Assignment-1 | ACME Construction Inc.| Case Study

Running head: ASSIGNMENT 1
ASSIGNMENT 1
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1ASSIGNMENT 1
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion..................................................................................................................................3
Summarize the main legal OH&S requirements in your province that apply to this accident
................................................................................................................................................3
Description of the workplace factors that apply to this incident, its importance and
relevance with respect to the accident....................................................................................4
Description of three accident causation approach or model was chosen for investigation....5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
References..................................................................................................................................9
Appendix..................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
ACME Construction Inc. is a prime contractor involved in construction projects of a
large road. It is a unionized company hiring unionized contractors and subcontractors; thus,
250 to 350 people were working in the current project site. Out of these, 100 people are the
employees of the company. It is considered as a progressive firm having strong and
committed management in terms of health and safety that ensure the general welfare of the
employees and contractors [1]. There is a formal safety program in place within the company
and before any project; a copy of it is being to the contractor working on the site. One of the
main goals of the project is effective communication at each step and thus, regularly, safety is
discussed with a weekly discussion of safety meetings. ACME undertook the current
construction project on a multiple-employer, major transportation-infrastructure project. It
involves building an elevated highway, which is parallel to an existing highway in the largest
city of the province. The commencement of the project began in May and the accident took
place on June 18. A crane was lifting a beam to the top of the piers that it fell. This lead to the
death of two or three people and some were seriously injured. The reason for the falling was
not confirmed and one of the ends was free from rigging that pinned two workers who were
spotting the lift. Some pieces of concrete broke off; fell and hit a traffic control person as well
as the supervisor. The crane was damaged, a pick-up truck was crushed and a large piece of
one of ‘T’ was missing. The aim of the assignment is to critically evaluate the frictional
scenario given and evaluated the findings as per the organisational health and safety
framework. This includes a discussion of three accident causation approach or models that
can be applied in this particular incident.

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Discussion
Summarize the main legal OH&S requirements in your province that apply to
this accident
According to the dominion of Canada, there are fourteen jurisdictions, a federal, ten
provincial and three territorial that include the context of the occupational health and safety
(OH&S) legislation. It can be noted that for most people residing in the country, the agency
that is contacted is either provincial or territorial in nature, with few exceptions. As per the
federal legislation, it covers the employees within the federal government that compromise
the Crown agencies and corporations across the nation. The OH&S legislation in Canada
summaries the basic rights, responsibilities and duties of an employer, the workers and the
supervisors with the help of an Act or statute as well as other related regulations. The
regulations are made under the Act and, thus, defines the enforcement and application of the
Act. As per the provision, it can be seen each of the legislation have different OH&S
regulation based on the particular location or area [2]. In an organisation, the occupational
health and safety policy is a statement of rules and principles that help in serving as a guide
for action. The senior management is found to be committed to ensuring that the policy is put
into place [3]. From the analysis of the accident that took place in the month of June, it can be
predicted that there were issues within the project, or the guidelines of OH&S legislation
were not taken into consideration. From the frictional case study, a phone was made to the
health safety manager at 3 PM, stating that there was an accident at the construction site. This
had led to the death of a few people and injured some; thus, it can be noted that it poses harm
to both the people and machines. As per the Canada legislation, training is one of the
mandatory aspects that need to carry out prior to the commencement of any large-scale
construction project. This would give formal training to the employees to evaluate each risk
that may pose a threat to living and specifically help in mitigating them. This is a case of
legal obligation because it had caused harm to human lives; thus, it is important to investigate
the causes, factors and other aspects that were responsible for the occurrence of the accident.
The OH&S legislation state that the employers need to be accountable for protecting the
health and safety of its employee and in this case, the subcontractors associated with the
construction project. The inspectors from the government department who are under the
health and safety jurisdiction can carry out the enforcement. In case of severe injury or death,
charges may be laid upon the crown attorneys or police under the section of 217.1 of the

