Safety risk management in construction sites - Revision history

Michele.ferrante: /* Limits of the safety risk management process */

2023-05-07T08:39:13Z

Limits of the safety risk management process

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:39, 7 May 2023
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	The process described is quite effective and in theory it should eliminate or mitigate all the risks present in a construction site. However, nothing is flawless or perfect and there are always elements that are overlooked or neglected that end up causing accidents, sometime lethal, as it is illustrated in the figure 2 below.		The process described is quite effective and in theory it should eliminate or mitigate all the risks present in a construction site. However, nothing is flawless or perfect and there are always elements that are overlooked or neglected that end up causing accidents, sometime lethal, as it is illustrated in the figure 2 below.

	[[File:Accidents.jpg\|~~500px~~\|thumb\|right\|Figure 2: Injuries and fatalities in study, <ref name="Accidents"/>]]		[[File:Accidents.jpg\|400px\|thumb\|right\|Figure 2: Injuries and fatalities in study, <ref name="Accidents"/>]]

	This process requires filling out a lot of paperwork, depending on the law and documents required by each country, and therefore it used to be very slow and time consuming; nevertheless, thanks to new software such as CerTus<ref name="CerTus"/> and many more, it has gotten faster and more efficient to complete. It must be said though that it requires an experienced and knowledgeable manager who can successfully identify and assess all the risks to find a way to reduce them, but unfortunately some people argue that it is not easy to find these types of experts and that the educational system should put more emphasis on the topic of safety risk management in order to have more professional engineers able to conduct a thorough analysis of risks<ref name="Akintola"/>.		This process requires filling out a lot of paperwork, depending on the law and documents required by each country, and therefore it used to be very slow and time consuming; nevertheless, thanks to new software such as CerTus<ref name="CerTus"/> and many more, it has gotten faster and more efficient to complete. It must be said though that it requires an experienced and knowledgeable manager who can successfully identify and assess all the risks to find a way to reduce them, but unfortunately some people argue that it is not easy to find these types of experts and that the educational system should put more emphasis on the topic of safety risk management in order to have more professional engineers able to conduct a thorough analysis of risks<ref name="Akintola"/>.

Michele.ferrante: /* Limits of the safety risk management process */

2023-05-07T08:39:02Z

Limits of the safety risk management process

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:39, 7 May 2023
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	The process described is quite effective and in theory it should eliminate or mitigate all the risks present in a construction site. However, nothing is flawless or perfect and there are always elements that are overlooked or neglected that end up causing accidents, sometime lethal, as it is illustrated in the figure 2 below.		The process described is quite effective and in theory it should eliminate or mitigate all the risks present in a construction site. However, nothing is flawless or perfect and there are always elements that are overlooked or neglected that end up causing accidents, sometime lethal, as it is illustrated in the figure 2 below.

	[[File:Accidents.jpg\|~~600px~~\|thumb\|right\|Figure 2: Injuries and fatalities in study, <ref name="Accidents"/>]]		[[File:Accidents.jpg\|500px\|thumb\|right\|Figure 2: Injuries and fatalities in study, <ref name="Accidents"/>]]

	This process requires filling out a lot of paperwork, depending on the law and documents required by each country, and therefore it used to be very slow and time consuming; nevertheless, thanks to new software such as CerTus<ref name="CerTus"/> and many more, it has gotten faster and more efficient to complete. It must be said though that it requires an experienced and knowledgeable manager who can successfully identify and assess all the risks to find a way to reduce them, but unfortunately some people argue that it is not easy to find these types of experts and that the educational system should put more emphasis on the topic of safety risk management in order to have more professional engineers able to conduct a thorough analysis of risks<ref name="Akintola"/>.		This process requires filling out a lot of paperwork, depending on the law and documents required by each country, and therefore it used to be very slow and time consuming; nevertheless, thanks to new software such as CerTus<ref name="CerTus"/> and many more, it has gotten faster and more efficient to complete. It must be said though that it requires an experienced and knowledgeable manager who can successfully identify and assess all the risks to find a way to reduce them, but unfortunately some people argue that it is not easy to find these types of experts and that the educational system should put more emphasis on the topic of safety risk management in order to have more professional engineers able to conduct a thorough analysis of risks<ref name="Akintola"/>.

