Management of Occupational Health and Safety - Essay Example

Management of Occupational Health and Safety Some studies have revealed that a reasonably large percentage of construction catastrophes could have been reduced, eliminated, or avoided by selecting better choices in the planning and designing stages of a certain project (Hecker et al, 2005). The construction operations are known as one of the most risky functions in any labor industry. Serious to light physical injuries cause by fall, accidents, instantaneous trauma of body tissues, respiratory ailments, musculoskeletal disorders and fatigue are only few of the many work related disorders that can bring discomfort among the laborers. In a construction industry in Sweden, more than one out of five men (1:5), has been reported for work-related disorders in their musculoskeletal structures (Lundholm and Swartz, 2006) and about 69% are work-related injuries in 2005 (Samuelsson and Lundholm, 2006). Government as well as private health sectors work hand-in-hand to ensure that appropriate measures are implemented to attain health and safety management in any construction project sites. Lifting operations involves wide range of lifting equipment and have been a causative factor in major injury, if not fatal accidents in construction industry. Therefore, it is really of utmost significance to improve the construction environment so as to keep skilled workers and to reduce the construction time while escalating quality. Statutory Requirements for Luffting Tower Crane Operation In April of 2007, the Construction Design and Management Regulations, otherwise known as "the CDM Regulations" were re-introduced. The said regulations aimed to ensure that stakeholders who are directly involved in the construction projects will comply with their health and safety obligations. It seeks to improve the entire management and synchronization of health, safety and welfare all the way through stages of a construction project in order that large number of grave and fatal accidents as well as cases of ill health will greatly reduce. Lifting operation can be defined as an operation concerned about the lifting or lowering (LOLER Regulation 8, 1998) of a load. The load can mean a person or lifting equipment which in turn refers to work equipment used for lifting or lowering of loads, attachments used for anchoring, fixing or supporting it are included. The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations or LOLER (1998) supported by the ACOP and HSE Guidance Safe Use of Lifting Equipment applies over as well as above the universal requirements mandated by the 1998 Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations with hazards and risks related with lifting equipment and also the lifting operations. The following are the specific requirements of the regulations: Every employer shall guarantee that: a) lifting equipment is of sufficient in strength and stability for every load; b) all part of a load and attachments must also be of adequate strength. Every employer shall see to it that lifting equipment for lifting persons: a) focus to sub-paragraph (b), prevents worker from being crushed struck or trapped, fall from carrier; b) prevent so far as is practically a person using it, as he carry out activities c) subject to paragraph 2, wear suitable devices to avoid the risk of falling; d) not thereby exposed to harm or danger. Every employer must guarantee that every lifting procedure involving lifting equipment is: a) correctly planned; b) appropriately supervised; as well as c) carried out safely. Before lifting equipment is placed into service by the person, it has to be thoroughly examined by the said person to check the defects, unless: a) lifting equipment was never used before; and b) if and when lifting equipment (for which an EC pronouncement of conformity should (example, the case of an affirmation under the1997 Lifts Regulations) have been represented, the employer has received the said declaration not more than 12 months earlier than the lifting equipment is placed into service; or, if acquired from the undertaking of a different person, it is with physical evidence. Every employer must ensure that lifting equipment that is exposed to circumstances causing deterioration which is accountable to result in hazardous situations is: a) scrupulously examined: i) in case of lifting equipment, at least every 6 months; ii) other lifting equipment, must be at least every 12 months; iii) in accordance by means of an examination system; and iv) each time that extraordinary circumstances that are answerable to jeopardize the safety of lifting equipment. As far as documentation is concerned, the employer must ensure that the data contained in: a) every report prepared to him beneath Regulation 10(1) (b) is kept accessible for inspection: i) in the careful examination of lifting equipment further than an accessory for lifting, pending he ceases to make use of the lifting equipment; every record made in Regulation 10(2) is kept accessible until the subsequently such record is made (LOLER, 1998). Work Safe Systems for Luffting Tower Crane Operation According to Occupational Safety and Health Authority or OSHA (2004), architects and surveyors must be aware about the improvements which can be introduced if and when, there is a review of the manual handling methods during the project's design phases. Suppliers, contractors and clients are encouraging good practice standards and this should be fully implemented. Thus, it is employer's responsibility to carry out a risk assessment, identify the hazards, conduct risk assessment, and take action which prevent possible occurrence of ill health or injury such as planning of good design. Obviously, material usage and equipment lifting dominates construction sites. Designing for material and equipment therefore, should consider that equipment and material require be sending and removing during and prior to construction work such as the use of luffing tower crane. In Canada Square, wharf area of East London., the crest of a luffing tower crane collapsed on 21st May 2000. Three of the production crew died in the said collapse that occurred near the last part of an operation to lift the height of the tower crane consisting an external climbing or jacking frame. This is not only the reported incident on tower