Health and Safety Management of a New Build Construction Site - Coursework Example

Health and Safety Management of a New Build Construction Site (Student Name) (Course No.) (Lecturer) (University) (Date) Health and Safety Management of a New Build Construction Site Introduction Health and safety involves identification, elimination, or controlling of the potentials risks that could cause accidents and occupational ill health. Currently, there is high focus on the safety issues in the industry. Moreover, most industries have documented that the safety and wellbeing of their workers deserve the highest priority. In history, that has been the major leap. For example, focusing on the construction of the Great China wall, many people succumb to deaths. In the construction industry, construction of the wall is the largest up to date. The major objective of the health and safety management within the workplaces is to ensure the fulfilment of the legal, moral, and economic responsibilities that are reasonably practical for the organization and its employees. If the organization responds appropriately to ensure the safety of the employees, then the outlined activities could be beneficial to organization (Dunlap, 2011, 110). Each construction company has the responsible of following the legal requirements to ensure health and safety of the workers. The best approach does not only take into account the minimum measures require in fulfilling the legal requirement but also ensure the organization uphold the needed standard. Improper practices on safety and health could lead to illness, accidents, and time losses, which might cause substantial costs to the organization. Good health and safety practices within the organization might assist improve the reputation of the construction company (Whole Building Design Guide, 2015). Adhering to the required standards of good health and safety is not only the role of the employers, but also the employees who have to follow the set standards by the organization. Failure to comply with the required regulations, the organization is liable to prosecution under Health and Safety Act and Construction Design Management (CDM) Regulation. Therefore, each company within the construction industry has a proactive role of following the good health and safety regulations. Health and Safety Regulation in UK The studies carried out by the UK health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that either one or two people die on weekly basis due to the negative effects associated with construction activities. Nonetheless, most negative effects from the construction works often result from poor engineering designs and materials used during the construction (Smedley, Dick & Sadhra, 2013, 202). Engineers play an important role in ensuring that construction activities do not impact negatively the workers. However, most engineers focus on the economic sides of their projects without considering the ways in which such activities could affect wellbeing of the workers. Consequently, they focus on purchasing material of low quality, which increases the level of susceptibility of the workers to various risks. Without adequate measures in place, occupational ill health might build up with time contributing to the increased number of deaths within the industry (Datta & Institute for Steel Development & Growth, 2013, 161). To reduce such impacts, most construction industries, professionals, and advisors often use fact sheets that provide a way forward to ensuring best practices that might improve the occupational and safety. In UK, Britain’s construction industry is the largest as it offers employment to more than 2.2 million people. However, in the last 25 years, the industry has been able to claim the lives of 2,800 people (Mo-Gal, Nam & Sang, 2009, 124). In the last national inspection carried out by the Health and Safety Executive indicate that in every-five construction works, one often fail to comply with the health and safety regulations. Most of the structures used to facilitate the construction activities like frameworks and scaffolding are not accorded the priority they deserve as most constructors focusing on the monetary nature and the associated cost is unrecoverable from the single construction as a line item. As a result, there are higher rates temporary structures than permanent structures within the states. In every accident that occurs within the construction sites, the associated tragedies such as injuries and deaths might occur. The effects could as well destroy both the environment and property, which all relates to the direct and indirect costs and benefits. Economically and professionally, the detrimental effects associated with poor structural designs and constructional materials are likely to contribute to the delaying of the project (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2002, 127). Consequently, the repercussions of poor designs and site activities usually affect the workers, regulatory institutions, construction industry, and the community. It is clear that health and safety standards play significant in ensuring the wellbeing of the community and relationship between the constructors and other involved parties. Most accidents and failures within the momentary are traceable to the minor mistakes in fabrication, to cheap equipment or material, and to the negligence of the regulatory institutions with reference to the application of the construction codes and standards. Statistics indicate that there are several casualties and permanent disablement cases occurring within the construction sites of the UK. Although the in UK the numbers of engineering accidents have been on the decline, the benefits paid to the victims have been on the rise. Hence, there is need to ensure adequate measures are in place to mitigate such problems. There are different steps worth considering while aiming reducing health and safety risks. These steps include identification of the hazard, assessment of the