Michele.ferrante: /* Assessment */

2023-05-07T08:38:50Z

Assessment

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:38, 7 May 2023
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	- Qualitative, it is a simple way which consists in evaluating how likely it is that a risk can cause an accident and its potential impact through interviews, brainstorming and checklists<ref name="Long"/>; afterwards, the risks are placed in a matrix called risk assessment matrix that illustrates all the risks ranked based on their severity and probability (low, serious/medium and high)<ref name="Ripub"/> as it can be seen in figure 1.		- Qualitative, it is a simple way which consists in evaluating how likely it is that a risk can cause an accident and its potential impact through interviews, brainstorming and checklists<ref name="Long"/>; afterwards, the risks are placed in a matrix called risk assessment matrix that illustrates all the risks ranked based on their severity and probability (low, serious/medium and high)<ref name="Ripub"/> as it can be seen in figure 1.

	[[File:Risk_Matrix.jpg\|~~600px~~\|thumb\|right\|Figure 1: Risk assessment matrix, <ref name="Ripub"/>]]		[[File:Risk_Matrix.jpg\|500px\|thumb\|right\|Figure 1: Risk assessment matrix, <ref name="Ripub"/>]]

	- Quantitative, this is a more complex method that aims at estimating how often a risk can impact the workers and its gravity<ref name="Long"/>. There are different ways to assess risks by using method, such as the tree analysis or the Monte Carlo simulation.		- Quantitative, this is a more complex method that aims at estimating how often a risk can impact the workers and its gravity<ref name="Long"/>. There are different ways to assess risks by using method, such as the tree analysis or the Monte Carlo simulation.

Michele.ferrante: /* Limits of the safety risk management process */

2023-05-07T08:37:06Z

Limits of the safety risk management process

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:37, 7 May 2023
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	The process described is quite effective and in theory it should eliminate or mitigate all the risks present in a construction site. However, nothing is flawless or perfect and there are always elements that are overlooked or neglected that end up causing accidents, sometime lethal, as it is illustrated in the figure 2 below.		The process described is quite effective and in theory it should eliminate or mitigate all the risks present in a construction site. However, nothing is flawless or perfect and there are always elements that are overlooked or neglected that end up causing accidents, sometime lethal, as it is illustrated in the figure 2 below.

	[[File:Accidents.jpg\|~~300px~~\|thumb\|right\|Figure 2: Injuries and fatalities in study, <ref name="Accidents"/>]]		[[File:Accidents.jpg\|600px\|thumb\|right\|Figure 2: Injuries and fatalities in study, <ref name="Accidents"/>]]

	This process requires filling out a lot of paperwork, depending on the law and documents required by each country, and therefore it used to be very slow and time consuming; nevertheless, thanks to new software such as CerTus<ref name="CerTus"/> and many more, it has gotten faster and more efficient to complete. It must be said though that it requires an experienced and knowledgeable manager who can successfully identify and assess all the risks to find a way to reduce them, but unfortunately some people argue that it is not easy to find these types of experts and that the educational system should put more emphasis on the topic of safety risk management in order to have more professional engineers able to conduct a thorough analysis of risks<ref name="Akintola"/>.		This process requires filling out a lot of paperwork, depending on the law and documents required by each country, and therefore it used to be very slow and time consuming; nevertheless, thanks to new software such as CerTus<ref name="CerTus"/> and many more, it has gotten faster and more efficient to complete. It must be said though that it requires an experienced and knowledgeable manager who can successfully identify and assess all the risks to find a way to reduce them, but unfortunately some people argue that it is not easy to find these types of experts and that the educational system should put more emphasis on the topic of safety risk management in order to have more professional engineers able to conduct a thorough analysis of risks<ref name="Akintola"/>.

