Health and Safety Management at the University of Lancashire - Case Study Example

Health and Safety Management [Client’s Name] [Subject] [Professor’s Name] Workplace safety requirements for construction sites are usually stringent considering various risk factors that are continuously present in the worksite. With about 2.2 million individuals work in Britain’s construction industry, Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain’s government agency for workplace health and safety, is apt to implement strict rules, regulations, and other legal boundaries that construction companies must conform to in order to operate within England’s political domain (HSE 2009). In cases where special construction equipments are used in the job site, it is necessary that the installation, operation, and management of the special equipments qualify the standards set out by local and national laws, statutes, and regulations. This report details the health and safety procedures that University of Lancashire must follow in order to conform to the standards set out by HSE and other British government agencies in operating the luffing tower in the construction site. In addition to the standard construction requirements, heavy duty equipments such as the luffing tower needs to be assessed based on the potential workplace hazards it may bring. Statutory Requirements All the workplace health and safety requirement issues in construction sites are embodied in The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 Number 320 along with the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 (CHSW). In general, the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 aimed to protect the health, safety and welfare of individuals that are directly or indirectly affected by any construction works. The main target of CHSW are employers, self-employed individuals that have some degrees of control over the progress and development of any construction project, employees whose main duty is their own safety towards their work, and anyone on and off site that has direct or indirect risk issues associated with health, safety, and welfare in any construction project. In general, the risk issues that CHSW covers consist of eleven factors which are: safe places of work (regulation 5) which is a general requirement for all construction sites; precautions against falls (regulation 6 and 7) which attempts to address the most fatal cause of construction site accidents by imposing safety measures and standards to prevent falls; protecting workers and civilians from falling objects (regulation 8); prevention of any accidents of collapse of any structures erected through strict conformance of work-site standards (regulations 9, 10, and 11); prevention of any underground collapse from excavation sites and similar occurrences (regulation 12 and 13); avoidance of drowning incidents (regulation 14) related to regulations 6,7, 12 and 13; construction of organized routes and pedestrian lanes to ensure the safety of those within the construction premise (regulations 15-17); prevention and containment of site-related emergencies by installation of appropriate and accessible health care facilities (regulation 18-21); installation of welfare facilities to ensure sanitation and comfort to employees (regulation 22); and provisions for site-wide issues (regulations 23-26). Apart from the health, safety and welfare requirements required by CHSW 1996, construction plans and projects must also conform to CDM regulation 2007. CDM regulation 2007 no 320 encompasses all of the stakeholders involved in any construction activities, not just those who needs protection from construction risks. This regulation is generic for all construction projects. Unlike CHSW which focuses on the safety requirements of the employees involved in construction sites, CDM 2007 defines the responsibility of those that commission the construction project. It defines what the ‘client’ as someone who has the building works carried out or the commissioner of the project. Overall, CDM 2007 subjects the ‘client’ to: determine and ascertain the competency and resources of individuals and contractors involved; make certain that there are enough provisions for project welfare facilities in the management plans; consider giving ample amount of time and resources to all phase of the construction; provide designers and contractors all the necessary information they need to know before construction commences; appoint a principal contractor as well as appoint a CDM coordinator; ensure that no actual construction work shall commence unless all the resources, manpower, and plans are ready for deployment; and the client must conform to the standards set by CHSW at all time. The roles of the ‘client’ identified in both CHSW and CDM 2007 include implications on management and control of special equipments like the luffing tower, particularly on the operational safety requirements and implementation. Operational Health and Safety Details In conformance with both CHSW and CDM 2007, it is highly recommended that the construction management as well as the administrators of University of Central Lancashire conform to the requirements set by HSE through both construction regulations discussed. The following are some of the suggestions for suitable safe systems of work for daily operations that will conform to the standards set out by both CHSW and CDM 2007: 1. University of Lancashire will be the ‘client’ defined by CDM 2007. the school will be responsible for the selection and appointment of the primary contractor as well as the one that will provide the CDM coordinator all the necessary information the agency will require with regards to the construction project. 