CIE 531/EGM 501

Construction Safety

Lecture 3
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Site Safety, health and environment (SHE) over view
Accidents on a construction project, whether involving employees or the public,
can impose an enormous burden on the construction contractor and others
associated with the project.
it is of great importance to all concerned with the job to ensure that an
appropriate job safety program is instituted.
 the owner of the construction firm or the company executives are legally
responsible if an accident should occur,
the project manager generally is responsible for establishing and supervising the
safety program. 2
Site Safety, health and environment (SHE) over view
The safety engineer or manager should ascertain that the construction
superintendent holds weekly “toolbox” safety meetings with all supervisors
A report for all accidents should be written and submitted to the contractor’s
insurance administrator.
Recognizing health and safety hazards is the most important element in
preventing injury and death.
The second element is the precaution implemented to prevent or reduce the
hazard

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Prevention of construction accidents
 Company policy should aim at preventing construction accidents
by;
 education
 training
 Taking precautions at all times
 constant vigilance.

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 Economic factors in safety
 At a construction site there are direct and indirect costs associated with which results
due to accidents
 Some of the key direct costs attributable to high accident rates are;
1. Higher workers' compensation insurance rates
2. Higher liability insurance rates
3. Losses not covered by insurance policies
4. Government agency fines
5. Depressed craft-labor productivity rates
6. Cost of investigation and filing accident reports

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Economic factors in safety
Some of the more obvious indirect costs are due accidents:
1. Increased employee turnover
2. Lost time of injured workers
3. Training cost of replacement workers
4. Time lost on schedule (possible liquidated damages)
5. Lowered worker morale
6. Loss of worker efficiency
7. Lowered morale and efficiency of supervisors
8. Damage to owner's property
9. Damage to tools and equipment
10. Litigation support costs not covered by insurance
11. Loss of new business and damage to corporate image
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Health and Safety Hazards

1.Material Hazards
2.Machinery
3.Height
4.Construction Practices
5. Jobsite Conditions

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Hazards & Solutions

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Hazards & Solutions
 For construction, the precautions should be taken in the following areas:
1. Scaffolding
2. Fall protection (scope, application, definitions)
3. Excavations (general requirements)
4. Ladders
6. Excavations (requirements for protective systems)
9. Construction (general safety and health provisions)
10.Electrical (wiring methods, design and protection)

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Scaffolding Hazard
 When scaffolds are not erected or used properly, fall hazards can occur.
 Around one third of the construction workers work on scaffolds
 Solutions:
 Scaffold must be sound, rigid and sufficient to carry its own weight plus four times the
maximum intended load without settling or displacement. It must be erected on solid
footing.
 Unstable objects, such as barrels, boxes, loose bricks or concrete blocks must not be used to
support scaffolds or planks.
 Scaffold must not be erected, moved, dismantled or altered except under the supervision of
a competent person
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Scaffolding Hazards Solution
 Scaffold must be equipped with guardrails, midrails and toeboards.
 Scaffold accessories such as braces, brackets, trusses, screw legs or ladders
that are damaged or weakened from any cause must be immediately
repaired or replaced.
 Scaffold platforms must be tightly planked with scaffold plank grade
material or equivalent.
 A "competent person" must inspect the scaffolding and, at designated
intervals, inspect it again.

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Scaffolding Hazards Solution
Synthetic and natural rope used in suspension
scaffolding must be protected from heat-producing
sources.
Employees must be instructed about the hazards of
using diagonal braces as fall protection.
Scaffold can be accessed by using ladders and
stairwells.
Scaffolds must be at least 10 feet from electric
power lines at all times.

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Fall Protection
Each year, falls consistently account for the greatest number of fatalities in the
construction industry.
A number of factors are often involved in falls, including unstable working
surfaces, misuse or failure to use fall protection equipment and human error.
Studies have shown that using guardrails, fall arrest systems, safety nets,
covers and restraint systems can prevent many deaths and injuries from falls.

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Solutions to falls
Consider using aerial lifts or elevated platforms to provide safer
elevated working surfaces;
Erect guardrail systems with toe boards and warning lines or
install control line systems to protect workers near the edges of
floors and roofs;
Cover floor holes; and/or

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Solutions to falls
Use safety net systems or personal fall arrest systems (body
harnesses).

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Ladders
 Ladders and stairways are another source of injuries and fatalities among
construction workers .

 The ladder should be of a right size and firmly placed on the

level ground

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Trenching
Trench collapses cause dozens of fatalities and hundreds of injuries
each year
Solutions:
 Never enter an unprotected trench.
 Always use a protective system for trenches feet deep or greater.
 Employ a registered professional engineer to design a protective
system for trenches 20 feet deep or greater.

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Solutions to trenching hazards
 Sloping to protect workers by cutting back the trench wall at an angle
inclined away from the excavation not steeper than a height/depth
ratio of 11/2 :1, according to the sloping requirements for the type of
soil.
 Shoring to protect workers by installing supports to prevent soil
movement for trenches that do not exceed 20 feet in depth.
 Shielding to protect workers by using trench boxes or other types of
supports to prevent soil cave-ins.
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Solutions to trenching hazards
Always provide a way to exit a trench-- such
as a ladder, stairway or ramp--no more than 25
feet of lateral travel for employees in the
trench.
Keep spoils at least two feet back from the
edge of a trench.
Make sure that trenches are inspected by a
competent person prior to entry and after any
hazard-increasing event such as a rainstorm,
vibrations or excessive surcharge loads.

