to a group of workers who are not native speaking. This can be seen in areas where immigration is high like in United States (Hinze, 2006). Therefore, in such scenarios, the construction companies need to address the problem of language by maintaining an effective correspondence to a diverse labor force regarding protection plans. For example if there is a company where most of the executive class is English speaking but the workforce is greatly composed of Spanish speaking personnel then the company must arrange a training course in the same language to accommodate Spanish speaking workers in a better way. In this way, the workers may better understand the goals of the company. Furthermore, the United States Department of Labor clearly cites how language barrier is an issue in making sure workplace security especially in those industries that are considered as high risk manufacturing businesses like construction industry. Formulating annual protective goals An easy way to flourish a safe culture within an organization is to formulate protective and defensive goals annually. These goals should be reasonable enough that can be attained easily. The managing directors of the committee should be active enough to review the results that have been attained in the end of the year. The whole process should be well organized and well disciplined. Furthermore, the companies can also recognize the success rate in safety process by evaluating particular working hours without an injury or mishap. A full year annual report regarding accident rate can also be developed to understand whether it meets the goal or exceeds. Such recognitions show that the management of the company is running towards the goal of success keeping in mind the value of safe environment in the organization. Planning for health and protection is an ongoing process. When a project begins and it progresses then it is the duty of security management committee to analyze each step because when equipment is in hand then the chances of injury multiplies. Workers are not allowed to use tool and equipment casually that may produce harmful consequences- put in danger their protection (Feld and Carper 2004). Safety gloves and other tools can be used to eliminate the risk of injury while using equipment. The analysis of the whole condition should be stated by the supervisor of the industry and thoroughly reviewed by the manager of the project. Rest of the crew including superintendents and subcontractors should follow the procedures Fall management plans, offer a uniform procedure for the workers and should be considered as a necessary part of pre-planning for shelter and safeguard before the project gets a start. While it is a fact that regulations may differ, however, fall avoidance measures should be adopted at every six or seven feet at minimum. Construction industries should rush for fall prevention by talking about fall exposures through work methods drawn from engineering control schemes. If fall management strategies will not introduced in the beginning of a project and the issues will not be addressed timely then the chances of workers’ exposure to injury will be greater than usual. Hence, a detailed plan for fall management should be built up for each operation especially where the possibility of falls from heights can be encountered (Rowlinson, 2004). Moreover, no operation while construction should begin without having any approved management plan for fall. At the minimum level of the management plan, it should be formed in a way that it addresses each task where fall may exist; the risks connected with the fall and the measures that can control the hazards to encourage safety and mitigate injury. Moreover, such schemes further deal with recovery procedures in order to rescue the workers if odd situation occurs at workplace (Cheng, Kelly & Ryan, 2013). In any well- reputed construction industry, firms always consider the qualification, experience and financial strength as the pre-requisites for subcontractors but most often, they do not consider safety related history and the performance as prequalification. This should also be the criteria for a construction company while selecting subcontractors (Park, & Kim, 2013). In order to evaluate the health and protection performance of the subcontractors, the construction companies must take a review of their understanding and experience, their records and incidents rates according to the statistics provided by Bureau of Labor data. This does not mean that the prerequisite of subcontractors end with the performance and history of the subcontractors. It should further involve a detailed review of the security culture of the subcontractor and the ways through which a company may incorporate wellbeing plans in the operations of the subcontractor on daily basis (Levitt & Samelson 2003). The service can further be improved through agreements between the company and the subcontractors. This also ensures the company that the subcontractors they are planning to involve in their construction company have already been aware of the expectations of the company and security requirements as demanded by the company. Subcontractors in any construction business are responsible for the health and safety of the employees. They are also required to ensure that they are performing their tasks in such a manner that offer protection not only to the employees but to the public as well (Hinze, 2006). Incorporating the legal law Combating substance abuse actively is another major concern of a construction industry especially in the businesses that involve major heights and complex equipment. Among several major industries in United States, construction industry occupied the second highest position in the use of illicit drugs at rate of 13.7% behind food and accommodations service. In the light of all these facts, construction companies should deeply focus on the prevention of those personnel from job site that can make the work worse (Halpin, 2005). In this regard, testing is a way to sort out those personnel who have issues related to substance abuse. In