Identification and Analysis of the Risks in Construction Companies - Coursework Example

Health and safety in construction Student’s Name Code & Course Professor’s Name University City Date Introduction The financial and present economic situation globally has greatly impacted on the present construction industry (Myers, 2013: 35). The change in technology and improved techniques of construction with different styles of construction has left many construction firms competing for customers globally. It is therefore the effort and efficiency of the construction industry in line with the present construction styles that is able to sustain itself in the field of construction (Hwang, et al., 2013: 554). The rising state of labor and materials of construction has left many firms closing up and some not being able to sustain themselves in the present economic situations. Some of this global events have led to reduction of orders on the side of the clients thus pushing competition to rise on the part of the construction companies, this has drastically led to need for improved quality and efficiency and the need to cut on the construction cost on part of the industries, thus it has increased pressure on the industry to gather more clients with existing market conditions at the same time fighting to come with strategies that that can be able to effectively manage the risks associated with their projects (Ball, 2014: 14). Risk management is one of a key concept that many firms have to incorporate in their projects. Consequently, this risk management concept for construction firms involve identifying, analyzing and being able to respond effectively to the risk that may occur for the firm to be able to achieve its project objectives, identifying, analyzing, and responding to the risks is one the key benefits that a construction company may enjoy in the sector to remain sustainable (Lavender, 2014: 20). The construction company is able to realize effective use of its resources and increase its competitiveness in the sector through good management of the risks associated with its projects (Myers, 2013: 35). Risks in a firm may not be clearly be foreseen but may be predicted in advance, therefore for the construction company to emerge successful in the present days, risk analysis and management is the key and should be done well and carefully to avoid slowing down of the projects being done by the firm (Bijker, et al., 2012: 56). Identification and analysis of the risks There exists different forms of construction companies dealing with different projects and thus risks emerge from different sources (McGeorge & Zou, 2012: 8). Today construction projects involve a variety of many participants and they have different interests who may in the process affect the project either negatively or positively (Ball, 2014: 14). Participants originating from different regions with different skills and knowledge may have different expectations which in the long run may not be in line with the objectives of the projects; this may bring unnecessary confusion which eventually may lead to difficulties in the execution or completion of the projects (Boateng et al., 2012: 301). Many risks therefore can be associated with the construction company depending on the projects being done, it is therefore important to identify such risks, be able to analyze them, and come up with adequate response that may be accepted by the firm’s participants and the entire surroundings. Participants working in the construction industry are at a high risk of getting sick, being injured or even death at any time of their working days (Bijker, et al., 2012: 55). This men and women are exposed to many hazardous materials that come from their working areas either from the machines or even the materials they are handling. It is the responsibility of the industry management thus to up hold the much needed safety and health conditions in protection of these men and women. Some of the health hazards in the construction industry include; chemical components such as gasses, vapor, dust, fumes, and mists, this are considered to be dangerous not only to the firm’s employees but also to the general public surrounding the industry (Hwang, et al., 2013: 554). There are also physical hazards such as, noise from the machines and other working objects, temperatures which are extreme ad harmful to human health, radiation, and repetitive motion in the industry. Consequently there are also biological hazards depending on the project being undertaken by the construction firm, this may include things such as bacteria, poisonous plants, poisonous and infectious animals, and fungi (Boateng, et al., 2012: 301). These hazards are considered to be dangerous to human health and thus the construction firm has to take precautions and adequate measures to help control the hazards materials from affecting the human health. For the new construction firm to compete favorably, it is important to be aware of these hazards and present the alternative measures towards protecting their employees and the general public against such dangerous materials. Health hazards for a construction company can be identified by looking at the history of same projects previously done by other firms (Bijker, et al., 2012: 55). This indeed reveals to the company the kind hazards they are to encounter and the risks associated with them and how to overcome such problems by looking at the previous solutions ones done by a another company (Cooke & Williams, 2013: 44). The hazards associated with the construction job can