Construction Management: Health and Safety Practices Report-GBS

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of construction management practices with a specific focus on health and safety. It examines the intricate procedures for ensuring the well-being of workers, supervisors, and the public, highlighting the significant risks involved in construction and the necessity of hazard control systems. The report discusses the importance of adequate worker education, mental health support, and thorough project evaluation. It details key government legislations such as the Health and Safety Act, Electricity at Work Regulations, and Confined Spaces Regulations. Furthermore, the report emphasizes the role of collaboration and communication in fostering safe construction practices and explores the benefits of legislative changes, including optimized resource utilization and enhanced safety measures. The report concludes by evaluating the impacts and potential drawbacks of health and safety legislation, such as the risk of compliance being treated as a bare minimum and the potential for a shortage of skilled workers. The assignment is available on Desklib, a platform offering a range of study tools and resources for students.

Construction
Management and
Practices

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
Health and Safety in Management in Construction....................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
Government legislation for health and safety in construction....................................................4
TASK 3 ...........................................................................................................................................5
Collaboration and communication for safe construction practices.............................................5
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................6
Benefits to construction industry from legislation changes........................................................6
TASK 5............................................................................................................................................7
Health and Safety Legislation Impacts and its demerits.............................................................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
The term construction simply defines the methods, procedures applied to build a certain
object whether virtual; or physical, such as construction of buildings or other similar structures.
The construction industry not only contributes towards the development of civilization, but also
towards evolution of the economy. Most of the construction is performed by individuals with
relevant skills and knowledge, however this field also has its own drawbacks, such as significant
amounts of risk towards the labourers. Hence application of proper and effective management
tools to mitigate risks involved in construction, is not only crucial but also mandatory (Mesaroš,
2018). This report analysis the various advantageous of maintaining the health and safety
measures in the industry along with examination of how the legislation impacts these measures.
TASK 1
Health and Safety in Management in Construction
The procedures followed for health and safety are intricate and complex which includes
workers at the site, nearby people, supervisors and managers. Henceforth, applying adequate and
coherent methods to ensure safety of each and every individual involved in the construction
process are necessary. It is obvious that, during the whole construction process, the risk is
significant, which requires proper hazard control system and supervision by the experts. As per
the International Labour Organisation, construction leads to a notable amount of accidents such
as falls, crush injuries and electrocution (Agyekum, 2020). To mitigate the risks related to
construction process, following ways should be implemented:
 Adequate education provided to the work force – The workers who physically perform
the construction process, are at the higher risk, as compared to those who mentally
program such process. Due to lack of crucial knowledge and transient workforce, certain
workers may be prone to accidents and hazardous situations. To avoid any type of
catastrophe, the management should lay emphasis on hiring the skilled and experienced
workers, who are well versed with the dynamic process of construction. Additionally,
monitoring of activities, should be made mandatory for keeping track of any
irregularities. An appropriate tactic to assess how workers are melding in, is to allot them

with few minute sessions, in between there work, for them to provide a review about how
they will be performing a task and hazards associated with it.
 Prioritise the well being of workers – As per the report published by the United States
Center for Disease Control, the construction and evacuation industries reveals the highest
suicide rates among males of all crucial professional segments. Furthermore, in a study
conducted by the Midwest Economic Policy Institute, it was revealed that almost 15% of
the individuals employed as construction workers, suffered from substance abuse. These
instances urged construction companies to concentrate on maintaining safety measures as
well as being aware about the workers mental health (Yang, 2020). All of such issues can
be dealt with, by usage of employee assistance programs, where a secured portal is
provided to the workers, to discuss there personal issues and not feel overly burdened.
 Evaluating the project – Before undertaking a potential project, the management must
address whether all of the individuals assigned for the task are well aware about there
prospective roles, if additional requirements are supposed to be fulfilled for any role and
whether each of them are aware about the legal requirements governing the project.
Moreover, they must also be understand the range of jobs required, such as electricians,
iron workers and plumbers. Due diligence should also be applied for identification of site
specific requirements.
TASK 2
Government legislation for health and safety in construction
Construction practices always involves usage of significant rules and regulations, which
are governed by multiple authorities, for safety of every individual on the job. For mitigating risk
in construction procedures, the government defines following acts and regulations:
 The Health and Safety Act – This act is defined as an Act of Parliament that sets out
the framework for assessment and evaluation of health and safety protocols, drafted to
implement rules and regulations for safety of workers. Moreover, the act characterises the
overall duties and procedures to be followed by employers, workers and managers, for
maintaining safety in work premises (Walters, 2019). The act can be named as the

