Introduction

The construction industry has been identified as one of the most hazardous industries in many
parts of the world. Historically, construction workers experience more fatal and nonfatal
injuries from accidents requiring them to take time off more than workers of other industries
(Banik, n.d.). International Labour Organization estimates that, annually at least 60,000 fatal
accidents takes place on construction sites around the world and one fatal accident occurs
every ten minutes in this sector and that around 17% of all fatal accidents at work (one in every
six ) happen on construction sites .

An accident can be defined more formally as an undesired event, which results in physical
harm and or property damage, usually resulting from contact with a source of energy above the
ability of the body or structure to withstand it. The construction industry in Sri Lanka has
experienced severe accidents at work sites. The Island (May 2012) states that, the construction
sector has the highest number of work related accidents in Sri Lanka and the highest frequency
of fall-related fatalities was experienced by the construction industry. Lanka Business Online
(LBO) states that, occupational safety and health issues remain weak in the Sri Lankan
construction industry, with most fatalities due to negligence, carelessness or stupidity.

The department of labor (2005) reveals that, out of the fatal accidents that takes place in Sri
Lanka, 30% of the accidents is from construction industry. The client and contractors believe
that, the safety systems established at construction sites increases the construction cost. Even
the laborers are of the opinion that, wearing the personal protective equipment (PPE) during
work reduces productivity.

All society members such as employees, families, employers economy and resources will be
affected by the occurrence of a site accident. The higher the number of accidents that take
place in a construction site, it becomes an indicator of how bad the site is managed and it
affects severely the image of the project manager and the organization. According to
Ramachandra et al (n.d.) the occupational health and safety is considered as one of the
significant factors which create image for the construction industry in Sri Lanka.

Impacts of Accidents

Mthalane et. al. (n.d.) studied the social and economic impacts of site accidents on the
construction company and on the affected family. They found that, loss of productivity,
disruption of current work, training costs for replacements, damages to plant and equipment,
corrective actions to prevent re-occurrence of accident, degradation of efficiency, expenditures
on emergency equipment, slowdowns in operations while accident causes are determined,
costs of workmans compensation insurance, medical payments, insurance premiums, costs of
rescue operations and equipment, loss of function and operations income, payment for
settlements of injury or death claims, legal fee for defense against claims, and increased
insurance costs as the economic impacts that affects the company. Further, depression of
employees and work fellows, loss of public confidence, loss of customer satisfaction, loss of
company image, and degradation of morale were identified as the social impact on the
company.

Holt (2005) identified the economic impacts of construction accidents such as uninsured
property and material damage, delays, loss of expertise, fines, overtime cost and temporary
labour, clerical work, management time spent on investigation, and decreased output from
those replacing the injured workers.








Instruction

The government of the nation has been giving seminars and special attention on safety related
aspects in the construction industry.
Below is a picture of a seminar hosted by Signature Events in 2013,



As usual training is a prominent feature in the field of construction where the training for safety
related affairs can be a knowledgeable criterion for the workers who are expected to take on
the site works. It is advisable to the private construction sector to take part in these events on
the invitation of the hosts to develop the skills of the workers and mitigate the possible
accidents in the site through understanding the construction environment.
As obvious as it may seem training the employees in the construction field is such an important
aspect in the constructions point of view. It is advisable to the private organizations too, with
the approval of the government to arrange training programs to the construction workers with
the stakeholders who could enter the site. It is a common notice from several C1 graded
companies with the statement of SAFETY FIRST, which is quiet motivating to the workers to be
careful first in the site.
As the site workers get into action with the quality assurance and safety factors it can be a safe
environment with less or no victims of injuries until the completion of the projects in the site
and get the works done with satisfaction.

The concept of an establishment of a safety institute is advisable for the sake of construction
industry with the appropriate necessity of perfect interpretation by the experts. Every
stakeholders of the project better be involved in the establishment. So the perception can be
equally distributed. Every possible safety related factors in the construction could be
exemplified to the related workers in the different fields of the construction process. As injury
has been turned out to be a common occurrence in the construction process, even the safest
person in the site can be harmed.