be anticipated in conditions such as enclosed places, use of harmful chemicals that will produce harmful gasses to the air, contaminated soil conditions, extreme temperatures, radiological exposures, and even extreme noise from the tools and equipments of work (Hwang, et al., 2013: 554). Handling of materials at the construction For the new construction company, risk management may seem to be a difficult aspect to deal with. Risk management in a firm involves identification of the risks and tracing them back to the causes of these risks (Ball, 2014: 13). This process may at times confuse the management if not well handled. In a new construction firm, it is important to know how to handle the materials of use be they machines or small materials like the inputs used in construction (McGeorge & Zou, 2012: 19). The efficient handling of storing materials especially the ones in bulk is vital to the company as it is easy to account for each and every material and also it becomes safe especially for vulnerable materials that can easily be lost if not well kept (Harris & McCaffer, 2013: 35). This efficient handling of materials provides continuous flow of materials in the company and in addition ensures that materials are available where and when needed by the employees, and if not well handled these materials are risky and may at times cause unnecessary injuries to the workers. The construction company should provide skills and training to the employees on how to handle the materials (Bolt et al., 2012: 2020). The training should expose the employees on various methods of handling materials especially those in bulk. In addition safety principles can be applied to reduce accidents at the work place brought by moving, handling, and storing of materials which if not well handled may lead to financial loss and derail the completion of the projects. The employees are supposed to know the potential hazards associated with moving of materials in the company whether it is done manually or not, this should therefore give those proper means of knowing how to handle the materials to avoid the dangers associated with poor handling of the materials (Ball, 2014: 23). Proper equipments for loading, offloading, and storing of the materials should be provided by the construction company to the employees to reduce on the mishandling of the materials. The workers and even the employers and the visitors at the construction company should be in a position to detect any unsafe or unhealthy conditions or equipment at their work place and take adequate measures of dealing with the dangerous situation to avoid or reduce the injuries (Davidson et al., 2012: 277). It is important for the workers to take precautions when handling and moving materials either manually or mechanically (McGeorge & Zou, 2012: 19). The workers need to be provided by handles or things to hold the materials to avoid being either cut or hit by the materials in case of dealing with the metal materials. They should also put own proper clothes which are appropriate for the materials being to protect them from any injuries, this should help in protecting and minimizing the risks associated with improper handling of the materials (Cooke & Williams, 2013: 44). When handling materials mechanically, workers should be aware of the manual handling safety precautions and also have knowledge of operating the machine equipments used in handling the materials efficiently (Chan & Leung, 2012: 156). Overloading of the equipments used in moving the materials is itself risky to the life of the worker as the equipment may brake and end up hurting the person. During storage, the materials should be well stored in the stores in a systematic way to avoid congestion which may be risky to the people working in the stores. Traffic control in the construction company Ability to control risks at the construction company is seen to the leeway towards successful completion of the project (Cooke & Williams, 2013: 43). The project is said to be successfully complete if it has achieved its objectives in good time, and costs reduced and above all good quality work achieved (Bolt et al., 2012: 2020). Construction Company is at risk of accidents in the present economy globally, workers in a construction company are twice likely to be injured and thrice likely to die than their counterparts in other companies. This is a big challenge to the company as it in most cases lead to accelerated increase in cost and longer time for completion of the projects, the employees, employers and even the entire society are affected by these accidents (Chan & Leung, 2012: 156). In many cases, vehicles are the major cause of accidents in the construction company. This cause can be reduce through the effective management of the transport system operating in the company, vehicles come in and out of the company which are of different height, weight and length (Harris & McCaffer, 2013: 34). It is important for the construction company to effectively come up with the best measures to control and direct the vehicles t and the people in the right way to avoid unnecessary injuries (Brender & Markov, 2013: 726). Congestion should highly eliminate from the company, poor planning and control is viewed to being the main cause of many vehicle accidents in the construction company. To reduce this, the company should provide different entries and exits for pedestrians and vehicles entering and leaving the company, this is to reduce on the congestion between vehicles and people in the same entrance. There should also be people who