Safety Management on a Construction Job Site - Research Paper Example

[Student’s Name] [Instructor’s Name] [Course name and code] 5 Apr. 2011. Safety management on a construction jobsite: Introduction: Jobsite safety has become a key concern in the construction industry all over the world in the recent years. In the contemporary age, when the clients have increased their demands as a result of the rapid availability of contractors, the contractors tend to maintain a good record of jobsite safety as this happens to be one of the key concerns of the clients. “Safety management system is a documented set of policies, procedures and work instructions that describe how a business manages and minimises the risk of injury to its workforce” (Gardener). This paper tends to explore the potential ways in which the construction jobsite safety can be managed. Essentials of safety management: Safety culture: Safety culture is defined as “the enduring value and priority placed on worker and public safety by everyone in every group at every level of an organization” (Wiegmann et al. cited in Wiegmann, Thaden, and Gibbons 3). “Norms and rules for dealing with risk, safety attitudes, and reflexivity on safety practice” are three components of a healthy safety culture (Pidgeon). Thus, by establishing a rich safety culture, management essentially involves each and every individual into the process of safety management, and the results thus derived are effective and long lasting. The safety culture can be best implemented by preparing and strictly working upon a safety plan. The safety plan: The construction jobsite safety plan lays pattern to secure the health and safety of each and every individual on the site. The plan necessarily deals with the following areas: Assessment of health and safety threats originating both in the jobsite as well as in the areas surrounding it. Selection of appropriate methods, ways and means to reduce the risk and change it into opportunity Conduction of regular safety checks on the site Establishment of a well developed system to monitor and ensure that the safety plan is being complied with by every member in the hierarchical structure of the management as well as the workers. Factors that need to be included into a construction jobsite safety plan are as follows: Assessment of the abilities of organizational members and assignment of specific responsibilities related to safety management according to the individuals’ abilities. Evaluation of methods to identify hazard like task analysis Development of methods to investigate and report the accidents that may occur on the jobsite Establishment of procedures to be followed in cases of emergency caused by earthquake, fire breakout, and chemical spill etc Identification of strategies that would ensure quick and effective communication among individuals and the members concerned Assessment of the need and frequency of safety meetings Establishment of a comprehensive audit programme for the site safety Once the jobsite safety plan has been made, there are several factors that need to be taken care of throughout the four phases of project including project planning, designing, procurement and construction. Stage 1 & 2 – Project planning and designing: In these phases, parties that are fundamentally carrying out the work are that of client and the designers or/and architects. In these phases, it should be made sure that the health and safety is given due consideration in the design development and project planning. Design of a project plays a decisive role in determining what safety measures need to be taken. The measures may vary from project to project depending upon the nature of work. Vertical construction has its own safety requirements that differ from those of the horizontal construction. In the planning phase, pre-tender requirements of the health and safety are established which the applying contractors are expected to comply with during construction. Stage 3 – Procurement: Teams involved in the procurement stage are client and contractors. In this stage, the tender document is completed. The contractors are assessed with respect to their safety background. The client makes sure that only the contractor that has a good safety record and who can comply with the safety plan is offered the project. Stage 4 – Construction: Teams involved in the stage of construction are client, consultant, contractor and subcontractors (“Construction Safety Management Guide”). Each of them has their own roles and responsibilities in the safety management of jobsite. The client should implement the safety plan with the help of the consultant. The consultant keeps a check over the contractor’s safety management on behalf of the client. The contractor is responsible for himself as well as the subcontractors. With adequate supervision, the safety plan can be implemented to ensure effective management of the jobsite safety. Benefits of safety: A safe jobsite enhances the productivity of workers. Feeling safe, they fully concentrate upon their work, and are able to finish their work within the deadlines and according to the quality demanded. Although accidents are not completely avoidable, yet the implementation of a safety management plan significantly reduces both the number and the severity of accidents that happen on the site. Thus, lesser workers are harmed. Accordingly, the interruptions to the smooth flow of work are minimized and everybody is able to concentrate upon other aspects to help the project finish on time and maximize the profitability of the work. For employers, safety management is essential because it develops and maintains a healthy psychology among the workers. Also, improved health and safety records satisfy the concerns of various governmental agencies like Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In addition to that, good safety record earns good name to the project and all parties associated with it. Liability: Accidents that happen in the construction site incur a lot of undue expenses not only to the contractor but also to the client. It is not just money that is lost, but the reputation of the contractor, and more importantly, the client gets at stake when some accident happens. The clients may also have to face legal implications in cases of neglect towards safety (Walker). Therefore, clients have many reasons to select contractors that have a good jobsite safety record in the past. Works Cited: “Construction Safety Management Guide.” Site Safe New Zealand. 1999. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. . Gardener, Tom. “Do Safety Management Systems Work?” 2011. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. . Pidgeon, Nick F. “Safety Culture and Risk Management in Organizations.” Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology. Vol. 22. No. 1. doi: 10.1177/0022022191221009. Walker, Wanda. “Workplace Safety - Reasons Why You Should Care.” 2011. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. . Wiegmann, Douglas A., Thaden, Terry L., and Gibbons, Alyssa M. “A review of safety culture theory and its potential application to traffic safety.” AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. 2007. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. . 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