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Canada Criminal Code [4]. This imposes a duty on the employers and others responsible for
protecting public safety and employees.
Description of the workplace factors that apply to this incident, its importance
and relevance with respect to the accident
According to the report of OSHA, 3945, worker injuries had occurred in 2012,
specifically in the private sector. Approximately 19.6% had occurred in the construction
industry, which stated that the prevalence of accidents in this particular sector is more
because there are a number of workplace factors associated with it [5]. From the study, it was
found that the top cause that leads to the death of a construction worker was falls. Struck by
object, caught-in or between and electrocution. These are stated as fatal four that are
responsible for causing one-third of the causalities in the construction sites or projects. Other
factors may be responsible for causing the accident that attributes to negligence, unsafe
working condition, ineffective usage of tools or equipment and lack of usage of protective
wearable while working in the sites [6]. As per the analysis conducted on the above-stated
accident, the identification of workplace factors applicable to this incident was made. From
the initial assessment, the cause of death that took place was due to struck by objects. From
the study, it was found that about 78 construction workers had died due to this factor in 2012
[7]. It can be stated that the number of deaths can be avoided in case the workers had
undergone effective and proper training or had knowledge related to the proper usage of
machinery and equipment. The risk and odds that occur due to the impact of the falling object
can complicate the situation. In this case, a large beam fell from which the concrete pieces
broke off and rolled to hit the people. One of the reasons that may have occurred was due to
inappropriate handling of the crane that did not grip the beam in a proper manner, which may
lead to falling off. Another work-related factor that may lead to such an incident was in an
appropriate size of the beam that was built by labour in the construction or was brought from
outside [8]. The state that there was a lack of knowledge in relation to creating appropriate
materials. Mechanical or technical issues are one of the factors that are uncontrollable in
nature and maybe one of the causes of the accident. It can be stated that while working with
the crane, the occurrence of technical issues may have occurred that can be confirmed by
assessing the machine by a specialist [9]. The unavoidable issue that needs to be focused may
support the construction company to avoid any legal bindings. The managerial issue or
organisational culture can be blamed in this case. It can be noted that working at night is a
factor as it causes problems with visibility or lighting and sleep deprivation. Therefore, it can

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be stated that a multifactorial aspect was associated with the accident. In accordance with the
findings, appropriate approaches and models in evaluating the incidents.
Description of three accident causation approach or model was chosen for
investigation
An accident causation model is stated to be a systematic method that is used for
determining the specific causes of the accident. As per the opinion of the author, an accident
is stated to be an elaborate event that involves various undertakings and aspects within a
single space and time [9]. Therefore, the identification of the causes related to a specific
accident can be tedious and hard undertakings because of the consideration of several
variables at one time. Thus, the use of different approaches and models have been developed
that particular take into account a pre-defined set of variables in order to investigate the
accident [10]. The approaches and models that have been considered include Peterson’s 10
Principles of Safety Management, Single vs. Multiple-Causes Accident Causation Models
and the Three E’s approach.
According to Peterson, ten principles of safety management can be implemented in
order to support the role of the administration in the prevention of accidents. The unsafe act,
condition, or accident are symptoms of some issues within the management system.
Therefore, it states there are a set of circumstances that are responsible for producing severe
impacts. The circumstances can be categories as unusual, non-productive, high energy, or
other certain construction activities. In order to manage safety, the function of the company
needs to be evaluated. This opined that management has a direct influence on the safety of
the employees [11]. There are certain vital elements within the safety program that need to be
focused. The two most important aspects of a safety program are organisational culture and
environment. The accountability, flexibility in timing, employee involvement and team
efforts can be perceived to improve the safety factor in an organisation. It is important to
have statistical validation of the accident in order to understand the impact of it on any
organisation. In this particular accident, it is not only the death of people that lead to legal
implications, but the organisation also needs to diagnoses the effect, repair the machine and
offer compensation to the employees in order to suffice the situation. Prediction of the
associated risk and planning for it may be an important principle in safety management [12].
This will be beneficial in focusing on the physical condition that ensures regulatory
compliance and helpful in mitigating the associated events. The prospect of management and
leadership are two critical aspects that help in the maintenance of safety and development of

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effective culture. It can be stated that ACME Construction Inc. did not consider this approach
as it did not reflect on the health safety program that might have led to such an accident. The
second model that was considered in analysis the case was single vs. multiple-cause accident
causation models. The single-cause concept stated there is one focal event that leads to the
occurrence of the accident. In case the single factor can be avoided or prevented, the accident
would not occur in the future; therefore, the researchers that focus on this approach focuses
on identifying and analysing the root cause and mitigating it [13]. On the other hand, the
multiple-cause concept holds the idea that accident occurs due to several associated factors
that occur before and after the accident. Even though this method has a limitation in
perceiving the complex elements for developing a suitable framework and the presence of
underlying human factors makes it difficult in nature. Thus, it can be stated that some of the
accident investigators accept the theory of single-cause. The occurrence of an accident is
seldom due to a single factor and there is the presence of various complex events and
interrelated factors that combine at a given point to result in a loss [14]. As found in this
particular accident, there were a number of associating factors, which went wrong before as
well as during the accident. From figure 2, it can be seen that the hook-up point was found to
be thin and maybe was not strong enough to hold the beam. This stated that the worker using
the crane was not capable to understand the weight of the team and its requirement. The
organisational factors that are working for long hours, working at night and insufficient
training modules for the workers have led to such an incident in the present context. The
factor of beam construction needs to be considered, as it is an external stimulus of the
accident [15]. Thus, the utilisation of the multi-cause accident causation model was used for
specifying the reasons for the accident. One of the major limitations that were observed in
this incident was the pre and post-accident safety measures implemented were poor. No
healthcare professionals who could attend the injured people in the construction site were
present; the emergency services were on the way, as stated in the case study. The latter
approach that was used in the investigation process was The Three E’s approach. As per the
study, the concept of accident causation theory and modeling is new and developing in
nature. The early theories and models were focused on the faults and errors of humans, which
was considered as the root cause of accidents [16]. The ‘three E’s approach was developed
for preventing the accidents that were proposed by Julian Harvey in the 1920s. The three E
include Engineering, Educating and Enforcing that involve mechanical tools, personnel and
knowledge related to rules and procedures of safety management [17]. The process of modern
thinking emphasizes safety management systems as well as the promotion of safety culture

