Safety in Construction

Current Scenario
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One out of every five persons employed in construction received injuries annually The frequency of accidents is 6 to 8 times higher during the first 6-8 months of employment.

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A majority of persons injured were unskilled workers in the age group 20-30 years employed with sub contractors
Working at height was the most hazardous operation at construction sites.

Why Hazards in Construction

1. Worksites are Constantly Changing 2. Several Sub contractors performing different types of work in close proximity to each other 3. Some of the Workers not familiar with the Hazards involved that are not part of their normal job

4. Work platforms, Scaffolds, Equipments etc are regularly being moved/assembled/ disassembled or modified. Thus new hazards are emerging.
5. Construction workers frequently change jobs and employers. They are not trained on new jobs

6. The work is often seasonal and sense of urgency to quickly complete the jobs.
7. Construction Safety Rules are not widely known to the contractors and also lack of enforcement.

Why do Accidents occur at Construction sites

1. 2. 3. 4. Actual Physical Hazards Environmental Hazards Human factors Lack of or poorly Standards 5. Failure to communicate

Designed

Safety

Major Legislations relating to Safety & Health of Construction Workers:

1. Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 2. Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Central Rules, 1998

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Major provisions under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 and the Rules there under are: Registration of establishments and building workers Constitution of State Welfare Boards

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Constitution of Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Fund Constitution of Safety Committee Appointment of Safety Officers Responsibilities and duties of employers, architects, project engineers and designers, building workers etc.

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Provision of welfare facilities General provisions regarding safety, health and welfare facilities Construction, installation, maintenance and periodic testing and examination of certain construction equipment such as lifting appliances and gears, transport and earth moving equipment, pressure equipment, scaffolds, power shovels and excavators, pressure equipment, etc.

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Provision relating to general construction operations such as concrete work, work on or adjacent to water, excavation and tunneling works, construction repair and maintenance of steep roof, structural frame and form work, stacking and un stacking, work in cofferdams and caissons, handling of explosives, piling

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Periodical medical examination of construction workers Reporting of accidents, dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases Provision of medical facilities

Accident prevention measures in construction

1. Contractor prepares all construction sites must have safety plan before carrying out construction works. The plan should include details of risk and arrangement for ensuring health and safety of everyone who may be affected by the construction work and monitoring compliance of statutory requirements.

2. The construction owner or principle contractor needs to qualify the contractors/ sub-contractors and conduct preconstruction conference to deal with the hazards. Planning must done eliminate the un safe conditions.

3. As the working at height was the most hazardous activity most of the fatal accidents due to fall from height can be prevented if employers provided the right equipment and train employees to use it properly. Employers must also consider whether the existing structures providing a safe workplace if not an extra working platform for example scaffolding or cradle may be needed.

4. The risk of object falling can be prevented if the working platforms are kept clean of loose items that could be accidentally kicked off. Other barriers such as safety nets can be used to prevent objects falling from working platforms.

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Contractor and their sub agencies can prevent excavations collapses by supporting their sites with sheeting or by using support system. A competent person who fully understands the dangers should inspect the excavations at the start of the each shift.

6. Electrical safety can be ensured if all employees on construction sites are aware of the importance of safety procedures and if they immediately report any fault and stop using tools or cables as soon as they spot any sign of damage.

7. The employers should carry out a risk assessment of all transport activity including loading and unloading and introduce control measures.

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Although control measures that employers introduce should minimize the kind of risks outlined, employer may still found that there is a remaining risk of exposure. In this circumstances employer should issue the required personal protective equipment although this should only be considered as a last resort measure.

9. Education and training of the personal engineers, managers, supervisors and workers in safety is essential if the construction is to become a safe activity. The contractor should organise the need based training programmes to these employees at regular intervals.

10. Safety audit and regular inspections will help in identifying the hazardous existing in the activities being carried out at different phases. These audits and inspections should be conducted by professional agencies and team of persons from time to time and their recommendations should be implemented.

11. Participative Management in safety will not only help in improving safe working place but also create enthusiasm among the employees working at various levels to control accidents. Safety committees should be formed at construction sites and regular meetings should be conducted. The recommendations of the committee should be considered for implementation and these recommendations to be reviewed in the next meetings.

12. Whatever the hazard, the aim remains the same to avoid the hazard altogether or, if this is not reasonably practicable, to assess the risks and introduce the effective control measures.

THANK YOU