CONSTRUTION SAFETY AND

ENGINEERING ETHICS
Lecture 1: Accident Statistics

Assist. Prof. Dr. zgr KYLOLU

Yeditepe University, Faculty of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department, Room: A-202A
E-mail: ozgur.koyluoglu@yeditepe.edu.tr

Definition of Work Accidents

Social Security and National Health Security Act (Law #5510):
An accident is an occurance happening when;

a) The employee is at work,

b) Due to the work executed by the Employer, if the insured is working on
his/her behalf independently due to the work executed by himself,

c) Due to travel of the insured who is working as an amployee, at times he/she is

not doing the main work

d) At the maternal employees is breastfeeding times, in accordance with Artcile

4 part 1 (a) of this Law

e) the insured is commuting to work with a vehicle provided by the employer

resulting in immediate or future mental or physical disability of those under
social security

Scope of Work Accidents

Those employed on temporary employment, permanent
employment, self employed, employer or family worker
working on an unpaid basis are within the scope of the work
accidents.

Work accidents include the accidents at the work site or

during execution of the work, which may result in any type
of injuries or fatality, including the traffic accidents while
travelling for a business meeting.

Scope of Work Ill Health

Any kind of health problem the worker is subjected to during
the last 12 months, which is attributable to existing work
conditions or worsening previous health problems.

Motivation - UK

Construction is high risk industry. According to the ILO (International Labor

Organization) risk of accidents is 6 times higher than other industries
In UK, 5% of the employees work in construction industry however it
accounts for 31% of fatal injuries and 10% of reported major/specific
injuries[1]. In 2013/14, there were 42 fatal injuries in the construction
industry.

Fig. 1.1. Numbers of Fatal Injuries to Employees from 1973 to

2013/2014[1] (The Reporitng of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous
Occurances Regulations; RIDDOR)

Definition of Major Injuries[1]

Fracture, other than to fingers, thumbs or toes
Dislocation of the shoulder, hip, knee or spine
Chemical or hot metal burn to, or penetrating injury of, the eye
Injury leading to hypothermia, heat-induced illness or to
unconsciousness

Injury requring admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours

Acute illness requiring medical treatment or loss of
consciousness, resulting from the absorption of any substance
by inhalation, ingestion or through the skin

Definition of Major Injuries[1]

Amputation (loss of a body part)
Loss of sight, temporary or permanent
Injury from electric shock or burn leading to unconsciousness
or requiring resuscitation or more than 24 hours hospital

Injury requiring resuscitation

Los of consciousness through asphyxia (loss of breath) or
exposure to a harmful substance or biological agent

Acute illness requiring medical treatment where there is reason

to believe that it resulted from exposure to a biological agent or
its toxins or infected material

Motivation - Turkey
Total number of accidents is 69 227 in 2011[2] (79 027 in 2006),
constituting appx. 1.0 % of employment as per Ministry figures [3].
In Turkey, 10% of the accidents occur in construction works,
corresponding to 25% of work accidents resulting in permanent work
loss and 34% of the fatal work accidents[3].
In 2012, 744 fatal accidents occurred; 256 of these working in the
construction industry. Fatalities in 2011 in the construction industry was
570[4].
Table 1.1. Work Accident, Permanent Work Loss and Death Statistics [5]

Accident Statistics Turkey Metal products industry has the highest number of accidents, yet
fatalities in construction industry is 10 times higher.
Table 1.2. Work Accident, Permanent Work Loss
and Death Statistics (2006) [2]

Accident Statistics Turkey In 2012 total registered employment was 18.3 million.
Table 1.3. Work Accident, Permanent Work Loss and Death Statistics on 3
Highest Accident Industries (2011, 2012) [6]

Construction Accidents in
Construction Types UK Occurance in buildings is much higher than the infrastructure
works.

Fig. 1.3. Percentage of Construction Injuries Classified as per

Construction Activity[1]
RIDDOR Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurances Regulations ; ONS
Office of National Statistics

Construction Accidents in
Construction Types Turkey Occurance in buildings is much higher than the infrastructure
works.
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400

Death
Injury

200
0

Fig. 1.4. Percentage of Construction Injuries Classified as per

Construction Activity[5]

Fatal Construction Injuries UK For 2013/14, rate of occurance of fatal injuries was approximately
1.6 per 100 000 workers (highest in 2006/07 with 3.1) [1].
Number of fatal injuries was 42 in 2013/14.

Table 1.3. Kinds of Fatal Injury in Construction[1]

Major/Specified Construction
Injuries UK For 2013/14, rate of occurance of major/specified injuries
was approximately 160 per 100 000 workers (highest before
2008/09 with 275)[1]
Table 1.4. Kinds of Major/Specified Injury in Construction[1]

Fatal & Major/Specified Construction

Injuries Turkey Table 1.5. Kinds of Injury in Construction [5]

Ill Health Issues UKTable 1.4. Work Related Illnesses According to the Voluntary Reporting
of Occupational Diseases by Doctors (THOR and THOR-GP) [1]

Occupational cancer is largest in construction industry than the

other industrial sectors; due to exposure to asbestos (69%), silica
(17%), paints (6-7%), diesel engine exhaust (6-7%); also solar
radiation; coal tars and pitches.

Ill Health Issues Turkey Table 1.5. Ill Health Statistics for All Industries (2006) [2]

Ill Health Issues Turkey Table 1.6. Ill Health Reporting (2007) [6]

Reporting of ill-health is not satisfactory in Turkey.