Michele.ferrante: /* Assessment */

2023-05-07T08:36:45Z

Assessment

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:36, 7 May 2023
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	- Qualitative, it is a simple way which consists in evaluating how likely it is that a risk can cause an accident and its potential impact through interviews, brainstorming and checklists<ref name="Long"/>; afterwards, the risks are placed in a matrix called risk assessment matrix that illustrates all the risks ranked based on their severity and probability (low, serious/medium and high)<ref name="Ripub"/> as it can be seen in figure 1.		- Qualitative, it is a simple way which consists in evaluating how likely it is that a risk can cause an accident and its potential impact through interviews, brainstorming and checklists<ref name="Long"/>; afterwards, the risks are placed in a matrix called risk assessment matrix that illustrates all the risks ranked based on their severity and probability (low, serious/medium and high)<ref name="Ripub"/> as it can be seen in figure 1.

	[[File:Risk_Matrix.jpg\|~~300px~~\|thumb\|right\|Figure 1: Risk assessment matrix, <ref name="Ripub"/>]]		[[File:Risk_Matrix.jpg\|600px\|thumb\|right\|Figure 1: Risk assessment matrix, <ref name="Ripub"/>]]

	- Quantitative, this is a more complex method that aims at estimating how often a risk can impact the workers and its gravity<ref name="Long"/>. There are different ways to assess risks by using method, such as the tree analysis or the Monte Carlo simulation.		- Quantitative, this is a more complex method that aims at estimating how often a risk can impact the workers and its gravity<ref name="Long"/>. There are different ways to assess risks by using method, such as the tree analysis or the Monte Carlo simulation.

Michele.ferrante: /* Limits of the safety risk management process */

2023-05-07T08:25:27Z

Limits of the safety risk management process

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:25, 7 May 2023
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	= Limits of the safety risk management process =		= Limits of the safety risk management process =
	Construction sites are dangerous workplaces with numerous sources of risk, therefore it is vital to find them and eliminate ~~them~~ or at least minimize them.		Construction sites are dangerous workplaces with numerous sources of risk, therefore it is vital to find them and eliminate or at least minimize them.
	The process described is quite effective and in theory it should eliminate or mitigate all the risks present in a construction site. However, nothing is flawless or perfect and there are always elements that are overlooked or neglected that end up causing accidents, sometime lethal, as it is illustrated in the figure 2 below.		The process described is quite effective and in theory it should eliminate or mitigate all the risks present in a construction site. However, nothing is flawless or perfect and there are always elements that are overlooked or neglected that end up causing accidents, sometime lethal, as it is illustrated in the figure 2 below.

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	This process requires filling out a lot of paperwork, depending on the law and documents required by each country, and therefore it used to be very slow and time consuming; nevertheless, thanks to new software such as CerTus<ref name="CerTus"/> and many more, it has gotten faster and more efficient to complete. It must be said though that it requires an experienced and knowledgeable manager who can successfully identify and assess all the risks to find a way to reduce them, but unfortunately some people argue that it is not easy to find these types of experts and that the educational system should put more emphasis on the topic of safety risk management in order to have more professional engineers able to conduct a thorough analysis of risks<ref name="Akintola"/>.		This process requires filling out a lot of paperwork, depending on the law and documents required by each country, and therefore it used to be very slow and time consuming; nevertheless, thanks to new software such as CerTus<ref name="CerTus"/> and many more, it has gotten faster and more efficient to complete. It must be said though that it requires an experienced and knowledgeable manager who can successfully identify and assess all the risks to find a way to reduce them, but unfortunately some people argue that it is not easy to find these types of experts and that the educational system should put more emphasis on the topic of safety risk management in order to have more professional engineers able to conduct a thorough analysis of risks<ref name="Akintola"/>.