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Sloping.
Maximum allowable slopes for excavations less than 6.00 m based on soil type and
angle to the horizontal are as follows:

Allowable slopes

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Cranes
 Significant and serious injuries may occur if cranes
are not inspected before use and if they are not used
properly.
 Often these injuries occur when a worker is struck
by an overhead load or caught within the crane's
swing radius.
 Many crane fatalities occur when the boom of a
crane or its load line contact an overhead power
line.

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Crane hazards solutions

 Check all crane controls to insure proper operation before use.

 Inspect wire rope, chains and hook for any damage.
 Know the weight of the load that the crane is to lift.
 Ensure that the load does not exceed the crane's rated capacity.
 Raise the load a few inches to verify balance and the effectiveness of the
brake system.

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Crane hazards solutions
Check all rigging prior to use; do not wrap hoist ropes or chains around the
load.
Fully extend outriggers.
Do not move a load over workers.
Barricade accessible areas within the crane's swing radius.
Watch for overhead electrical distribution and transmission lines and
maintain a safe working clearance of at least 10 feet from energized electrical
lines.

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Chemicals
Failure to recognize the hazards associated with chemicals can cause chemical burns,
respiratory problems, fires and explosions.
Solutions:
 Maintain a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each chemical in the facility.
 Make this information accessible to employees at all times in a language or formats that are
clearly understood by all affected personnel.
 Train employees on how to read and use the MSDS.
 Follow manufacturer's MSDS instructions for handling hazardous chemicals.

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Chemicals hazards solution
 Train employees about the risks of each hazardous chemical being used.
 Provide spill clean-up kits in areas where chemicals are stored.
 Have a written spill control plan.
 Train employees to clean up spills, protect themselves and properly dispose
of used materials.
 Provide proper personal protective equipment and enforce its use.
 Store chemicals safely and securely.

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 Forklifts
Forklift turnover accounts for a significant number of these fatalities
on most of construction sites.

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Solutions to Forklifts Hazards
Train and certify all operators to ensure that they operate forklifts safely.
Do not allow any employee under 18 years old to operate a forklift.
Properly maintain haulage equipment, including tires.
Do not modify or make attachments that affect the capacity and safe operation of the forklift
without written approval from the forklift's manufacturer.
Examine forklift truck for defects before using.
Follow safe operating procedures for picking up, moving, putting down and stacking loads.
Drive safely--never exceed 5 mph and slow down in congested or slippery surface areas.

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Solutions to Forklifts Hazards
 Prohibit stunt driving and horseplay.
 Do not handle loads that are heavier than the capacity of the industrial truck.
 Remove unsafe or defective forklift trucks from service
 Remove unsafe or defective forklift trucks from service.
 Operators shall always wear seatbelts.
 Avoid traveling with elevated loads.
 Assure that rollover protective structure is in place.
 Make certain that the reverse signal alarm is operational and audible above the surrounding
noise level.

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Electrical Safety
 Work on new and existing energized (hot) electrical circuits is prohibited until
all power is shut off and grounds are attached.
 Frayed, damaged or worn electrical cords or cables should be promptly
replaced.
 Protect flexible cords and cables from damage.
 Sharp corners and projections should be avoided.

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Electrical Safety
All electrical tools and equipment are maintained in safe condition and checked
regularly for defects and taken out of service if a defect is found.
 Do not bypass any protective system or device designed to protect employees
from contact with electrical energy.
 Overhead electrical power lines should be located and identified.
 Ensure that ladders, scaffolds, equipment or materials never come within 10
feet of electrical power lines.
 All electrical tools must be properly grounded unless they are of the double
insulated type.
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Environmental concerns and solution

Oil spillage from the workshops

 Must be collected and treated before disposal
Dust emissions
 Control the emissions by constant wetting the site area and measuring the
emission from various points
 Dust emission monitoring points must be installed around the construction
site and the nearby residential homes

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Environmental concerns and solution
Ground water contamination
 Drill the ground water monitoring boreholes around the site and the water
quality should be sampled before and during construction activities
 Surface water Contamination
 Carrying out water quality test to check if there is any contamination from
the construction activities

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Nine Important Steps to Secure Safety On Site

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Step 1
Perform a thorough walk through of the site.
Identify and assess any workplace hazards and write down anything that may be
considered unsafe.
Notify your managers of possible dangers that he/she should know about.

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 Step 2
 Train all personnel in work-site safety and operating procedure either on-site or at a
training facility.
 Search the Internet to see if online instruction is available.
 Training should include proper lifting techniques to help reduce common back injuries
sustained on the job.

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Step 3
Identify and mark any hazardous materials.
Determine any risk involved to personnel.
Label and store any materials deemed hazardous in proper containers and secure them in a
safe location.
Post precautions for handling nearby. Make sure there is an MSDS (material safety data
sheet) for all potentially hazardous chemicals/materials.

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Step 4
 Inspect equipment to be sure it is working properly.
 Be on the lookout for unusual noises and jerky movements.
 Report any problems immediately and do not operate the machinery until repairs have
been made.

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Step 5
 Use harnesses and other safety equipment when performing roof work or working on
scaffolds.
 Standard personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) incorporate three primary components,
commonly referred to as the ABC's of fall protection.
 These include: the anchorage connector, body support and connecting device.

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Step 6

Provide personal protective equipment to all employees, including hard hats, safety goggles
and boots, work gloves, ear plugs (or another form of protection) and face masks.

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 Step 7
 Be sure Local Safety and Health Administration standards are met.
 Follow all recommendations and mandates from safety rules and inspectors.
 If you work for aprivate company, ask managers whether they've hired or contracted a health
and safety inspector.

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Step 8
Prepare for emergencies.
Operators and site workers should know what to do in case of electrical,
mechanical, power failures, or injuries.

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 Step 9

 Protect the public by barricading the

construction site during work hours
.
 After working hours, lock all points of entry.

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THANK YOU

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