Republic of the Philippines

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND FINE ARTS

Polytechnic University of the Philippines
NDC Compound, Pureza Cor. Anonas St., Sta. Mesa Manila

APPROVED SPECIALIZATION
Safe and Unsafe Construction Environments

Libres, Alexis Emmanuelle Madrigal

BS Architecture 4-2

Site: A housing development at Pandi, Bulacan

On-going construction with stay-in construction workers and site engineer.
Case no. 1:
The leaning electric
post is very unsafe.
The post is unstable
and may fall on the
workers of the site. No
proper action is being
done by the
construction
management.
The protruding steel
serves as a marking for
the cut of the blocks. It
is necessary but the
steel will be difficult to
see at night and may
cause injuries or
accidents to the
workers
Case no. 2:
The open manhole at ground level
may be unsafe to the workers of
the site when the construction is
on-going at night. Proper marking
should be placed in order to easily
see the manhole or maybe a
temporary cover.

The exposed PVC pipe may

cause an accident to the
construction worker working in the
area. The pipe, having no
supports, may also break due to
an accident.
Case no. 3:
Some construction
workers do not wear
any safety clothing.
Jersey shorts and
slippers will not protect
the workers from any
accident in the site. This
practice may result to
an injury if there are
shard objects lying
around, etc.

Case no. 4:
Most of the
construction workers
use improvised
PPE. No hard hat,
gloves, etc. is issued
to the construction
workers. The
construction workers
provide their own
improvised PPE
(boots, pants, long
sleeves, and a piece
of some clothing to
protect their heads)
Case no. 5:

The placement of the

steel formwork may
cause an accident to
the construction
workers since industrial
oil is applied to the
surface of the formwork,
this may cause the
construction workers to
slip.

Case no. 6:
The picture shows the
improper working habits
of the construction
workers. The
construction worker
uses the PVC pipe as a
ladder instead of using
the ladder issued by the
construction
management. This
practice may cause
accidents to the
workers and damage
the construction
materials.

Site: A Convention Center at Central Ave., Quezon City

An on-going 24 hr. construction on a busy urban setting.
Case no. 1:
The construction,
though minimizing the
disruption to the
surrounding areas,
made use of some
safety measures. A
construction safety
net was placed in
order to hold the
falling debris in the
construction.
Case no. 2:
The construction management makes
use of temporary railings for the site
colored with a bright yellow in order
to signify the boundary or the end of
the floor slab.

Case no. 3:
The construction made use of proper
barricades and signage for the safety of
the public. These signage inform the the
public regarding the risk of being in the
area, thus making the people more
cautious.

Case no. 4:
The construction management
gives their construction workers
proper personal protective
equipment. Though the PPE
issued to the workers are not as
complete as those that are issued
on other countries, the
construction follows the standard/
minimum requirement when it
comes to the workers PPE.

Reaction and comparative analysis:

The two sites cited shows the unsafe and safe construction practices in the
Philippines. The first site shows leniency when it comes to the safety while the second
site shows a stricter attitude towards the safety of the workers. In my analysis, the
difference between the two sites when it comes to safety may have been brought about
by their difference in setting (site A is in rural and site B is in urban), and difference in
their risks (site A a housing development with a maximum of 3 storeys, site B a convention
center with 6 storeys and 2 basements).
This analysis points out that even though site A, in a quick glance, shows a safe
and healthful site it doesnt really follow the standard safety guidelines set by other
constructions. While site B, even though it shows a more unsafe environment than site
A, follows a stricter rules and regulations regarding the safety of the workers.