Safety basics while handling tools too has to be considered such as

i. Make sure that electric tools are properly grounded or double-insulated.
ii. Never remove or tamper with safety devices.
iii. Study the manufacturers instructions before operating any new or unfamiliar electric
tool.
iv. Regulations require that ground fault circuit interrupters be used with any portable
electric tool operated outdoors or in wet locations.
v. Before making adjustments or changing attachments always disconnect the tool from
the power source.
vi. When operating electric tools, always wear eye protection.
vii. When operating tools in confined spaces or for prolonged periods, wear hearing
protection.
viii. Make sure that the tool is held firmly and the material properly secured before turning on
the tool.








Visitors Rules

Construction sites are high risk environments where visitors may not be aware of the dangers.
Employees must be alert and watch for visitors and ensure they follow all site safety rules.
All visitors to work sites must check in with the site foreman before entering the work area.
Visitors are designated as people who are not regular daily workers on the site and who will not
be engaged in the actual work. This may include management, client's representatives,
engineers, architects, salespersons, delivery persons (not including ready-mix truck and pump
operators), clients and government officials. Sub-contractors are not considered "visitors" and
must wear the PPE as designated by the safety program. All visitors must supply and wear the
appropriate Personal Protective Equipment while in the work area.

Fatal
Accidents
7 18 24 27 18 35 19
Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010


Minimum requirements are

Approved safety footwear
Approved hard hat


Others that may be required are Respiratory Protection, Hearing Protection and Eye Protection.
The site foreman will designate what PPE is required. All employees are directed to inform any
visitors to the site of this policy if infractions are noted. Employees are to direct all visitors to
the foreman as soon as they arrive on site. If the project is located on a highway, visitors must
be directed to a safe parking area. Visitors who refuse to wear the appropriate PPE will be
directed to leave the site and a written report of the incident will be sent to the violator's place
of employment.

Authorized employee representatives must be physically present during risk assessment
walk through or the employer must have documented, multiple efforts made to include the
authorized employee representatives and receipts of input from authorized employee
representatives.

Usage of tools




Cutting and drilling attachments must be kept sharp to avoid overloading the motor. Operators
should not crowd or push the tool beyond capacity. Such handling can burn out the motor, ruin the
material, and injure the operator in the event of a kickback.
Some attachments, such as spade bits, and screwdrivers need significant control by the machinist. If
the machinist does not feed the accessory gradually and prudently into the material, the drill can
abruptly stop and harshly twist or break the machinists arm. Stock should be fastened or otherwise
secured to prevent it from moving. This will also enable the operator to control the tool with both
hands and absorb sudden twists or stops caused by obstructions such as knots or hidden nails.
Operators must restrain the drill just before the bit or cutting attachment emerges through the
material, especially when oversized spade bits are used. Sides of the bit often become hooked on
the ragged edge of the nearly completed hole and make the drill come to a sudden stop that can
wrench the operators arm.
At the first sign of the bit breaking through the material, the operator should withdraw the drill
and complete the work from the other side. This will produce a cleaner job and prevent the
material from cracking or splintering.

0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Hard
Hat
Safety
Boots
Hi-Viz
Jacket
Hard
Hat
Safety
Boots
Hi-Viz
Jacket
Hard
Hat
Safety
Boots
Hi-Viz
Jacket
Hard
Hat
Safety
Boots
Hi-Viz
Jacket
Never Rarely Occasionally Often
Usage of personal protective equipment in Sri Lanka

Never Hard Hat
Safety Boots
Hi-Viz Jacket
0
0
30
Rarely Hard Hat
Safety Boots
Hi-Viz Jacket
20
15
4
Occasionally Hard Hat
Safety Boots
Hi-Viz Jacket
43
41
36
Often Hard Hat
Safety Boots
Hi-Viz Jacket
48
40
10












According to the chart above it has been found that the use of hard hat and safety boot has
been prevalent despite the fact several construction firms dont implement them on their
construction sites. But the uses of Hi-Viz jacket turns out to be quiet rare even with those C1
graded companies in the nation. So this has to be considered well and brought up with
excellent solutions for the sake of the employees.
Construction Safety Management

