Achieving Health and Safety Concept in Industrial Consruction Working at High in Construction Phase - Essay Example

w то асhiеvе hеаlth аnd sаfеty соnсерt in industriаl соnstruсtiоn whеn wоrking аt high in соnstruсtiоn рhаsе Institution Tutor Name Date Ноw то асhiеvе hеаlth аnd sаfеty соnсерt in industriаl соnstruсtiоn whеn wоrking аt high in соnstruсtiоn рhаsе Working at a high level is a risk activity. Besides, Construction, as a process is challenging, if not well-handled, can lead to adverse health outcomes. Therefore, understanding the health and safety in the construction is crucial to minimize these dangers. High-level building involves the activities of building the storey buildings. It encompasses roofing walling high up, putting electrical fittings and doing internal decorations(Antonio et al. 2013). Usually, this type of work involves many people but sometimes a few can be involved. High levels are hard to build and they take more time compared to low levels. Therefore, the risks are many. Construction industry accounts for the third largest industry for the number of fatalities and ninth highest cause of the permanent disabilities to workers (Cameron & Duff 2007). Most of the fatalities are due to non-compliance with the rules and regulations of construction (Behm 2005). According to statistics, of all the workers who die in the line of duty, 24% represents those that work at the high levels phases of construction (Forman 2013). This mainly serves those that fall. Others causes of adverse health outcomes include falls through fragile material such as roof lights and asbestos cement roofing sheets. The injuries sustained could be immediate or those that will show up later in life(Bust et al. 2008). The injuries are so severe in that if they do not cause death they will cause permanent disabilities. There are many risks at the building site especially high up. These can range from small risks like abrasions to the fatal risks of falls. Falls are the less frequent but always the most fatal (Goldenhar et al. 2001). They usually result in death or sometimes permanent disability. Falls account for the most deaths at the workplace and are always preventable (Cameron & Duff 2007). The people at this risk include those that do roofing and the builders at the high levels. Besides, at the high levels dust is a common health hazard. At this level, the numbers of trees are very few. Therefore, there is high exposure of dust to workers. This predisposes to respiratory disorders like asbestosis and pneumonia (Choudhry et al. 2007). In the long term, dust is likely to cause cancer. Cuts, abrasions chemical exposure and physical accidents are also common at high levels(Forman 2013). Therefore, the constructor needs to identify the health hazards that are at the workplace and work to eliminate them. In identification, assessment for health and safety is important. This involves, assessing both the environment, the employees and the tools and equipment (Goldenhar et al. 2001). Assessment of the employ should focus on the level of knowledge of prevention of building related hazards. They should also be assessed protective gear use and their involvement in a reduction of these risks (Gangolells et al. 2010). Finally, observation of entry health behaviors to prevent further exposure to those factors that is likely to hinder their health. The assessment of work environment for any dangers that pause risk, this includes assessing for moisture content and the dust particles in the air(Hallowell & Gambatese 2009). Similarly, assessment of tools used for their ability to cause dangers to people who work with them. Finally, the employer and the contractor need to assess their ability to handle the emergencies in case of exposure or accidents and the ability to rehabilitate the members (Harper 2007). The occupational health at the building site is regulated by the Health and safety of the workplace. As enshrined in this law both the employer, contractor, contractors, workers, and the suppliers have a role to play(Rajendran & Gambatese 2009). Their roles, however, differ owing to the different roles they play in the contraction site. To achieve health and safety at the construction site requires these people need to meet the duties at their disposal (Lingard et al. 2011). The role of security starts with the employers. They should put reasonable precautions to protect the occupational health and safety at the workplace(Lingard 2010). In this, they ensure proper equipping of the workplace with the safety features and devices. Besides, they should ensure adequate maintenance of materials, equipment, apparatus and machinery. Furthermore, these should be in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendation or the required regulations(Rozenfeld et al. 2010). To facilitate this, provision of all information about this equipment to the workers is necessary. This includes instruction manuals, training on the machines and equipment and adequate supervision will see this occupation health contained thus promoting the health and safety of the workers. The employer should also ensure that the workers and supervisors know the occupational health or safety issues at the workplace (Sousa et al. 2014). Either they should ensure they are aware of safety features or devices, equipment and clothing and if they correctly