Ch 1 Construction accidents 1

Health and safety definitions Health is the protection of the bodies and minds of people from illness resulting from the materials, processes or procedures used in the workplace. Health has been defined as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.Health Health also has been defined as It contrasts, for example, with the promotion of health and safety at work, which is concerned with preventing harm from any incidental hazards, arising in the workplace. Safety is the protection of people from physical injury. The borderline between health and safety is ill-defined and the two words are normally used together to indicate concern for the physical and mental well-being of the individual at the place of work. Accident is defined as any unplanned event that results in injury or ill health of people, or damage or loss to property, plant, materials or the environment or a loss of a business opportunity 2

Hazard and risk Hazard is the potential of a substance, activity or process to cause harm. Hazards take many forms including, for example, chemicals, electricity and working from a ladder. A hazard can be ranked relative to other hazards or to a possible level of danger. It is very important to distinguish between a hazard and a risk as the two terms are often confused Activities such as construction work are called high risk when they are high hazard. Although the hazard will continue to be high, the risks will be reduced as controls are implemented. The level of risk remaining when controls have been adopted is known as the residual risk. Risk may be defined as the chance high or low that somebody will be harmed by the hazard 3

Scope of the construction industry The construction industry plays a vital role in the social and economic development of all countries. its scope is very wide from larger civil engineering projects such as road and bridge, building, water supply and sewerage schemes and river and canal work etc. construction works are also needed in agriculture, industry, education, health and other service industries. It is classified into various segments industrial, housing, commercial, utilities and infrastructure work. the construction industry is a mixture of different organizations, which directly and indirectly influence the construction process. These organizations include property developers, architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, accountants, lawyers, civil engineering contractors, management contractors, laborers, subcontractors and specialist trades. 4

Characteristics of construction works Nearly all construction sites are temporary and transient nature of work, Fragmented structure in the production phase with a large number of independent companies. Management assignments in the building sector is difficult and complex. The client, the consulting engineers, architects, general contractor and a number of subcontractors carry out the building jointly. low education levels of the workforce and high levels of subcontracting, 5

Hazard works in construction industry Most construction projects cover a range of hazardy activities such as: site clearance, the demolition or dismantling of building structures or plant and equipment, the felling of trees and the safe disposal of waste materials. roof work and working at height, contact with hazardous materials, such as asbestos or lead. site activities include the loading, unloading and storage of materials site movements of vehicles and pedestrians. excavations and underground chambers. painting and decorating and the use of heavy machinery. 6

Health and safety as a philosophy One of the most severe risks in construction industry is in the safety and health aspect. identifies and eliminates job site hazards throughout the lifecycle of a work project. discourages work practices that place individuals at risk of injury Integrates health and safety into the daily work process. the promotion of an environment where each person in the project construction hierarchy has a role and responsibility for safety and health. 7