this way other workers can be safeguarded and testing procedure enables the company to have healthy personnel otherwise the companies have to spend budget to give an input into the treatment plans of its workers who have substance abuse problems (Goldsmith, 2007). Construction industries always try to follow the rules, regulations and state laws formulated by the federal government but in the current day scenario, it can also be seen that the concern of construction industry has been shifted from such strictly driven programs to those plans that emphasize on the side of human protection (Park, & Kim, 2013). They try to focus on programs that highlight the health of workers as well as strive for the welfare of the employees. Therefore, if the executives in a construction industry want to eliminate dangers especially at sites then they have to promote the philosophy of the safety throughout the organization. This advancement simply helps in the modification of traditional mentality and threatens the workers who defy the standard rules formulated for protection with strict disciplinary action. The safety ideology at personal level also follows the principle idea that if the workers are regularly reminded about the impact of an injury that may affect their daily life, home environment and personal relationships. It is obvious that they will be liable to work carefully and start trying their best in order to stay away from risks that could otherwise result in serious accidents (Hunter Roberts Construction Group, 2013). It is therefore advisable to invest on the precautionary calculation and security policies that can offer long-term real benefits. Secure workings are also safe and healthy to the physical health, mental health and the productivity of workers. All the staff of the company should come to the forefront to call for the safety and joint effort of good health and fitness since these course is not an individual effort. When the company is adopting an insurance program, they should stand for the strongest commitment that will safeguard the lives of the employees (Park, & Kim, 2013). If an organization wants to produce real impact on the labor force then they have to implement security measures from the top and consider protection as a worthwhile matter for the industry. The chief executives of the organization should encourage the idea of health and fitness at every stage of management to instill in the workers and administrative members a responsible attitude towards their wellbeing. Furthermore, the key positions within a construction industry like the administrative staff including executives and directors, superintendents as well as supervisors, all must be required to have attained required training and necessary certification regarding the dynamics of defense measures (Goldsmith, 2007). All the personnel serving an industry should be familiar with the investigation process of accident, conflict resolution, substance abuse, safety planning, managing sub- contractors and loss analysis. However, it is the major responsibility of the senior members within an organization to keep an eye on the active process, which involves implementation and carrying out of the protection culture. Conclusion Construction companies should keep this fact in mind that accidents are usual and expected. However, if there is an accident or fatal injury then the circumstances and facts should be thoroughly reviewed to recognize the root causes of the incident. In this way, not only corrective measures can be adopted but also the chances of future mishaps can be prevented. Moreover, if the accidents are reviewed on regular basis, these will not only show that defense against hazards is the top priority of the industry but project manager and executive will have detailed information about claim and loss runs. Therefore, in this way the manager associated with the project will get knowledge about the claims and he will better understand the financial propositions that are directly associated with the accidents and how such costs affect the company’s insurance prices. It is further essential to talk about the wellbeing of the workers on regular basis. Weekly sessions regarding happiness and comfort procedures and associated concerns related to risks are very important to demonstrate and discuss. For example, when a supervisor gathers his workers or labors at the start of the day or shift and talks about the work of the day then he should also present a review of the hazards and associated risks if protective measures will be violated. Furthermore, the supervisors should also make the workers sure that all their safety concerns will be addressed where necessary. Moreover, in well reputed construction businesses, weekly meetings are conducted with subcontractors and superintendents in order to discuss not only production and efficiency related topics but in order to review the chances of accidents or security lapses related to work. Moreover, planned safety inspections can further assist in solving the problems while helping in improvements as well. Most of the time, regular inspections are considered the most efficient ways in order to deal with the root causes of the accidents e.g. misplaced or worn tools or unsafe habits and actions by the employees at workplace Reference List Cheng, E., Kelly, S., & Ryan, N. “Use of safety management practices for improving project performance.” International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion (2013): 1-7. Print. Feld, J. & Carper, K. L. Construction Failure, 2nd ed, New York NY: Wiley-Interscience, 2004. Print. Goldsmith, D. Safety Management in Construction and Industry. New York NY: Mcgraw-Hill, 2007. Print Halpin, D. W. Construction Management, New York NY: Wiley Interscience, 2005. Print. Hinze, J. W. Construction Safety, New York NY: Prentice Hall, 2006. Print Lee, S. & Halpin, D. Predictive Tool for Estimating Accident Risk. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 129.2 (2003): 431-436. Print. Levitt, R. E. & Samelson, N. M. 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