Health and Safety in Construction Assignment 2022

HEALTH AND SAFETY IN CONSTRUCTION 1
Health and Safety in Construction
Name of Student
Institution Affiliation

HEALTH AND SAFETY IN CONSTRUCTION 2
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Project background.................................................................................................................3
Extensive background of the topic.............................................................................................3
Health and safety issues identification...................................................................................3
Classification of injuries and hazards.....................................................................................6
Countermeasures....................................................................................................................6
Risk assessment......................................................................................................................9
Moving objects and vehicles.............................................................................................10
Accidents..........................................................................................................................10
Conclusion................................................................................................................................12
References................................................................................................................................13

HEALTH AND SAFETY IN CONSTRUCTION 3
Introduction
Project background
Health and Safety Issues in the Construction Site
There are four significant factors which greatly influences the risks and hazards
experienced in the construction field. For instance: an increase in accidents due to non-
compliance, managing of safety in complicated sites, poor safety culture or lack of safety
management, and inadequate planning. Conversely, the hazards and risk related to health
range from a wide variety, and are almost same in construction sites, with less variation. In
this case study, some of the hazards and health safety issues which are likely to be
experienced in the construction (demolition of the existing site structures associated with the
above ground pool showroom and the erection of a mixed commercial / residential
development with basement parking) are explored. The structure also consists of a total of 10
commercial tenancies ground level providing a floor area of 1,532m2, offering a mix of retail
uses.
Extensive background of the topic
Health and safety issues identification
The construction stage first have to consider the demolition of the existing structures and then
the first phase of the construction. Some of the likely construction injuries, hazards, and risks
that may occur during the construction stage include;
 Falls from Working at heights
In regards to working at heights, unstable working surfaces, particularly those off the ground
can be a likely cause of accidents in the site. There is likeliness of human error, restricted
mobility, and accessibility, as well as failure or misuse of safety equipment. The high height
might result in faults which either degenerates into death or permanent injury. The reason
why this becomes a possible event is that there is the excavation of the previously existing
site and reconstruction of new facilities. It implies that trenches and pits will be dug and

HEALTH AND SAFETY IN CONSTRUCTION 4
during the rebuilding, the pits may act as points of danger and hazards to the constructors
when they are not safely guarded (Liu and Tsai, 2012).
 Falls from Collapse of part of the building
This construction will involve buildings coming down and going up. Further, there will be
excavation of the trenches. At any given point during the installation of the structures,
erection, and demolition, falls might be experienced from the trenches, excavations, walls,
and scaffolding which might expose the constructers to health risks (Jeelani, Albert, and
Gambatese, 2016)
 Accidents due to Moving objects and vehicles
With the busy construction activities, taking and offloading of the construction site materials,
it implies that the busy nature of the construction site is likely to results into fatalities. For
instance, the moving up and down of the equipment’s and vehicles may easily knock down a
construction worker who may expose the individual to health risk. When a review is done in
2015-2016 years alone, 11% of the deaths realized were particular coming from the plant and
cranes, forklifts and the volume of traffic during the transportation of the materials. Further,
heavy objects and materials may likely fall on someone and restrict the movement of the
person (Baykara, Karatepe, and Doğru, 2011).
 Electricity
Electrical energy is a significant source of the hazard to the workers in a construction site; not
just the workers alone but another person else. Safety of the workers needs to be a priority
when it comes to either working underground or close to overhead lines. For instance, during
the construction of the swimming pool and other facilities, there is likeliness that water may
be handled in a disorganized manner (Tak et al., 2011). Thus, when it comes into contact with
naked electrical wires, it may easily electrocute most of the construction workers. Further, the