are well trained and equipped with the necessary facilities to direct vehicles in the company towards their various destinations for proper movement in the company (Alexander, 2013: 17). Also in the company, visibility for the drivers and the people directing the vehicles in the company should be enhanced, this can through improving the lighting of the vehicles, and pedestrian on the sides should have highly visible clothes for easy identification. Offices and welfare facilities The office is the center of all operations of a company. For a new construction company, it is necessary to know where to place the office and how to allocate the offices to the required individuals to work in the respective offices (Davidson et al., 2012: 277). Offices should be allocated at a more spacious place away from the field constructions of the company; this reduces the disruption from noise made by the machines and people working in the company (Alexander, 2013: 15). The office should have the necessary facilities required for the people working in the offices of the company to deliver their duties within appropriate time frame. With the changing trends towards construction, companies have devised mechanisms to provide adequate welfare facilities (Davidson et al., 2012: 277). The purpose of the construction company is to complete its projects within the estimated time frame and at a low cost and be able to compete favorably in acquiring more clients for the company. This has thus increased for improvement of the employees well-being as the success of the company is determined by the motivation of the people working in the company (Harris & McCaffer, 2013: 27). During the planning phase of the new construction company, it is important for the welfare facilities to be included and put in place first before the beginning of work at the site. Facilities such as toilets and running water should be provided at the construction company early enough before the commencement of any work so as to make work for the people easy. There should also be enough washing facilities such as soap at the toilets and the changing rooms, this also adds up the issue of provision of enough changing and rest rooms for the employees at the company (McGeorge & Zou, 2012: 19). The visitors to the company should be well treated and provided with the necessary information required and above all be protected from the risks associated with the work being done. The facilities should further be maintained and ensure long term utilization for the goodness of the employees and the public. Issues surrounding environmental concern Maintenance of the people’s health is basically the ability to protect them from illness caused by the materials or procedure of work. The well being of the workers and the public is a key concern for the company (Ball, 2014: 23). With the present change in the construction industry, there exist so many concerns that are in line with the methods of construction, things that are hazards to the human health and should be controlled to maintain quality work at the company (Lavender, 2014: 27). There are concerns about release of chemical components like gasses, dust, fumes, and some biological hazards like bacteria. Such components are risky to the human health and need to be well handled to avoid unnecessary illness caused by these components (McGeorge & Zou, 2012: 12). The disposal of such materials and release from the company need to be taken care of to avoid ensuring protection of the employees and the public’s health. Management issues At any company management concerns itself with proper organization of both human and material resources (Lavender, 2014: 21). For the new construction company, it is important to understand the main contributors to the company, the employees and customers are the main contributors to the success of the company. People should be well treated by the management for there to exist motivation to work and provide the best to the company. The handling of the machines in the company with the employees should be well coordinated and necessary equipments needed for work provided and maintained (Alexander, 2013: 15). The handling of materials in the company should be organized effectively and people handling the material should be well trained and provided with appropriate equipments for handling respective materials (McGeorge & Zou, 2012: 13). Conclusion Health and safety in a company is mainly associated with the physical, material, and well being of the people at the place of work. The ability for a new construction company to identify the hazards associated with its work and analyze them is the beginning of success for the company (Harris & McCaffer, 2013: 27). This will ensure the company maintains high healthy and safety standards for their employees and the general public for there to exist success. Some of the hazards from the construction company include chemical components, biological components and also physical components like high temperatures which are harmful to the well being of the workers (Harries & McCaffer, 2013: 24). Accidents associated with vehicles at the company are the main cause of many injuries and deaths. These hazards can be reduced or avoided by efficient organization and management at the company (McGeorge & Zou, 2012: 15). References Alexander, K., 2013. Facilities management: theory and practice. Routledge. Ball, M., 2014. Rebuilding Construction (Routledge Revivals): Economic Change in the British Construction Industry. 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