risks, and domineering of the risk while establishing the better working environments for the employees (Patterson, 2013, 104). Nonetheless, most engineers often fail to consider different approaches especially with the ever-changing environmental conditions of the construction sites. Moreover, with the modern technology used with the construction sites, the traditional methods are disappearing which result in new types of risks. The states are compelling the employees within the construction industry sites to ensure they put their safety and health first in agreement with the instructions and preparations they acquired. These obligations also extends to the application of the machinery, tools, equipment, and risky products as a means of ensuring appropriate uses which in the end do not jeopardize the health and safety and the employees and others indirectly related to the project. Several health and safety regulations governs the construction industry within Britain majorly contained within the Health and Safety at Work that sets the rules of adherence, roles of the public, and that of the employers. The regulation is clear on the requirement of the practitioners in managing health and safety issues. The injuries and death rates on the construction sites within London make construction activities within the place risky in the capital. What makes the injuries even more appealing is that the accidents currently occurring are the least rates yet recorded. Currently, the country spends approximately £5 billion annually on the newly constructed buildings. From the analysis, it is evident that the country is focused on mitigating the ever-increasing accidents at the sites. The construction industry itself has recommended various methods of reducing the negative effects, but it has failed owing to failure to implement effectively them, which also contribute to the ever-rising accidental activities. However, it is the responsibility of each person involved in the commissioning, delivery, and working within the construction sites to ensure compliance with safety and health standards. Safety and Health Issues Associated with Organizational Processes Safety and health within workplace is important to ensuring good working environment for the employees. Organizational safety issues involve factors such as the nature of the employees, materials, equipment, and various measures of managing the risk within the construction site. Construction materials vary with grade, which also reflect the difference in the prices. Construction accidents could occur from the materials used on the site depending on the quality of the materials used and knowledge of the constructor regarding their engineering designs. Moreover, the potential hazards associated with the materials include hazardous chemicals within the site, method of storage, handling, and removal of materials, mechanical breakdown that could lead to oil spillages, and dust materials (Nadim & Goulding, 2011, 97). As a result, there is need to integrate the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems (WHMIS) and the Occupational Safety and Health Act to generate a comprehensive programme that would ensure that all the workers within the construction sites understand the nature of hazardous materials within their areas of work. Besides, with focus on the WHMIS, there are different hazardous materials categorised into groups. Material class Description Class A Compressed gases packaged in cylinders and containers at normal temperature and pressure The hazards from such materials usually arise from their chemical nature and unexpected loss of integrity of the container Cylinders are heavy and might become projectile upon rupturing causing damages An example is the oxyacetylene used for welding within the sites Class B they are flammable and combustible materials Class C Are oxidizing materials that could release oxygen and other substances that could cause combustion of other materials Class D Classified into Division 1, 2, and 3 with each representing material that might cause immediate and toxic effects, material causing other toxic effects, and biohazard and infectious materials Class E Corrosive materials likely to cause damages during contact The contacts could cause burning, scare, and blindness Class F Are dangerous reactive materials that might react violently with the environmental conditions Machinery and Equipment The engineering technology is on the rise globally. As a result, there have been improvements in efficiency and effectiveness with regard to the manner in which the firms undertake the projects. However, advanced machinery and materials also pose serious threats to the workers (Nadim & Goulding, 2010, 190). Theoretically, it is believed that advanced technology should assist in improving health and safety issues within the workplace. In most cases, this is not the case as there is need to ensure that the employees have adequate knowledge on how to operate the systems to reduce the likelihood of risk occurrences. Movements of the machinery and equipment are the major causes of accidents within the construction sites. Hence, it is significant that the construction sites involve the infrastructural works and industry building. In every construction site, there are several operational machinery and equipment performing different action activities (Taylor, 2010, 889). However, the nature and scope of the project determines the types of machinery used. While planning, the project managers need to consider the potential hazards associated with particular equipment as such would help improve the occupational health and safety issues. The factors likely to cause detrimental risks include poor maintenance of the equipment, inadequate knowledge on the application of the machinery, and failure by the management to monitor constantly the condition of the equipment. As a result, there is increment in the level of susceptibility of the people (Singh, 2013, 46). The likely causes of risks