Consequences of Failure in Safety

Ethical and emotional, remorse / feeling responsible.
Legal consequences prosecutions / imprisonement
In 2013/14, number of fatal injuries were 42.
An estimated number of cases related to work ill-health is 76 000 in
UK of which 31 000 were new cases
In Turkey number of work ill-health cases were 895 000 in 2013
(1 217 000 in 2007), constituting 2.1 % (3.7 %) of those employed

Financial consequences fines / indemnities and costs to the

government
Secondary effects work days lost
In UK (2013/14), an estimated 2.3 million working days were lost; 1.7
million due to ill health and 592.000 due to workplace injury

Losses and Financial Consequences UK

Between 2011/12 and 2013/14 the average number of work

days lost due to injury was 0.6 million, equivalent to 0.3 days
per worker in construction industry (0.18 for all industries).
Imposes costs to employer (sick pay etc), on those suffering
(pain, grief etc) and on government (health care expenditure
etc)
Economic costs of workplace injury and work related illness
cases was estimated 1.1 billion sterlin in 2012/13.

Fig. 1.2. Economic Costs 2012/2013[1]

Losses and Financial Consequences

Turkey
Direct financial losses due to
permanent disability and fatality,
work days lost or loss of production efficiency
treatment costs
amount to 3.9 billion liras in Turkey.

Indirect financial losses due to emergency actions right after the

accident
work loss due to termination of works,
doctors and necessary equipments and activities for rescue
resuming the works
can cost the same amount

totalling 7.7 billion Turkish Liras [8].

Legal Consequences UK Health and Safety Engineers and Local/Governmental Authorities are
responsible for enforcing health and safety legislation.

Tools to secure compliance;

Improvemen
t Notices

Prohibition
Notices

In 2013/14, nearly 95% of cases resulted in a conviction.

Fig. 1.3. Prosecutions in Construction [1]

Prosecution

Legal Consequences Turkey[8]LEGAL

CONSEQUENCES
CODE OF
OBLGATIONS
(Borlar Kanunu)
(6098)
Material Damages
for Disability (49)
(Maddi Tazminat)
- Medical Costs
- Costs of Workpower
Lost
- Costs due to Loss of
Goodwill (tibar)

Material
Damages for
Loss of
Lifesupport
(53) (Maddi
Tazminat
Destekten
Yoksun Kalma)

SOCIAL SECURITY AND

NATIONAL HEALTH
SECURITY ACT (Sosyal
Sigortalar ve Genel Salk
Sigortas Kanunu) (5510)
Moral
Damages
(56) (Manevi
Tazminat)

Rights (16)
(Haklar)
Temporary/Pe
rmenant
Disability
- Income for
Rightholders
- Marriage Aid
- Funeral Aid

Reclaiming
from the
Owner (21)
(veren
Rcu)

Penalties for Work Accidents Turkey[8]

INDEMNITIES

PENAL LAW

Murder by Omission or
Negligence (5237/85)
- Custody for 2-6 yrs
- 2-15 yrs for more than 1
casualty/injury

Injury by
Omission or
Negligence
(5237/89)
- Custody for 3
mos-1 yr
- Legal
compensation
patyment
- 6 mos-3 yrs for
more than 1
injuries

BUSINESS LAW

Administrative
Enforcements
- Shut down
(Kapatma)
- Suspension of
works
(Durdurma)
- Retaining the
unsuitable
workers from the
work (Alkoyma)

Financial Charges
for Incompliances
as per Law No
6331
- Absense of
Occupational
Physician 5000
TL/month
- Absense of
Occupational Safety
Specialist 5000
TL/month
- Absense of Risk
Assesment 3000
TL+ 4500 TL/month
-

Legal Authorities
alma ve Sosyal Gvenlik Bakanl Sal ve Gvenlii
Genel Mdrl (Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social
Security, Department of Occupational Health and Safety)
OSHA Law #6331

United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and

Health Administration (OSHA)
OSHA Law and Regulations

United Kingdom Health and Safety Executives (HSE)

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)

European Directives

Professional Organizations for

Construction Safety
Health and Safety Executive (HSE), UK
American Ladder Institute (ALI)
American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE)
International Organization of Standardization (ISO)
International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA)

Specifications for Construction

Safety
OHSAS 18001 An International Occupational Health and
Safety Management System Specification (BSI-The British
Standards Institution).
OHSAS 18001 Occupation Health and Safety Assesment
OHSAS 18002 Occupational Health and Safety Management
Systems: - Guidance

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Safety

Standards

HSEs Guidance Documents

European Guidelines and Standards by European
Standardization Organizations (CEN, CENELEC and ETSI)

References
1. http://www.hse.gov.uk/Statistics/industry/construction/ index.htm
1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reporting_of_Injuries,_Diseases_and_Dangerous_Occurrences_Reg
ulations#Major_injuries

2.
3.
4.
5.

http://sgkrehberi.com/haber/9010 /
naat Mhendisleri Odasnn hazrlad Sal ve Gvenlii Raporu, TMH-455-2009/3.
http://www.pozitifisguvenligi.com/pozitif/images/stories/haberler/sgk_2012. pdf
naat Sektrmzdeki Balca Kazas Tipleri, Do.Dr. M. Uur Mngen, naat
Mhendisleri Odas, TMH-469-2011/5

6. 2012 SGK Kazas statistiklerinin Analizi, Kemal nc, GvenliiMhendisi

7. Kazalar ve e Bal Salk Problemleri, Aratrma Sonular 2013, Trkiye statistik
Kurumu, Ocak 2014.

8. Sal ve Gvenliine a Bakmak, naat Mhendisleri Odas, MO, TMH-455-2009/3.

9. Canpolat Ceran, Mehmet Ceran, 6331 Sayl Sal ve Gvenlii Kanunu Bilgilendirme
Semineri, Ankara Serbest Muhasebeci Mali Mavirler Meslekte Birlik Dernei.