use them. The employers should institute measures to prevent worker exposure to the occupational health or safety hazards because of the undertaking (Zin & Ismail 2012). The managers also need to ensure their health and safety at the workplace. Health and safety start with the individuals and extends to others. Therefore, workers should cooperate and consult with the available health and safety measures(Lingard et al. 2011). On their side, they should cooperate with those in charge of health and safety on the construction site. They should participate in activities to enhance the safety of health on the building site. These include training in the safety of the machines, wearing the provided protection gears, and ensuring the safety of their fellow workers(Saifullah & Ismail 2012). A basic understanding of the importance of health and safety principles related to construction is crucial knowledge to the worker. The constructor should also put place precautions geared to protect the occupational health and safety of workers and even other people near the construction site. Besides, they should coordinate the activities of all employees and persons at the work site to create hazard free environment. For the constructor, information communication forms a significant part in protection and promotion of occupational health and safety(Vaisey 2007). This communication should also extend to those that reinforce the safety measures at the constructor site. This should be to ensure that every stakeholder works to promote the health and safety at the construction site. The people supplying materials devices machinery, equipment and items to the building site are involved in the promotion of health and safety at the work(Saifullah & Ismail 2012). The supplies should be equipped with safety devices features as required by the law. In addition, the item, material, device, equipment or machinery should be in safe working condition and maintained. The suppliers who provide the tools that are compliant with the construction law and those that have fewer effects on the workers(Zin & Ismail 2012). In where it is the supplier’s responsibility to maintain the supplies, the supplier should repair the equipment in time. Finally, for the physical, biological, or chemical agents, the supplier should label them in accordance with the applicable federal and provincial regulation (Saifullah & Ismail 2012). Regular assessment of health and safety practices at the construction helps to reduce or eliminate the health hazards. The aim of this is to identify factors that are likely to compromise the health and safety of the workers and others at or around the construction site(Lingard et al. 2011). Besides, it should be a focus on identifying the gaps in the safety and addressing other factors likely to predispose the constructs to work risk (Sousa et al. 2014). In the assessment of this health, the health team needs to look at the preparedness of the workers, in response to the health concern. In addition, they should look how the environment. First, the work equipment maintenance should be in accordance with the equipment specific manual. This aims at enabling quality work and other related activities for the instrument until its expiry (Lingard et al. 2011). This involves all the tools and apparatus required to perform work tasks within the building situation. The employee and the supervisor to use the equipment should ensure that the instrument is safe for use before using the equipment. Phrasing out the equipment considered nonfunctional or old may be necessary to create room for a new replacement(Vaisey 2007). Moreover, the workers have a right to stop using old machines. The equipment should either have a checklist to provide a description of optimal working condition. To interpret the number of accidents meaningfully, it is necessary to have the record of number of accidents. This also helps to maintain meaningful interpretation of population statistics. This is important in health and safety especially where the volume and nature of work change very fast. Another reason is that most of the workers in this sector are self-employed or causal labor. Records also help in procurement especially in this error of changing trends taxations and legislation in employment. Therefore, effective site management and control of work activities are essential to maintaining safe and healthy conditions. However, having clear expectations of the supervisors is indispensable in delegation of the health responsibilities of the workers(Saifullah & Ismail 2012). In a workplace, if the numbers of risks are high, degree of supervision and control required is high. The site supervision provided should be adequate. Besides the supervisors and the managers should have appropriate training. Having adequate training on the health and safety is crucial as it helps them to discharge their duties responsibly(Saifullah & Ismail 2012). On larger sites, there is a need for assistant site manager to help and support the site managers on promotion of health. Besides, when the manager or the supervisors are not available, delegation of the responsibility to others that can observe for the safety of others may be necessary. However, the manager should check in from time to time on the progress of the workers(Rajendran & Gambatese 2009). In the building site, most