elemental part of legislation led down by the government, also the statutory instruments
included in the provisions, act as complement.
 The Electricity at Work Regulations – The act is applicable for all aspects of the
electrical systems which are used in the construction premises. Those charged with the
responsibility of managing the electricity, should build systems in a manner which
prevents danger in conditions such as extremes of weather, temperature and corrosive
surroundings (Loureiro, 2020). Under this act, only skilled, knowledgable and
experienced personnels should be appointed for carrying out construction activities.
 The Gas Safety Regulations – The act defines and evaluates guidelines related to the
individuals assigned duties such as installation, service, maintenance of gas appliances
and other gas fittings. Provisions described within this act, are related to duties of the
landlord who is required to safely install the gas appliances, to avoid catastrophe.
 The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations – For protection of the workforce from
the health related risks caused by the vibrations, this act defines regulations for
restrictions in values for hand, arm and whole body vibrations. The exposure value is set
at 2.5 m/s^2 A(8) at which employers are required to implement technical measures for
reduction of exposure (Torres, 2018). Furthermore, the value limit of exposure should, at
no cost, exceed 5.0 m/s^2.
 The Confined Spaces Regulations – The various provisions related to confined spaces
which are enclosed in nature, are defined under this regulation. It identifies and
understands the adverse conditions created in limited spaces and tries to mitigate them
through precautionary measures related to explosive atmospheres, harmful gas, excess of
oxygen and excessively high temperature. Along with above provisions, the employers
must obtain a permit to work for certain activities required by the construction project.
TASK 3
Collaboration and communication for safe construction practices
Communication among the employees and workers is the core aspect of successful
workplace management, which will help reduce risk related in construction projects. Without
proper communication, the individuals assigned for various tasks will not be able to perform
effectively in dynamic work environment. By conducting regular meetings with employees, to

check for any irregularities and gaps in their jobs, the management can build collaboration and
avoid mistakes (Tayeh, 2021). Additionally, setting timely goals and objectives will help benefit
safety of every person as well as provision of a safety platform where employees can caution
there co-workers about how important the safety protocols are and to avoid risky workplace
behaviour. The right balance between communication and collaboration helps improve teamwork
among the workers who do at times, avoid precautionary measures or regulations set for the
construction project. In this manner, the production of output is improved and accidents on
premises are reduced along with an effective use of the time and resources available for a certain
activity. To ensure, necessary safety protocols are being followed, the employers should hire a
supervisor, who is well versed with the techniques and workings in the construction industry. By
collaborating with the workers at all levels of the team, all of the claim holders can access
prospective goals and objectives at any time within the construction project time period.
However, both communication and collaboration in the work culture may cause challenges, if
workers get permanently accustomed in a specific manner, with the same co workers, with this
being the case, the workers may resist to the changes and ever changing nature of the civil
industry.
TASK 4
Benefits to construction industry from legislation changes
 The regulations set for construction industry are thoroughly evaluated before enforcing
them in public, therefore, such law and provisions included in it, are based on scientific
laws and facts. Furthermore, these rules also identifies and addresses the properties of
building material used and all of the inherent hazards they may cause.
 The construction activities in both private as well as public sector are booming in current
century, hence the resources available must be optimally utilized, so as to conduct
activities and tasks sustainably (Marín, 2019). Also, most of the construction work relates
to the residential and commercial industries, which require complex and just provisions
to regulate the performance, for nullifying the ill effects in this area of industry.
 Pre-planning the activities becomes mandatory when the job requires intricate set of tasks
to be fulfilled. Hence, the law equips various personnels such as engineers, architects as

