Risk management and occupational Health and Safety

MSA Safety 10096486 Style 1-D Harness Vest, Standard Size

Construction site is always a dangerous place to be for a person that is not well trained. Accident can happened at any time and at any place within construction site. Below is the graphical show the fatal accident form year 1993 until 2013  publish by http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm



                                           Risk Management and Construction
                                           Construction Management

Eventhough the rate have been continueously decline but construction site still remain dangerous. The graph show above is property of HSE which more detail can be read through their website.

As contractor or construction personnel there is a great need for us to know(if not in detail) what are the risk that we are facing when we involve in construction work. Generally, in my opinion the risk are as below;

1. Accident at construction work site to site personnel due to fall from high place, accidentally contact with moving or revolving machinery and construction equipment.
2. Accident due to construction activities involving public
3. Burglaries at construction site
4. Damages to third party properties due to construction activities.

                                         Risk Management and Construction
                                         Construction Management

All the risk above involving the health and safety issue and definitely involving lost of effective working hours and money. How to prevent and minimised those problem? In term of monetary, it is a compulsory that employer covered their self and his employee(s) with insurances. There is two common type of insurance that normally being requested by Owner of the project. Those two insurance are Contractor's All Risk and Workmen's Compensation insurance. In my opinion the another element that sometime might be required is Insurance that can cover inclusive of Third Party properties. This mostly required if the construction work is adjacent to other properties or within the existing properties and the chances for the properties being damages due to construction activities is high at all the time. With the coverage of those insurance part of the monetary effect towards construction cost already being take care off.

Having covered by insurance is only part of the mitigation in alleviate the effect of risk in construction . However, the most important part is injuries or fatality that might happened with in the construction site or to the public. To address this matter there are some steps or measure that can be taken. Part of it are;

1. Create awareness among construction workers on possible danger with-in construction work place by having "Tool Box Talk " of Safety briefing every morning conducted by Safety officer or Safety Supervisor.
2. Having a proper maintenance schedule on any construction machinery, Site vehicle, plants and construction equipment to ensure that it is in good condition.
3. Provide signages or implement any suitable method to notify public and workers where ever necessary with in construction vicinity.
4. Only qualified person allowed to operate or handle construction machineries, Plant or construction equipment.
5. Appointment of qualified person or manager to oversee the safety measure that need and have been implement at construction work site.
6. Provide and maintain Personnel Protective Equipment to all construction workers.

                                         Risk Management and Construction

                                         Construction Management