The nature in construction industry is the fact that whilst a contractor implements a safety
program in a construction project experiences a positive comeback due to the techniques
undertaken by the organization. As a result the injuries are mitigated and on the other side the
productivity is increased. The chart below shows the way how the world construction industry
experiences the safety programs with such a positive consequence. Sri Lankan construction
industries too have some sort of intention on the aspect of safety program on every single
construction companies, but several of them do not implement or make it effective while the
construction process is on. This is the point where the risks of injuries are dramatically
increased.
Significance of Safety Programs in Construction Industries



There are different ways to develop a safety plan for the construction sites, but there are
certain factors what have to be held in mind by the organizations. The plan should mainly
involve the protection of workers, the public and the property with special priority. There are
several instances in which the private structures or the adjacent properties get harmed due to
the negligence of the workers which can ultimately result in injuries of on related people. So
these factors should be given top attention to mitigate the vulnerable environment while the
construction is on.

0 20 40 60 80
Project Schedule
Project Budget
Project ROI
Reportable Injuries
Negative Impact
Positive Impact
Step by step way to manage such circumstances in which project failures are common in the
safety aspect.

Step Tool
Identify all confined space equipment, this
may be completed by carrying out a sum"
Survey Use of all equipment used
for confined space entry work
Create a register of identified equipment
and give each piece of equipment a number
Register Fall protection, rule,
ventilation and monitoring
equipment
register
Identify manufacture specifications for
maintenance, repair work and storage
Manufacturers
maintenance
repair work
spedfication
A record of maintenance and
storage requirements
Develop a method to record maintenance
and repair work carried out
Manufacturers
maintenance
repair work
specification
Process for recording
maintenance Et repair work
carried out
Refer to manufacturer's requirements and
develop a schedule for performing
maintenance
Manufacturers
maintenance and
repair work
specification
Schedule for planned
maintenance for confined
space equipment
manufacturer's maintenance and repair
work specifications, and identify and
record competency requirements for
personnel performing maintenance and
repair work,
Manufacturers
maintenance and
repair work
specification
standards for performing
maintenance and repair work
or requirement to send off
site
Record the following:
Register of all equipment
Competency standards for personnel
performing maintenance
maintenance specifications
Schedule for maintenance
Method for recording performed
maintenance
All developed outputs Maintenance Program
Means to identify if
equipment has been
checked, via records or a
tagging system.
Raise awareness maintenance program at
tool box talks or Prestart meetings.
Awareness Material Raised awareness of staff of
maintenance program


Impacts of Accidents

Mthalane et. al. (n.d.) studied the social and economic impacts of site accidents on the
construction company and on the affected family. They found that, loss of productivity,
disruption of current work, training costs for replacements, damages to plant and equipment,
corrective actions to prevent re-occurrence of accident, degradation of efficiency, expenditures
on emergency equipment, slowdowns in operations while accident causes are determined,
costs of workmans compensation insurance, medical payments, insurance premiums, costs of
rescue operations and equipment, loss of function and operations income, payment for
settlements of injury or death claims, legal fee for defense against claims, and increased
insurance costs as the economic impacts that affects the company. Further, depression of
employees and work fellows, loss of public confidence, loss of customer satisfaction, loss of
company image, and degradation of morale were identified as the social impact on the
company.

Holt (2005) identified the economic impacts of construction accidents such as uninsured
property and material damage, delays, loss of expertise, fines, overtime cost & temporary
labour, clerical work, management time spent on investigation, and decreased output from
those replacing the injured workers.

According to Peiris (n.d.), the losses due to accidents include the direct cost and the indirect
costs which are high and hidden. The direct losses include the compensation and medical cost
insurance. The indirect losses include time lost, repairs to plant and equipment, legal cost and
fines, investigation time, bad reputation, low morale, low quality products, production delays,
and damages or loss of product/ raw material.