	In general, the process meets its goal of eliminating and minimizing the residual risks, the reason why there are still accidents and deaths occurring on a daily basis is not entirely because of the process itself, but rather because of unidentified risks, design flaws, lack of training and precaution when working<ref name="Accidents"/>, which is why workers always need to be trained and taught to be on constant alert and how to behave when facing a risk; preventing is better than curing.		In general, the process meets its goal of eliminating and minimizing the residual risks; the reason why there are still accidents and deaths occurring on a daily basis is not entirely because of the process itself, but rather because of unidentified risks, design flaws, lack of training and precaution when working<ref name="Accidents"/>, which is why workers always need to be trained and taught to be on constant alert and how to behave when facing a risk; preventing is better than curing.

	~~Overall, as much as we try to predict the risks in the design phase or attempt to find them in the construction site, there will always be unknows, elements that we are not aware of~~.

			Overall, as much as we try to predict the risks in the design phase or attempt to find them in construction sites, there will always be unknows, elements that we are not aware of.

	= Annotated bibliography =		= Annotated bibliography =

Michele.ferrante: /* Inspections/Maintenance */

2023-05-07T08:22:24Z

Inspections/Maintenance

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:22, 7 May 2023
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	== Inspections/Maintenance ==		== Inspections/Maintenance ==

	A fundamental aspect of this whole process is related to inspecting and conducting maintenance on all the ~~PPE~~ and other protective equipment or measures taken because if they malfunction or fail to fulfill their purpose, they could put some workers at risk. If some PPEs are defective or broken, they should immediately be fixed and, if it is not possible, they should be replaced with new ones by the employer.		A fundamental aspect of this whole process is related to inspecting and conducting maintenance on all the PPEs and other protective equipment or measures taken because if they malfunction or fail to fulfill their purpose, they could put some workers at risk. If some PPEs are defective or broken, they should immediately be fixed and, if it is not possible, they should be replaced with new ones by the employer.

	An important role in relation to the inspection is also played by the workers themselves since they should also be trained to ensure they can identify a malfunctioning PPE to then report it to the manager straight away who should subsequently substitute it with a new one.		An important role in relation to the inspection is also played by the workers themselves since they should also be trained to ensure they can identify a malfunctioning PPE to then report it to the manager straight away who should subsequently substitute it with a new one.

	Each PPE has specific instructions specified by the manufacturer that should be taken into account by the safety manager, especially the section about the maintenance of the equipment, such as: how to identify failures, the average service life of the products, and so on. It is the safety manager’s responsibility to ensure that the measures put in place are effective and continue to ~~be effective~~ during the construction process by inspecting and monitoring the risks constantly<ref name="Martin"/>.		Each PPE has specific instructions specified by the manufacturer that should be taken into account by the safety manager, especially the section about the maintenance of the equipment, such as: how to identify failures, the average service life of the products, and so on. It is the safety manager’s responsibility to ensure that the measures put in place are effective and continue to do so during the construction process by inspecting and monitoring the risks constantly<ref name="Martin"/>.

	= Limits of the safety risk management process =		= Limits of the safety risk management process =

Michele.ferrante: /* Treatment/prevention */

2023-05-07T08:20:33Z

Treatment/prevention

Michele.ferrante: /* Identification */

2023-05-07T08:13:09Z

Identification

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:13, 7 May 2023
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	The project manager or whoever is responsible for the safety of the workers should gather as much information as possible regarding similar projects and the accidents and risks that were identified<ref name="Ripub"/>. This is a great way to use past databases that can help spot the sources of risk in today’s construction sites.		The project manager or whoever is responsible for the safety of the workers should gather as much information as possible regarding similar projects and the accidents and risks that were identified<ref name="Ripub"/>. This is a great way to use past databases that can help spot the sources of risk in today’s construction sites.