well as the workers, to follow a specific pathway for execution of activities. This will
prevent unnecessary development which, in no manner, relates with the primary task.
 The most important objective of regulations defined for this field is to act as the saviour
for every individual working in this field, that is to provide them with rules which ensures
safety against health hazard, noise pollution, structure related failures and natural
calamities. In other words, the law restricts illegal practices which puts workers at risk
and at the same time, encourage reasonable and safe practices, for establishing coherent
project plans.
TASK 5
Health and Safety Legislation Impacts and its demerits
Various studies are already executed, which examines the behaviour and attitudes of
employees after and before the implementation of rules and regulations led down by the
government with respect to construction activities of all types. The studies revealed common
outcomes in context to how workers reacted to the implementation of management strategies on
the basis of the law (Kim, 2020). Out of such outcomes, it was obvious that employees found
these regulations to be better for there safety, supervises them effectively, equips them with
knowledge and reduces exposure to malfunctions. However, construction law also has certain
demerits, which are stated as follows:
 Bare minimum standards – The compliance requirements under the law are often
treated as bare minimum by the builders, and they only concentrate on following the rules
and regulations defined internationally, so as to avoid penalties or being identified as
illegal builders. It is not necessary that the provisions described by the law, are sufficient
for a project, due to the fact that every construction project is differently designed and
requires specifically designed rules, hence the managers should concentrate on going
above and beyond the basic and mentioned protocols.
 Shortage of skills – The construction industry has argued that adequate amounts of
benefits and proper safety can better managed if master builders or individuals with
substantial period of experience, guide and execute the project. As codes tend to be less
flexible and not property specific, the requirements needed for training and other specific
skills have unbelievably decreased, with shortage of construction workers on the rise.

 Safety over Quality – The safety is defined as the fundamental objective of building
codes, however it is not necessary that every builder follows such requirements (Chen,
2021). With training needs avoided and rigid provisions implemented, the builders
concentrate more on quality of the work provided then the safety of workers involved in
the process. This can be avoided, only if construction teams and the public work in line
with the government for ensuring proper procedural requirements and less adverse
contingencies.
CONCLUSION
The above report critically analysed and defined the various aspects of construction
management and how it has developed itself as a significant tool in the building industry. By
highlighting the multiple acts and regulations drafted to reduce workplace disasters and to
guarantee the safety of workers, the portfolio spreads awareness about the dangers involved in
construction. Also, various ways are discussed to make employers proactive and help them make
crucial decisions before any unlikely situation arises, while following the law enforceable by the
government.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Mesaroš, P., Mandičak, T., Vukomanović, M. and Kolarić, S., 2018, November. Comparison of
BIM education process in construction management field at Technical University of
Košice and University of Zagreb. In 2018 16th International Conference on Emerging
eLearning Technologies and Applications (ICETA) (pp. 379-384). IEEE.
Agyekum, K., Ghansah, F.A., Tetteh, P.A. and Amudjie, J., 2020. The role of project managers
(PMs) in construction health and safety implementation in Ghana. Journal of
Engineering, Design and Technology.
Yang, R.J., Gunarathna, C.L., McDermott, V., Lingard, H., Zhao, H. and Liu, C., 2020.
Opportunities for improving construction health and safety using real-time H&S
management innovations: a socio-technical-economic perspective. International journal
of construction management, 20(5), pp.534-554.
Walters, D. and Quinlan, M., 2019. Representing workers on occupational safety and health:
some lessons from a largely ignored history. Industrial Relations Journal, 50(4), pp.399-
414.
Loureiro, M.L. and Alló, M., 2020. Sensing climate change and energy issues: Sentiment and
emotion analysis with social media in the UK and Spain. Energy Policy, 143, p.111490.
Torres, V.N., Silveira, L.G., Lopes, P.F. and de Lima, H.M., 2018. Assessing and controlling of
bench blasting-induced vibrations to minimize impacts to a neighboring community.
Journal of Cleaner Production, 187, pp.514-524.
Tayeh, R. and Issa, R.R., 2021. Developing Construction Information Systems Courses Based on
Collaboration between Industry and Academia. Journal of Architectural Engineering,
27(3), p.04021016.
Marín, L.S., Lipscomb, H., Cifuentes, M. and Punnett, L., 2019. Perceptions of safety climate
across construction personnel: Associations with injury rates. Safety science, 118,
pp.487-496.
Kim, S.Y. and Nguyen, V.T., 2020. Supply chain management in construction: critical study of
barriers to implementation. International Journal of Construction Management, pp.1-10.

Chen, Y., 2021, May. Research and Thinking on Construction Management Techniques of
Highway Pavement. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol.
769, No. 3, p. 032068). IOP Publishing.