among the construction workers are operating the machinery without the approval from qualified personnel and poor maintenance that make machinery susceptible to corrosive agents. Moreover, in most construction sites there are no warning signs that guide the workers and other concerned parties. Construction Designs and Layout Construction sites often involve a series of planned activities. However, there is need to improve the quality of designs and layout used in the construction sites. To achieve such desired quality, the construction activities need to involve feasibility studies to determine the negative effects of associated activities on the environment and people around the construction site. Construction designs and layouts are the major cause of health and safety issues (Hudson, 2003, 832). To reduce the effects, most countries are committed to enacting Construction (Designs and Management) Regulations that ensure the engineering designs are safe for the workers and other people within the project’s proximal area. Moreover, the regulations are clear that it is partly the responsibility of the workers and people around to ensure their safety, which CDM spells out. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, it is important to involve several parties while designing the layout of the construction site (Binggeli, 2011, 122). Therefore, applying the CDM might assist in improving the health and safety of the construction site, ensuring the effective planning to manage the risks from the conception of the project to the end, identification of qualified people at the right time to prevent the number of susceptible employees, and ensure reliable cooperation and coordination with every employee. Besides, each person has the right to access the project’s details and contribute their views to reduce the occurrence of potential hazards. Consequently, the engineering designs and layouts need to focus much on the methods of reducing the risks. To some extent, the designs used in the construction industry often fail to consider safety measures during construction and completion of the project. The most important factor that construction designs and layout often fail to consider the evacuation pathways during fire, anxiety conditions, power failures, and failures associated with the equipment. In a bid to reduce the impact of the risks, the designers have to consider techniques that would not negatively affect the employees. Furthermore, the major concept behind the engineering control measures is to focus on the environmental conditions and proper designs to eliminate the risks of the level of exposure to the hazards (Said et al., 2010, 215). Although the engineering designs might be simple, the detrimental effects should the hazards occur might be great. There are different principles that guide the development of the engineering designs. Feasibility of the project determines the design of the facility, equipment, and processes that aim at removing the hazards. Nonetheless, the designers have to realize that removing the hazards does not mean feasible since the designs have to enclose the hazards to prevent the high levels of exposures. Traffic Management Usually within the construction sites, there are several resources, materials and humans, which might cause the occurrences of different risks. Therefore, there is need to have adequate measure of managing the traffic associated with such risks (Blunt & Balchin, 2002, 205). Currently, the major tool used globally to determine if the project has significant effect on the environment is the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The concept requires engineers to consider conducting the feasibility study to ensure that the project has less impact of the environment. Therefore, EIA is an important tool within the built environment that helps the constructors identify the construction risks early and enforce various actions to remedy the prevailing conditions. Ensuring quality of the environmental conditions is important for safe and healthy working conditions (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, 2003, 242). However, some constructions often render the environment poor and unproductive for some important activities. Efficient and effective engineering needs to accommodate traffic management for both the people and available resources used within the construction sites. Continuous accumulation of the resources within the site could increase the level of vulnerability of people to different potential risks. Thus, it is crucial to focus on designing the traffic management plans with an aim of reducing congestion of the materials during the construction phase and congestion of the people during operational phase of the project. Conclusion Compliance with health and safety within the construction sites is the responsibility of party involved including the designers, state regulating bodies, and the employees. Besides, health and safety measures play important role in ensuring compliance with the required construction designs. The negative effects of construction activities might occur due to poor conditions of the machinery and equipment and inadequate knowledge of the workers operating the systems. Every construction site is susceptible to health and safety issues; however, the detrimental effects could be reduced through adequately developing effectively and efficiently the designs and layouts. Besides, the designers have to accept first the possibility of risk occurrences. In most countries, including UK, the major causes of health and safety issues are inadequate skills, few legal requirements, and complication of the machinery and equipment. References Binggeli, C. (2011). Building Systems for Interior Designers. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Blunt, J., & Balchin, N. C. (2002). Health and safety in welding and allied processes. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 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