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CONSTRUCTION SAFETY By: The Zero Accident Program Gazette
There are around two million construction workers in the Philippines all of whom are exposed to the hazardous nature of the construction industry. And as if the dangerous nature of the jobs is not enough, employers, and workers alike religiously neglect safety equipment, precautions and procedures in their day to day routine causing accidents that render lost man-hours, permanent or temporary disability or worse death. Studies show that some construction projects do not have safety programs and unsafe conditions such as improper construction of ladders, scaffoldings and stairs abound. Workers neglect wearing proper PPEs, and perhaps, due to overconfidence and haste to finish their projects, they take shortcuts and do not follow the proper procedures.
FALL PROTECTION. The Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) requires workers to be protected from falling from a height of 2 meters (6.6 ft) or more. Regular, updated and complete risk evaluations or job hazard analysis must be conducted to identify potential sources of fall accidents and measures for protection.
Fall hazards include those that happen from elevations (scaffolds, ladders, roofs, elevated workplaces, floor openings and leading edges), on the same level (slipping and tripping) and being stuck by falling objects (Materials that are improperly stored, disposed of or mishandled at heights). These hazards may be eliminated through engineering controls like assembling guard rail systems at ground level rather than at heights and maximizing pre-assembly of structural components on the ground and alternative work methods such as using radio communication instead of workers hanging over the edge giving signals.
Workers can also be protected by preventing them from being exposed to hazards through good housekeeping and providing elevated work equipment, appropriate aerial lifts, proper access to elevated work areas via standard ladders and stairs with handrails, properly designed temporary barriers, guardrails, fall restraint systems such as safety belts, lifelines, lanyards, anchorage). The least desirable method of protection is the fall arrest system because do not prevent a fall but only reduces the chance of injury in case a fall does happen.
As such, this should only be considered after determining that the fall hazards cannot be eliminated or the possibility of falling cannot be prevented. A complete fall arrest system includes an anchorage point, life line, fall arrest or lanyard, shock absorber and full body safety harness. Fall containment systems such as safety nets and safety mesh may also be installed in combination with the fall arrest system.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY Electricity can cause harm if it passes through a human body resulting to electric shock and burns. The human body is a good conductor of electricity. When a worker comes in a live metal or conductor, current can flow through his/her body and cause disturbances to the normal body function, burning of body tissue ventricular fibrillation (this happens when the hearts rhythm is disturbed so much that it affects the blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain) involuntary grip resulting to prolonged current flow and greater impact to the body (usually caused by electric shock from alternating current ) death and secondary accident (i.e. fall if working from height).
The severity of an electric shock may be affected by the amount of current flow, its duration, pathway and the affected persons body condition. Personal sensitivity to electric shock varies with age, sex, heart condition. And because even a very small amount of current can cause harm, electrical hazards must be eliminated and protective measure implemented.
Electrical hazards may be physical or those found in the work environment like wet floors, bare of frayed wires, overloaded circuits, electrical cords under rugs or traps, energized equipment with exposed circuits. These can also be behavioural in nature such as indifference, lack of knowledge, working while stressed, overconfidence and taking shortcuts or risks.
Accidents resulting from these risks may be prevented through installing a grounding system and earth leakage circuit breaker, decreasing the line-to-earth voltage, using equipment with double insulation and with extra low voltage and using a remote control system. Electrical circuits should be properly installed insulation materials should be periodically checked Lock-Out-Tag-Out procedure must be practiced and personal protective equipment (electric safety helmet, rubber gloves, insulation garments, sleeve cover, insulation tube, insulation sheet, protective tube for construction field) must be provided and properly worn. Warning signs must be posted to isolate dangerous areas, proper maintenance schedules and regular inspections must be observed and established rules and regulations must be strictly followed. Workers must always assume that a circuit is energized, remember never to work on any part of an electrical circuit alone and that only qualified personnel should handle working with electricity.
ESCAVATION SAFETY Serious injuries and fatalities happen in excavation works because both employers and workers often forget that when they remove earth from the ground, they are creating a situation where extreme pressures may be generated at the face of excavation. Engineering controls must be utilized to provide a safe and healthy workplace within the excavation.
To protect workers from these hazards, they can be eliminated through engineering controls and alternative work methods, preventing workers exposure.