Overall Ranking of causes of accidents

Major causes for accidents Category Major group RII Rank
Failure to appoint a safety officer
Administration Managerial
0.76 1
& Financial Factors


Inadequate training programme on
Training
Managerial
0.7428 2
safety Factors


Failure to use PPE (Personnel
Manpower
Human
0.7257 3
Protective Equipment) Factors


Unsafe methods used for loading Site layout & Managerial
0.7143 4
and unloading of materials stores Factors


Inadequate time for relaxation
Administration Managerial
0.7086 5
& Financial Factors


Lack of training for teamwork Training
Managerial
0.7086 5
Factors


Inadequate training on material
Training
Managerial
0.7029 7 handling & store management Factors

Failure to appoint a safety officer


According to the above findings, the failure to appoint a safety officer was found to be the
most significant cause for the accidents in building construction industry and its RII is 0.76.
Seventy two percent of the respondents have selected failure to appoint a safety officer as
either extremely significant or very significant.
There are many advantages in recruiting a fulltime safety officer at building construction sites.
It is highlighted in the training manual for safety, health and welfare on construction sites of ILO
(1995) that, no safety policy or plan is workable without assigning a specific duty to a specific
person, which is a noteworthy point for the building construction industry in Sri Lanka. The
training manual further states that, every construction company of any size should appoint a
properly qualified person (or persons) whose special and main responsibility is the promotion
of safety and health.


Failure to use PPE (Personnel Protective Equipment)
Failure to use PPE has been ranked third and its RII is 0.7257. PPE should be used by all
employees particularly in those conditions where safety hazards are available. The basic PPE
should include hard hats (helmets), eye protection (safety glasses, goggles or face shields),
safety footwear and appropriate clothing. Specialized PPE, such as respirators, fall protection
equipment and special clothing, is recommended to be used for protection from specific
hazards. The organization must have strict rules in wearing the personal protective equipment
and the safety officer must observe and instruct the workers on PPE.


Unsafe methods used for loading and unloading of materials
Loading and unloading is a frequent event occur in construction sites. Lifting heavy objects such
as timber planks, steel bars, etc. while loading onto/off-loading from a truck or delivering
to/from storage. It has been ranked as 4th and its RII is 0.7143. Different organizations may use
different methods to get the job done. If a company uses unsafe methods it will lead to fatal
accidents and enormous damage to properties.

Hazards in a workplace can arise from a number of sources including
a. Poor designing of work place
b. Performing hazardous works in workplace
c. Introducing of poorly designed plants in workplace
d. False installation, commissioning, use, inspection, maintenance, service, repair or
alteration of plant in the workplace
e. Exposure of people to hazardous substances, processes or environment

Hazard Identification Sources and methods
The safety assessment process in the Design and Certification process identifies and classifies
most of the hazards, assesses the risks, and introduces controls - this is a good starting point for
identifying the hazards to the operation and there should ideally be a clear link between design
and certification and operations.

a. Safety Reporting which includes safety occurrence reporting through mandatory and
voluntary reporting schemes

b. Internal scrutiny

c. Trend investigation of safety occurrence

d. Information provided by personnel, from operational perspective and training

e. Using automated data collecting tools

f. Results from safety surveys and operational oversight safety audits carried out internally
and by States

g. Observing of routine normal operations and environment

h. Official State inquiry results of accidents and serious incidents

i. Information discussion practices between operators or service providers



Overall Ranking of Impacts of Accidents

Impacts of accidents in building
construction industry

Impacts RII Rank
Loss of expertise Economic Impact 0.72 1
Cost of rescue operations & equipment Economic Impact 0.6857 2
Loss of productivity Economic Impact 0.68 3
Slowdown in operation while accident
causes
are determined Impact on Time 0.68 3
Loss of customer satisfaction Social Impacts 0.6685 5
Legal fees for defense against claims Economic Impact 0.6571 6
Overtime cost & temporary labour Economic Impact 0.6571 6
Loss of confidence of workers Social Impacts 0.6514 8
Damages to plant & equipment (uninsured) Economic Impact 0.6457 9
Insurance premiums Economic Impact 0.6457 9