	Furthermore, communication is vital in many areas, including risk identification; it is suggested to talk to other engineers, project managers or even the workers to see if the can contribute to the process of identifying the risks also ~~replying~~ on their experience in past works<ref name="Ripub"/>.		Furthermore, communication is vital in many areas, including risk identification; it is suggested to talk to other engineers, project managers or even the workers to see if the can contribute to the process of identifying the risks also relying on their experience in past works<ref name="Ripub"/>.
	Since many accidents are caused by equipment or tools, it could be useful to verify the instructions of everything the workers will have to use in order to assess the hazards they might encounter<ref name="Ripub"/>.		Since many accidents are caused by equipment or tools, it could be useful to verify the instructions of everything the workers will have to use in order to assess the hazards they might encounter<ref name="Ripub"/>.

	Overall, this firs phase of the safety risk management process ~~replies~~ on the knowledge and experience of the project manager who has to identify the risks or third party individuals who might be involved like the manufacturers of tools or the workers themselves.		Overall, this firs phase of the safety risk management process relies on the knowledge and experience of the project manager who has to identify the risks or third party individuals who might be involved like the manufacturers of tools or the workers themselves.


	== Assessment ==		== Assessment ==

Michele.ferrante: /* Overview of safety risks */

2023-05-07T08:06:52Z

Overview of safety risks

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:06, 7 May 2023
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	= Overview of safety risks =		= Overview of safety risks =

	A construction site can be a rather chaotic place with plenty of risks that can pose a threat to the health and safety of ~~the~~ workers.		A construction site can be a rather chaotic place with plenty of risks that can pose a threat to the health and safety of workers.
	Some of the most common risks workers can face in a construction site are<ref name="OSH"/> :		Some of the most common risks workers can face in a construction site are<ref name="OSH"/> :

	- Falls from different heights that can involve workers or objects ~~falling onto workers~~ which can cause small injuries, permanent physical disabilities or even death in the worst cases. A few important points to take into consideration are the slipperiness of the floor where workers are operating, the type of shoes they are wearing and also the protection elements around them that could prevent them from falling, for instance the horizontal bars on a scaffolding		- Falls from different heights that can involve workers or objects which can cause small injuries, permanent physical disabilities or even death in the worst cases. A few important points to take into consideration are the slipperiness of the floor where workers are operating, the type of shoes they are wearing and also the protection elements around them that could prevent them from falling, for instance the horizontal bars on a scaffolding

	- Vibrations, typically caused by construction tools workers have to handle and vehicles. This type of risk does not immediately evolve into an accident, however it can cause professional illnesses in the long run depending on the level of exposure		- Vibrations, typically caused by construction tools workers have to handle and vehicles. This type of risk does not immediately evolve into an accident, however it can cause professional illnesses in the long run depending on the level of exposure
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	- Noises, similarly to vibrations, they can be caused by tools and machineries. If not minimized, it can cause issues to the hearing system and in the worst cases, even permanent hearing loss		- Noises, similarly to vibrations, they can be caused by tools and machineries. If not minimized, it can cause issues to the hearing system and in the worst cases, even permanent hearing loss

	- Respiratory, this risk depends usually on: the environment in which workers are operating, such as in not well-ventilated closed rooms or the sewer system, the type of products they are using which could be toxic if inhaled, for example spray paints, and also the type on material they are operating on that could pose a threat to their respiratory system, like asbestos		- Respiratory, this risk depends usually on: the environment in which workers are operating, such as in not well-ventilated closed rooms or the sewer system, the type of products they are using which could be toxic if inhaled, for example spray paints, and also the type of material they are operating on that could pose a threat to their respiratory system, like asbestos

	- Handling of heavy materials, this could generate issues to muscles and especially bones such as the spine depending on the methods used to handle the materials and the number of times a worker needs to lift an object		- Handling of heavy materials, this could generate issues to muscles and especially bones such as the spine depending on the methods used to handle the materials and the number of times a worker needs to lift an object
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	Essentially, safety risk management is a fundamental part of project, program and portfolio management because it is critical to protect and preserve the lives of whoever is involved in the construction of the projects by adopting strategies or following the regulation.		Essentially, safety risk management is a fundamental part of project, program and portfolio management because it is critical to protect and preserve the lives of whoever is involved in the construction of the projects by adopting strategies or following the regulation.


