Importance of safety

Construction is a high hazard industry that comprises a wide range of activities involving construction, alteration, and/or repair. Examples include residential construction, bridge erection, roadway paving, excavations, demolitions, and large scale painting jobs. Construction workers engage in many activities that may expose them to serious hazards, such as falling from rooftops, unguarded machinery, being struck by heavy construction equipment, electrocutions, silica dust, and asbestos.

The information, tools, and resources provided in these Construction Industry web pages are designed to assist those in the industry - whether worker or employer - to identify, reduce, and eliminate construction-related hazards.

The construction industry, employing the largest labour force in the country, has accounted for about 11% of all occupational injuries and 20% of all deaths resulting from occupational accidents. The cost of accidents human and monetary is expensive.

Causes of Accidents

In the following list, the causes of accidents have been grouped according to their nature.

1. Planning, Organisation

a. Defect in technical planning.

b. Fixing unsuitable time limits.

c. Assignment of work to incompetent contractor

d. Lack of supervision in work

2. Execution of work

a. Use of defective material / equipment

b. Unsafe construction practices

3. Equipment

a. Lack of equipment

b. Defective equipment

4. Management

a. Inadequate preparation of work

b. Insufficient or lack of training to workers and supervisors.

c. Negligence to safety practices

5. Workers behavior

a. Irresponsible acts

b. Carelessness

c. Unautorised acts

Cost related to accidents / Effects of Accidents

Direct cost / Direct effects

a) Medical care expenses of injured.

b) Workmen’s compensation cost

c) Insurance premium increases.

d) Replacement cost of material and equipment damaged.

e) Facility repair and cleanup

f) Legal charges

Indirect cost / Indirect effects

a) Slowdown in operation

b) Decrease in morale affects productivity.

c) Productive time is lost by injured and fellow workers

d) Administrative work associated with accidents.

e) Loss of clients confidence.

f) Overtime necessitated by work slowdown.

Important elements for maintaining safety in construction

Classification of construction accidents

According to nature of injury sustained

a) Temporary disablement

b) Partial disablement

c) Total disablement

d) Death

According to severity of injury

a) Minor accident

b) Major accident

c) Accident Hazard

Occupational hazard

A substantial risk to a worker's physical or mental well-being which is present in a certain task, job, or profession. Or An unpleasant, inconvenient, or unusual circumstance which occurs or is likely to occur during the course of one's employment.

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, occupational illness is defined as a condition that results from exposure in a workplace to a physical, chemical or biological agent to the extent that the normal physiological mechanisms are affected and the health of the worker is impaired.

Various occupational diseases, their causes and occupations

Approaches to improve safety in construction

1. Organizational approach:

a. Safety departments: A formal safety department is necessary. A safety office should be appointed on each site reporting to both project manager and safety in charge in home office.

b. Committee: A safety committee should be set up to guide the operation of safety programs. Personnel from all levels should have representation in that committee.

c. Field procedures: A system must be designed to take care of safety of personnel working on site. The workers and supervisors should be encouraged to bring out any unsafe procedure and detect possible accidents.

d. Training to supervisors, workers regularly about safety precautions and procedures.

e. Ill workers should not be employed also children should not be employed.

f. Incentives: Some incentive should be given to the personnel following safety policies set up by the company.

g. Safety cost: Cost allocated for safety management should be allocated to company account instead of project account.

2. Physical approach:

a. New workers should be given safety orientation.

b. The contractor should enforce use of approved equipment for personal protection such as helmets, safety belts, safety glasses, hearing aids, gloves etc.

c. Regular medical checkup of workers..

d. Periodic checking of tools and equipments

e. Integrate safety programs with other preplanning procedures like scheduling and budgeting.

f. Coordination between different agencies working on site.

g. Boards and signs indicating safety precautions and procedures at work places in local language.

3. Behavioral approach

a. Safety should be discussed as cost and schedules by top management so that importance of safety will not be ignored.

b. Unnecessary pressures should not be put on supervisors to meet budget and schedule. Otherwise they will choose unacceptable methods that will lead to accidents.

c. Cordial relationship between workers and supervisors.

4. Economic incentives

The contractor should reward workers for good safety performance. This creates perseverance on their part to learn, know, practice and strive towards a high level of safety at job site.