The study found that, the impact on economy to the organization is more severe than the social
impact and impact on time of an accident (refer fig.2). Loss of expertise is found to be the
most significant impact of an accident and its RII is 0.72. Often lack of internal expertise or
trained personnel result in poor attitudes and ultimately poor performance.The respondents
have selected Cost of rescue operations & equipment as the 2
nd
most important impact of
accidents in building construction industry and its RII is 0.6857.Loss of productivity is ranked
third. Slowdown in operation while accident causes are determined, Loss of customer
satisfaction, Legal fees for defense against claims, Overtime cost & temporary labour, Loss
of confidence of workers Damages to plant & equipment (uninsured), and Insurance premiums
are some of the other significant impacts of accidents at building construction sites.
Poor maintenance of site

Poor maintenance of site also has been an important cause for accidents in building
construction sites and its RII is 0.6971. Regular maintenance is essential to keep equipment,
machines and the work environment safe and reliable. It helps to eliminate workplace hazards.
Lack of maintenance or inadequate maintenance can lead to dangerous situations and
accidents such as slips, trips and fall. Regular cleaning of construction sites, maintenance and
regular service of construction equipment and machinery may reduce their failure and cause
less or no injuries to the operators and other workers.




The maintenance of the site from the beginning of the construction works until the completion
of the works is an important criterion especially for the safety of the site worker but also for the
neighboring building and people. The maintenance has to be on regularity so that the poor
circumstances of the site can be overcome such as the slung trashes and site wastes. Other
biological diseases can be mitigated through such maintenance works.



Employees have to make sure that their risk control measures are adequate and that they are
used and maintained and that they continue to work with no problems or risks and if there is
any they have to inform to the responsible people. (I also have to put in place any back up
measures that may be needed like health surveillance or emergency procedures). And I have to
inform, train and supervise employees though they have been through all these.

Another reason to focus on health and safety training is because it works for everybody that is
in employed where to work. People work in a healthy and safe manner, at the end of day it is
much easier to get their tasks accomplished. It turns working safely benefits everyone around
including the company workers work for.

And additionally to make sure that the workers have the ability to,
1. Report and record accidents
2. Provide certain basic workplace, first aid and welfare facilities
3. Have employers liability insurance
4. Notify the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Local Authority of their
existence
5. Have consultation with the representatives

It is also important to provide training to the employees for,

1. Reducing insurance costs
2. The safeness of the site
3. More productivity
4. Training the juniors
5. Increase the safeness and security
6. Prefer and dress plausible cloths
7. Beware of visible and practical risks
8. Learning the procedure of first aiding
9. Perceiving to extinguish fire rapidly
10. Emergency access

Sri Lanka yields several health and safety training programs for employees. Both government
and non-governmental organization provide such opportunities to the welfare of workers and
employers as well.
Since Sri Lanka is a rapidly growing country in industrial sector, the need for employees is
increasing. As long as they keep entering various sectors, proper training has to be provided.
Since The Literacy rate of Sri Lanka is better compared to neighboring other countries, the
employees can have an easy glimpse towards written statements and learn several facts about
health and safety on construction site in particular.

The training opportunities provided on occupational health and safety

Private Organizations and Institutions

ATA International Training
This includes
1. Emergency medicine
2. Occupational medicine
3. Occupational hygiene
4. Technical rescue
5. Industrial fire-fighting
6. Health and safety

Purpose: To equip professionals with internationally certified courses those are generally
regarded as being obligatory in respect of Health and Safety regulation compliance.

Fire Marshall Training and Fire Safety Training
This includes
1. Fire management issues
2. arrangements and facilities in place covering the Fire Safety at work

Purpose: providing Clear understanding of employees legal responsibilities, thus permitting the
employees to approach and deal with all tasks as stated above.
St. John Ambulance, Sri Lanka (Mainly for young people)
This includes
1. Disaster Preparedness and Management
2. Occupational Health and Safety
3. First Aid
4. Medical techniques at emergency

Purpose: This is a program especially conducted for young people to perceive and learn
important life skills in a fun and safe environment, but fun and excitements are appropriate to
their age. This can be a perfect foundation for their future occupational safety.