	= Management of safety risks =		= Management of safety risks =

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:20, 7 May 2023
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	As already mentioned, after having identified and evaluated the risks, it is vital to eliminate them in order to make the environment as safe as possible. However, quite often many sources of risks can not be eradicated, therefore they must be minimized through different ways.		As already mentioned, after having identified and evaluated the risks, it is vital to eliminate them in order to make the environment as safe as possible. However, quite often many sources of risks can not be eradicated, therefore they must be minimized through different ways.

	One of the most effective ways to treat risks is by adopting PPE personal protective equipment<ref name="Ripub"/>, this is probably ~~the~~ one of the most effective steps in guaranteeing safety in a construction site. Workers are in general obligated to wear PPE, however there are times when they need to wear a specific type of equipment only when necessary, such as protective goggles and masks when spray painting or when slicing wood or materials that release harmful particles which might end up in the eyes or be inhaled. Nevertheless, when working on strategies to protect workers, collective protective strategies should always be prioritized over individual ones, such as PPE, since they tend to be passive, meaning that there is no human action required.		One of the most effective ways to treat risks is by adopting PPE personal protective equipment<ref name="Ripub"/>, this is probably one of the most effective steps in guaranteeing safety in a construction site. Workers are in general obligated to wear PPE, however there are times when they need to wear a specific type of equipment only when it is necessary, such as protective goggles and masks when spray painting or when slicing wood or materials that release harmful particles which might end up in the eyes or be inhaled. Nevertheless, when working on strategies to protect workers, collective protective strategies should always be prioritized over individual ones, such as PPE, since they tend to be passive, meaning that there is no human action required.

	Here are a few collective ~~details~~ that should be taken into account:		Here are a few collective precautions that should be taken into account:

	- Limit the number of workers who could be exposed to a risk		- Limit the number of workers who could be exposed to a risk
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	- Limit the chemical products workers might be exposed to		- Limit the chemical products workers might be exposed to

	- ~~Making~~ sure the workplace is as safe as possible		- Make sure the workplace is as safe as possible

	- Try to minimize the amount of ~~time~~ workers are exposed to risks		- Try to minimize the amount of times workers are exposed to risks

	- ~~Evacuation~~ plans and measures in case of an emergency		- Adopt evacuation plans and measures in case of an emergency

	- ~~Installing~~ safety signs in places where a risk is not completely eliminated.		- Install safety signs in places where a risk is not completely eliminated.

	An aspect that is even more important than treating the risks is prevention, which focusses on preventing a risk from causing an accident in the first place.		An aspect that is even more important than treating the risks is prevention, which focusses on preventing a risk from causing an accident in the first place.

	Something fundamental when it comes to prevention is to inform the workers about the risks they might encounter in the construction site and prepare/train them on how to behave and tackle them; this can be done ~~thought~~ courses and workshops supervised by the employer<ref name="Ripub"/>.		Something fundamental when it comes to prevention is to inform the workers about the risks they might encounter in the construction site and prepare/train them on how to behave and tackle them; this can be done through courses and workshops supervised by the employer<ref name="Ripub"/>.

	Furthermore, all workers should frequently be checked by a professional doctor to make sure they are in good health ~~condition~~ to work efficiently and, if for instance they are not due to long exposure to noises, they should be treated properly and rest until it is necessary.		Furthermore, all workers should be frequently checked by a professional doctor to make sure they are in good health conditions to work efficiently and, if for instance they are not due to long exposure to noises, they should be treated properly and rest until it is necessary.


	== Inspections/Maintenance ==		== Inspections/Maintenance ==