There are around two million construction workers in the Philippines all of whom are exposed to the hazardous nature of the construction industry. And as if the dangerous nature of the jobs is not enough, employers, and workers alike religiously neglect safety equipment, precautions and procedures in their day to day routine causing accidents that render lost man-hours, permanent or temporary disability or worse death. Studies show that some construction projects do not have safety programs and unsafe conditions such as improper construction of ladders, scaffoldings and stairs abound. Workers neglect wearing proper PPEs, and perhaps, due to overconfidence and haste to finish their projects, they take shortcuts and do not follow the proper procedures.
FALL PROTECTION. The Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) requires workers to be protected from falling from a height of 2 meters (6.6 ft) or more. Regular, updated and complete risk evaluations or job hazard analysis must be conducted to identify potential sources of fall accidents and measures for protection.
Fall hazards include those that happen from elevations (scaffolds, ladders, roofs, elevated workplaces, floor openings and leading edges), on the same level (slipping and tripping) and being stuck by falling objects (Materials that are improperly stored, disposed of or mishandled at heights). These hazards may be eliminated through engineering controls like assembling guard rail systems at ground level rather than at heights and maximizing pre-assembly of structural components on the ground and alternative work methods such as using radio communication instead of workers hanging over the edge giving signals.
Workers can also be protected by preventing them from being exposed to hazards through good housekeeping and providing elevated work equipment, appropriate aerial lifts, proper access to elevated work areas via standard ladders and stairs with handrails, properly designed temporary barriers, guardrails, fall restraint systems such as safety belts, lifelines, lanyards, anchorage). The least desirable method of protection is the fall arrest system because do not prevent a fall but only reduces the chance of injury in case a fall does happen.
As such, this should only be considered after determining that the fall hazards cannot be eliminated or the possibility of falling cannot be prevented. A complete fall arrest system includes an anchorage point, life line, fall arrest or lanyard, shock absorber and full body safety harness. Fall containment systems such as safety nets and safety mesh may also be installed in combination with the fall arrest system.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY Electricity can cause harm if it passes through a human body resulting to electric shock and burns. The human body is a good conductor of electricity. When a worker comes in a live metal or conductor, current can flow through his/her body and cause disturbances to the normal body function, burning of body tissue ventricular fibrillation (this happens when the hearts rhythm is disturbed so much that it affects the blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain) involuntary grip resulting to prolonged current flow and greater impact to the body (usually caused by electric shock from alternating current ) death and secondary accident (i.e. fall if working from height).
The severity of an electric shock may be affected by the amount of current flow, its duration, pathway and the affected persons body condition. Personal sensitivity to electric shock varies with age, sex, heart condition. And because even a very small amount of current can cause harm, electrical hazards must be eliminated and protective measure implemented.
Electrical hazards may be physical or those found in the work environment like wet floors, bare of frayed wires, overloaded circuits, electrical cords under rugs or traps, energized equipment with exposed circuits. These can also be behavioural in nature such as indifference, lack of knowledge, working while stressed, overconfidence and taking shortcuts or risks.
Accidents resulting from these risks may be prevented through installing a grounding system and earth leakage circuit breaker, decreasing the line-to-earth voltage, using equipment with double insulation and with extra low voltage and using a remote control system. Electrical circuits should be properly installed insulation materials should be periodically checked Lock-Out-Tag-Out procedure must be practiced and personal protective equipment (electric safety helmet, rubber gloves, insulation garments, sleeve cover, insulation tube, insulation sheet, protective tube for construction field) must be provided and properly worn. Warning signs must be posted to isolate dangerous areas, proper maintenance schedules and regular inspections must be observed and established rules and regulations must be strictly followed. Workers must always assume that a circuit is energized, remember never to work on any part of an electrical circuit alone and that only qualified personnel should handle working with electricity.
ESCAVATION SAFETY Serious injuries and fatalities happen in excavation works because both employers and workers often forget that when they remove earth from the ground, they are creating a situation where extreme pressures may be generated at the face of excavation. Engineering controls must be utilized to provide a safe and healthy workplace within the excavation.
To protect workers from these hazards, they can be eliminated through engineering controls and alternative work methods, preventing workers exposure.
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References
CONSTRUCTION
SAFETY
By:
The
Zero
Accident
Program
Gazette
https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=construction&so ... B2480
SAFETY
By:
The
Zero
Accident
Program
Gazette
https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=construction&so ... B2480
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