Public organizations and Institutions

SLSI (Sri Lanka Standards Institution)

Quality Management (Occupational Safety)
1. Diploma in Quality Management
2. Workshop on Quality Control

Environmental Management Systems
1. Training to evaluate environmental impacts
2. Auditing on Environmental management

Hygiene and food quality assurance
1. Food hygiene training
2. Training on hazard analysis for food industry



Oil Industry Health and safety training center

Since Sri Lanka has the treasure of Gas and oil in the Gulf of Mannar, Workers are entitled to
health and safety issue. The oil industry is new for Sri Lanka and has thrown up opportunities to
provide,
1. Training in Quality to manage the Oil and Gas related issues
2. Health, Safety and Environment


(Mannar oil exploration, Google)

Injuries and death in oil Industry and oil exploration are so common despite the fact Sri Lanka
has not yet reported such affairs. To prevent any future hazardous activities in the sector it is
always important to provide training not only to the workers but to the neighboring residents
as well.








Conclusions and Recommendations



Conclusions


It is evident from the overall discussion in this study that, Failure to appoint a safety officer as
the most significant cause of the accident in building construction industry. Inadequate training
program on safety has been identified as the second most important causes for accidents. In
addition, Failure to use PPE, Unsafe methods used for loading and unloading of materials,
Inadequate time for relaxation, Lack of training for teamwork, Inadequate training on
material handling & store management, Time pressure applied on staff/workers, Financial
restrictions and Poor maintenance are identified as the major causes for accidents in building
construction sites.

The findings further illustrate that, the contribution from the managerial factors have been
significant in causing accidents. Ninety percent of the top ten causes identified are related to
the managerial factors. Job factors, human factors and acts of nature have also contributed to
the accidents, but at a less significant level.

Building site accidents in Sri Lanka have influential impacts in the economy of the construction
company. The study identified that, 70% of the top ten impacts represent the group of
economic impacts. Loss of expertise, Cost of rescue operations & equipment and Loss of
productivity represents the highest economic impact.






Recommendations

Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are made in order to
prevent or mitigate accidents in building construction industry in Sri Lanka.

Educate and train staff and laborers on site safety

Construction companies have to educate on knowledge, attitudes and train on skills to
their employees on health and safety at construction sites. This has become an urgent
need in order to provide the awareness and to prevent/ mitigate construction accidents.
Preparing and issuing a safety hand book can be a good initiation in this regard.
Organization such as Labor Department, Contractors Association, Chamber of
Construction Industry and ICTAD also should take initiatives and the lead in providing
site safety training to the workers at all levels.

Appoint a health and safety officer

Construction firms have to appoint health and safety officers to make safety a major
priority in the construction site.


Strictly implementing policies on safety at site

Employees have to adhere and respect all safety rules placed on site. Employers should
have written safety policies at site and be much stricter to individuals who violate safety
rules.

Strict government policies to be imposed on site safety

The government should enforce the current health and safety procedures legislated and
take active plans to ensure that all the construction companies follow the health and
safety procedures properly.

PPE (Personnel Protective Equipment)

The construction company must make PPE sufficiently available at site. All employees
have to wear required personnel protective equipment on site and be aware of their
surroundings.

Allow sufficient time for relaxation to laborers

The organization must allow sufficient time for relaxation for laborers in order to avoid
the stress and tension of the worker. Organizing occasional entertainment activities for
site workers can motivate the employees.


Allocate funds for site safety

The construction company must allocate separate funds for site safety from the project
budget. To implement all kind of safety procedure financial support is essential even to
appoint a safety officer.


Monitoring through a common body

Organizations which have direct bearing to the construction industry such as Labor
Department, ICTAD and Bureau of Standards are coming under different ministries.
Therefore, there must be a common body that has the authority to detect and fine
errant contractors for the inadequacies in the safety.


One of the most prominent facts to look at when talking about health and safety workplace is
what it does for the moral of every single worker in the prospect. Whatever it takes to get the
employees coming to work with a smile on their face is the key issue. If all the employees are
happy with their surroundings, that can be the major cause of the succession of the site in
occupational health and safety and economic prospect.
References