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that is thought to be the most critical factor of accident prevention. As per the current
accident causation theories, it can be claimed that human error is unavoidable and thus, it is
important to have room for such errors. The second version of the three E approach is to
educate, equip and empower that help in analysing the factors that do not motivate in
adopting safety measures [18]. Jim Lippert developed a revised version of the accident
causation; a better version of this approach included educating, equip and empower. The
education indicates that offering skills, abilities and knowledge for adopting work safety by
training, offering information, supervising and implementing safety programming. The
second element is equipped that offering a safe and secure environment, which will be used
for controlling the physical hazards and giving them opportunities to the personnel to work in
a safe environment [19]. The third element is to empower that can be applied to minimise the
risks related to the organisation by giving the power or authority to make decisions that are
best-suited in the course of actions and implementation of change, if any, found in analysing
the accident [20]. With the development of the theories, models and approaches over time,
another version of this approach was established. In this particular approach, the components
include ergonomics, empowerment and evaluation that particularly assess the situation for
preventing any kind of accident [21]. The ergonomic factors involve the development and
implementation of a proper relationship in terms of working behaviour and human attitudes,
and empowerment involves giving authority to the staff of an organisation for making a
difference. The evaluation process involves obtaining feedback that is required for
improvements and implementation of new safety management [22]. From the utilisation of
the model, the health safety manager was able to evaluate the factors that were not motivating
in adopting the safety measure while constructing the highway. The time factors and
constraints in relation to other factors came into play that paved the way toward the
occurrence of the accident. From the collaborative approach and knowledge from the model
used by the health safety manager, the critical analysis of the factors and variables both
internal and external of the organisation was identified that had been responsible for the
events that took place during the accident [23]. Moreover, it can be stated that the models and
approach were frameworks that were lacking in the safe practice of ACME as a result of
which it led to a detrimental scenario that is the death of two people on the spot. Therefore, it
can be stated that the managerial, as well as technical faults, were found that affected the
safety management program to a large extent. The program was unable to incorporate the
important elements that require more attention from the authorities, health safety managers,
as well as project managers who are responsible for decision-making purposes [24]. There

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was the presence of ethical and legal implications that were found to be associated with this
accident that require special attention from the legal advisors of the organisation.
Conclusion
From the assignment, it can be stated that the accident was primarily due to
organisation factor or workplace factors that affected the health and well-being of the
employees working in the construction process. As per the finding, it can be seen that within
a month’s time, the construction went so speedily that the beam was installed over the
spreading footing. From this aspect, it can be stated that the employees, contractors and
subcontractors had worked day and night without any form of a break to complete the project
within a stipulated deadline. This lead to the poor condition of the employees of ACME
Construction Inc. as they were mostly sleep-deprived in nature. There is an issue related to
working at night as it affects visibility due to poor lighting conditions. Despite the use of
large lights installed within the areas, it does not suffice. Sunlight is stated to be the best
natural source of light that will help employees to work effectively. In addition, the training
and safety program module of the company was put into question as it had led to such a
devastating scenario. The impact was severe as it had led to the death of few people and some
had been seriously injured. The post-accident operations that had been found to occur from
the above-stated case study were not sufficient or effective in nature. This indicates that there
were serious issues related to training, lack of expertise, or skills in handling the machines. It
was found that the elements used in the crane were not in tandem with the weight of the beam
that it was carrying. From the aspect of OH&S, it can be stated that the company needs to
have adopted a practical approach or model such as the three E’s approach, Single-cause vs.
multi cause accident causation model, or ten principles of safety management by Peterson.
This would sufficiently addressing the issues of accidents and would help in mitigating the
risk factors associated with this case.

9ASSIGNMENT 1
References
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Construction Company, Inc. 2020 [cited 12 February 2020]. Available from:
https://acmeconstruction.com/about-us/
2. Ccohs.ca. (none) [Internet]. Ccohs.ca. 2020 [cited 12 February 2020]. Available from:
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/legisl/responsi.html
3. Ccohs.ca. (none) [Internet]. Ccohs.ca. 2020 [cited 12 February 2020]. Available from:
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/basic.html
4. Ccohs.ca. (none) [Internet]. Ccohs.ca. 2020 [cited 12 February 2020]. Available from:
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/legisl/responsi.html
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construction safety improvement. Safety science. 2015 Jun 1;75:107-17.

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science. 2018 Nov 1;109:398-402.

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23. Benner Jr L. Accident investigation data: Users’ unrecognized challenges. Safety science.
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1855-1863). CRC Press.

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Appendix
Figure 1: Pictorial depiction of the highway
Figure 2: Up lighting of bean through crane