The Issue of Safety in the Engineering and Construction Industries - Term Paper Example

Lecturer: Section I: Definition of the Problem Within the profession of construction engineering, the problem issafety management and involves the subtopics of falls, dust and injuries associated with equipment. Section II: Description of the Problem Falls Falls significantly affect construction operations with many of them leading to deaths and permanent disabilities. According to Taylor and Easter (2008), more than 35% of accidents in construction are associated with falls and slips. The industry deals with inherent safety risks from activities such as roofing whereby workers are expected to take precautions for their own safety since not much can be done to maintain 100% safety. Enhancements to work at high heights such as scaffolds and ladders are also part of the risk since workers also slip and fall from them while in some cases the scaffolds and ladders fall causing fatal injuries to the workers using them. It is usually presumed that fatal falls are those whereby the victim falls from a height hire than three meters while in reality falls below this height can be fatal especially when the head hits the ground first. According to Feld and Carper (2004), safety belts are regarded as the solution to falls in construction, but they only help to address falls in situations where the worker remains in a stationary position for a considerable period. It is illogical to provide a person painting a roof with a safety belt with no specific place to hook it. In the quest for wages, workers do not question whether safety measures have been put in place or the consequences of a fatal fall. On the other hand, most construction managers rarely assess the experience of workers with regards to tasks requiring them to work in high heights to avoid paying higher costs. Nevertheless, even with such evaluations, some workers may provide false information so as not to lose the job. Falls may also be associated with deep trenches on the ground that may be unknown to workers and without visible signs (Cheng, Kelly & Ryan, 2013). Dust Dust is a common health issue in construction since it originates from most of the activities involved such as excavation and loading, cutting stone, cement use and scrubbing dusty surfaces. Prolonged exposure to dust contributes significantly to respiratory problems through accumulation of dust in the lungs. Some silica containing components such as stones and tiles pose greater problems when inhaled. Apart from temporary discomfort experienced when dust is inhaled, the long term effects may not be detected easily. Other problems include cracking of the skin and eye problems (Rowlinson, 2004). Construction workers may not have an option if safety gears are not provided other than working in those conditions. Apart from the health impact on the construction workers, people living in the surrounding are also affected by the dust in the same way especially the vulnerable such as the aging population and infants. The scale of work in construction is a limiting factor towards establishing effective dust control measures. Air masks are recommended to cover the nose while goggles can help to protect the eyes. Nevertheless, it may not be possible to protect every person through these means. Construction managers must therefore engage in practices that minimize the dust generated from the daily tasks. Water application on dusty surfaces is a practical way of reducing dust while workers emptying cement bags need to do it in a way that minimizes dust even when they wear protective clothing (Hinze, 2006). Injuries Associated with Equipment The construction industry applies a wide range of equipment, from simple hand held tools to heavy machinery that requires skills and experience. The hand held tools cannot be ignored since they contribute significantly many minor injuries that lower the worker’s capacity to accomplish tasks effectively. Apart from when the tools are being used, they may also hurt workers in the store or if they fall from a high height on workers below them. Mishandling of hand held equipment may cause accidents to the user and other workers in the surrounding. Some may cause fragments to be hurled to the nearby places while others may get detached from the handle causing injuries to the user or other workers. Some sharp cutting tools may also hurt the user (Goldsmith, 2007). Powered equipment includes small mortar driven machines to heavy plant and machinery. These require skilled and experienced operators to ensure their safety. For example, excavators and loading shovels may cause accidents causing harm to the driver and other workers in the surrounding if not driven properly. In some situations, they are applied to lower objects in to trenches dug on the ground while workers wait below. There is high risk if the operator is inexperienced. Cranes lift heavy objects and may cause harm in case of mechanical faults. Workers may also get electrocuted when using electrical appliances or if they come in to contact with un-insulated electric cables. Other equipment may cause fire that may destroy them while on the other hand causing injuries to workers. Some equipment such as welding machine poses a health risk to the eyes if workers do not use safety gear (Halpin, 2005). Machinery operators engaged in substance abuse pose a significant danger to themselves and fellow workers. They may not have a stable mind to reason and act appropriately, yet substance abuse has been found to be rampant in the construction industry. According to Levitt & Samelson (2003), many construction workers engage in substance abuse to help them to cope with hard labor. The stimulants taken are considered to energize them yet contrary to this belief they do not realize the possibility of interference with their reasoning capacity and the dangers they expose themselves and others to. Section III: Impact Analysis If safety management is not accomplished, the construction costs will remain high since employees get injuries and ailments thereby making them less productive in their daily tasks. There is a tendency for contractors who have not addressed this problem to fail in meeting the expected timelines for the project as a result of delays caused by non-attendance by employees due to injuries and sick days. On the other hand, it takes time to acquire useful skills among employees and these may constantly be lost as a result of injuries and deaths associated with lack of safety in the workplace. A construction company that is faced with numerous accidents in the workplace ends up losing the confidence of clients and may not win construction tenders in future. Potential employees with the required skills may also shun a construction company with a bad reputation as a result of numerous accidents (Park & Kim, 2013). Insurance costs and claims through worker’s compensation significantly rise when employees are constantly injured. Legal fees for non-conformity to occupational safety and suits filed by disgruntled employees are likely to be higher when a proper safety management program does not exist. Property can be damaged through fire and break down of equipment if workers are not aware of the safety procedures. Morale of workers is lowered by constant injuries since they tend to develop negative attitudes towards the tasks that cause injuries and pain. Residents neighboring constructions sites that do not control the dust emissions are likely to engage contractors in legal suits that are likely to lower construction progress and work stoppages leading to losses (Cheng et al. 2013). Contractors are likely to lose experienced workers through substance abuse since eventually they get weak and may not perform their tasks well. A company’s popularity and credibility are lost when clients realize the problem of substance abuse in the workplace. This is a genuine concern because they cannot expect exemplary performance under the influence of drugs, which may raise doubts regarding the accomplishment of their expectations. Contractors need to engage in careful analysis of the safety management issues in the construction site, establish ways of addressing them and ensuring that all workers are informed regarding the measures that have been put in place to protect them and others (Lee & Halpin, 2003). Reference List Cheng, E., Kelly, S., & Ryan, N. (2013). Use of safety management practices for improving project performance. International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, 1-7. Feld, J. & Carper, K. L. (2004). Construction Failure, 2nd ed, Wiley-Interscience Goldsmith, D. (2007). Safety Management in Construction and Industry, Mcgraw-Hill Halpin, D. W. (2005). Construction Management, Wiley Hinze, J. W. (2006). Construction Safety, Prentice Hall Lee, S. & Halpin, D. (2003). Predictive Tool for Estimating Accident Risk. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 129, 431-436. Levitt, R. E. & Samelson, N. M. (2003). Construction Safety Management, Wiley Park, C. & Kim, H. (2013). A framework for construction safety management and visualization system. Automation in Construction, 33, 95-103. Rowlinson, S, (2004). Construction Safety Management Systems, Routledge Taylor, G. & Easter, K. (2008). Enhancing Occupational Safety and Health, Butterworth Heinemann Read More