hazards are avoidable and controllable. The workers need to evaluate the best method to avoid or control these risks without putting the lives of others at risk. When working at high places the most common risk remains to be the falls. Therefore, the workers and the supervisors need to be knowledgeable about control measures and how to avoid these risks. Ensure that everybody has training on these methods and that they are competent, and they agree to put the plan into practice. Health and safety start with the individual workers. Even though the supervisors and managers are involved, their role is supervisory to ensure that the workers do follow the safety measures. The workers there need to focus on ways to increase their safety at work. Before the workers, work high up, they should consider some things like avoiding the heights. Whereas during the construction phase, most workers need to work high up, some of the work doable from the ground(Saifullah & Ismail 2012). The managers and supervisors need to identify the type of works that is feasible from the ground to reduce the number of people high up and eventually reduce the risks of falling from the heights. Where the workers have to work high up, which make the majority of the cases, first choice will be to use any existing safe place of work that allows secure access and provides a safe working place (Saifullah & Ismail 2012). This will involve the use of work equipment. These include tools like scaffolding, guardrails and podium steps, which help to prevent falls. In cases where prevention is not reasonably practicable, strict measures that reduce the distance and consequences of the fall are necessary. For instance, personal suspension equipment like rope access techniques and boatswain’s chairs(Sousa et al. 2014). The workers also need to consider the risks in electing and removing access equipment. They need to find the distance and the consequence of a potential fall. Besides the duration of the work is important and the number of people(Lee et al. 2010). Other recognized factor is the weight of the load carried by that equipment. If the workers have to work at heights, they need to decide on the material that provides a safe method of getting to the heights without much risk. After the identification of the equipment, check that it is suitable for the conditions on site(Lingard et al. 2011). Ensure that its delivery is in good time and do adequate preparation for its installation to avoid catastrophes. The equipment should also be in good condition. Either the only competent people should operate the equipment. Adequate supervision is an essential for accountability more so where more people are involved. The workers to operate the equipment that is more specialized should have high-level training and monitoring(Saifullah & Ismail 2012). They should be able to safety Check any equipment provided by another company is safe before using it. They should also have knowledge on whom to report to the defects. These people should also have adequate training on first aid, as they are the first people likely to encounter the Falls and during the emergence. It is possible to prevent most of the accidents. This includes employing the right equipment that provides a platform of free from falls. This may also include the use of rescue kits. In some of the cases, the suppliers may install the guarding rails, relief tools and training. However, it is the responsibility of the workers to institute their protection measures (Zeng et al. 2008). For instance, prevention of ladders from slipping and be positioning to ensure stability. In addition, ensure that no one is at risk while moving the equipment. For the works at heights, check for adequate clearance for equipment, for instance, overhead power lines can pause a risk when erecting scaffolds(Lingard 2010). The work should also provide for safe working platform to carry out the work. For example, people working on the roof need extra care compared to the others. However, it is safe to work on a platform when a worker is less likely to fall from it. In that case, ensure that the platform has ability to support the weight of the workers using it (Rozenfeld et al. 2010). Besides should support the material and equipment to be ferried. For instance, scaffolds need a supporting structure. Keep loose materials from falling. Keep platforms clean and tidy and avoid materials or waste to build upon them. If the accidents occur, first aid can help to reduce pain and help injured workers to make a quicker recovery and thus save lives (Schensul 2009). According to The Health and Safety Regulations (1981), there should be provision of adequate and appropriate facilities, equipment and personnel. At work, the first aid box is a minimum requirement. It should contain enough equipment to address the number of workers on the construction site(Bust et al. 2008). The managers should employ and train people to be in charge of the first help and to take care of first aid arrangements(Forman 2013). If not managed at work the cases need referral to specialized units for advanced care. Having emergency response team is crucial to taking these patients to hospital. Conclusion In conclusion, maintenance of health and safety at the workplace involves all the stakeholders. 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