crane use. Luffing tower crane is an outwardly mounted climbing frame, major device designed to raise the height of an assembled tower crane without the support of another crane. Climbing frames may be used with both 'luffing jib' and 'saddle jib' tower cranes. Erectors are found to be risk of falling, specially, when uncoupling lifting gear from its climbing frame and tower sections. According to Health and Safety Environment (1989), for safe operation of exterior climbing frames, designers and contractors must check the design and construction to present best practice, check the critical steps and consider full account of all probable operating conditions as well as misuse or errors; conduct thorough and periodic examination as well regular maintenance programmes; operating procedures with considerations of site conditions; utilize competent personnel trained in operating procedures. Added to that, when designing for objects and equipment, it is tremendously important to construct realistic methods statements. As soon as these method statements are arranged (Lingard and Rowlinson, 2005) with for the period of the design procedure, there would be an opportunity to value-manage the said construction project. So, to attain a safe work environment, designers must consider for the distinctions in the anthropometrics of the labor force (Gnaneswaran and Bishu, 2006). In reality, workers come in a variety of body sizes and proportions, hardly individual exists who is average for the most part or all respects, accordingly, products or processes fit nobody well (Kroemer et al., 2001). As a result, devising equipments, gear, and workstations to well fit their bodies entail careful contemplation; devise for the "average" will not be applicable. Instead, the designer must establish what dimensions are decisive: this may be a least or a maximal range. The following considerations must be ensured for the safe use of lifting (Stranks, 2006): Packing should be used to put off the edges of a load approaching into make contact with with slings, or chains, if this would source danger; The angle stuck between the legs of numerous slings must not be so immense that the safe operational load (SWL) is exceeded; each part of a load have got to be steadily suspended and secured to avoid dislodgment or slipping; Slings must be hooked securely to the piece of equipment and in a way not likely to smash up the slings of whichever lifting device; The hoisting machinery of a crane be required to be used only for vertical; when raising or lowering, except it can be applied otherwise without imposing too much stress or endangering permanence, and if so used beneath the supervision of a competent individual; The SWL not to be surpassed; The radius of the load be required to not go above the highest working; radius of the jib; All possible measures must be taken to avert a load coming into make contact with, and displacing, some other object; No load be obliged to be left suspended if not a competent person is in point of fact in charge of the lifting piece of equipment; No crane ought to be used for raising or lowering except it is either securely adhered to satisfactorily weighted with counterweight properly placed; Only trained and experienced persons must maneuver lifting machines; Not anyone under 18 years be supposed to operate any lifting machine driven by mechanical power, or provide signals to the driver. Safety Requirements for Lifts Lifts Regulations in 1997 which executes the Lifts Directive strongly suggests very essential Health and Safety Requirements which relates to the design as well as construction of lift components. It preliminary remarks that: 1. Obligations reiterated in the Essential Health and Safety Requirements apply only when the lift is subject to the danger in question when applied as intended; 2. The EHSRs encompassed in the Directive are very important. Conversely, the lift or safety components should be designed and according to the approximated objectives; 3. The safety constituent manufacture, the installer of the lift have the obligation to evaluate the hazards in order to recognize all those that apply to their products; lift must then be designed and constructed by taking account of the assessment. 4. "In accordance with Article 14, the essential requirements laid down in Directive 89/106/EEC not included in this Directive, applies to lifts." (Stranks, 2006; 295). Car should be designed and constructed in a way that there is enough space and strength equivalent to the highest number of persons as well as rated weight of the lift set by the installer. Accomplishing the task while assuring safety for the workers, avoiding overuse and pointless effort, and assuring simplicity and efficiency, are the most important design goals (Kroemer, 2006). In addition to designing for the worker's workplace in favor of easy access; it is vital to measure weight of building materials which can or might directly impact construction workers. For that reason, material choice and measurement can be used to save workers from harm and trim down the cost (Rwamamara, 2007). Temporary works are time and again needed either because there is a risk in which a structure might otherwise fall down or because it is essential to remove some vital underneath member for restoration or alteration. All temporary works must be designed before the beginning of the construction stage and the altitude of design and drawings of transitory works such as use of luffing tower crane and must commensurate with the scale of the works. Conclusion Indeed, several issues are accounted to level at CDM Regulations 2007. The bottom line is that stakeholders see the responsibilities as well opportunities to both protect workers at the same time reduce construction costs in the course of paying attention to human costs at some stage in design. It has presented here the specific areas where skilled designers must consider in their designs to target reduction or elimination of construction work injuries. As observed, management and promotion of occupational safety is not just a sole responsibility of the one company nor health or safety agency but collaborative efforts among concerned stakeholders who continues to achieve best practices and outcomes for the sake of human health and safety. 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