2. All plans and executions on the construction site must be geared towards the safety of all those who are and who will be involved in the construction work. In conformance to regulation 5 of CHSW, all the blue stages of the construction work must include all health and safety requirements. No work shall progress unless the client through the help of the CDM coordinator will review and approve of the plans laid. 3. Provisions for ladders, safety elevators, and other mechanisms that elevate workers, equipments, and resources must be installed within the premise. Particular attention must be made in the installation of the luffing tower, preferably in the location within the construction site that would place it away from civilians and buildings. In the same manner, unsafe construction practices as well as structures must be eliminated before, during, and after the construction process in order to ensure the safety of all the individuals involved in the construction project. This means that all designs, planning and management of all excavations, structures, and structural support must all pass the required standards of operation set by HSE through CHSW and CDM 2007. 4. Provide emergency health care facilities that are complete and are accessible to anyone in the construction site. Pavements and routes must be strategically located so that foot and vehicle traffic would not be directly exposed to construction risks such as moving objects or falling debris. Sanitary provisions must also be installed. Hazard Details for Luffing Tower A hazard is something that may potentially cause harm. Construction place hazards can be equipments, work processes, the presence (or absence) of substances, and other aspects of the construction workplace. Some of the most common hazards associated with operating luffing tower cranes are the following: 1. Structural failure – most luffing towers are assembled on site. The possibility of assembling the tower piece by piece allows assembly risk such as falling components, malfunctioning electronics and hydraulic parts, mistakes in installation, and similar structural failure hazards that may cause damage to nearby structures or may cause accidents to operators and job site workers alike. Structural failure is the most frequent risk factor that introduces workplace hazard when operating a luffing tower. 2. Crane collapse – Although crane collapse can be categorized to structural failure, not all crane collapse is caused by any mistake committed during the installation of the equipment. The main function of the luffing tower in the job site is to move either horizontally or vertically very heavy objects within the construction site. Any slight misalignment of the bolts, the lever, and the whole mechanism that supports the crane structure may cause the collapse of the equipment. The most common reasons for structural failure leading to crane collapse include poor design of tower base, wrong torque used on the bolts used in tower base, incorrect installations of crane ties and joints, and incorrect use of counterweights. Hence it is necessary that risk factors associated with this hazard be contained. 3. Falling objects and people – the risks of people falling from the luffing tower may appear in the installation part of the crane. Some parts of the luffing tower needs to be installed when the whole tower is already erected like the cables, hydraulics, and electronic components of the tower. More often than not, crewmen are assigned to perform the complex installation process while the tower is standing at rest. These crewmembers are exposed to certain risks of falling; either while going up, going down, or while the installation process is ongoing. In the same manner, tools, parts, and other equipments carried by the crewmen while installing them may also fall towards unsuspecting workers. 4. Contact or collision with other objects – This workplace hazard would only occur if there is no sufficient clearance between the erected luffing tower and nearby infrastructures. This may also occur when strong winds are present while the tower is operational, affecting the accuracy of the luffing which may cause contact with nearby infrastructures. Control Methods for the Identified Risk Hazards There are five general ways to control and manage the identified risk hazards. These four methods of control are (a) ensuring crane stability, (b) choosing the luffing tower with built-in limiting and indicating devices, (c) tower cranes must have complete and appropriate signage, (d) planning and coordination of tower crane operations, and (e) provision for communication. The inability to achieve and maintain stability of the luffing tower cranes may lead to serious or even fatal injuries in the construction site. This is why the most important risk control for structural failure and crane collapse is to ensure the stability of the crane. Factors such as the stabilizing moment of the crane (or its counterweight), the overturning moment applied by the load, the base and foundation designs of the crane, the anatomical design of crane tiers, and wind speed typically considered when checking crane stability. Counterweights that are too heavy or too light may make the crane unstable hence load charts must always be present to check the load capacity of the crane vis-à-vis its counterweights. The base and foundations of the luffing tower crane must be quality inspected to operate in the geographical design prescribed by the kind of work that will be done in the university grounds. Operating the tower crane in winds more than 60mph can be dangerous as the suspended load may swing in the direction of the wind. Indicating and limiting devices tells the on-board operator the optimal capacity of the equipment. Automated limiting devices usually tip off when certain restrictions were exceeded but not all luffing cranes have these automated mechanisms. Nonetheless, the client must ensure that some forms of limiting and indicating devices must be present in the electronic system of the tower crane. Similarly, the luffing tower crane must have all the signage required to operate. These signs must be located in strategic areas where they can easily be read and interpreted by anyone reading them to allow confusion in the operation and to warn people of the possible effects it may cause. Planning and coordination of tower crane operation is very important. Every individual in the job site directly or indirectly affected with the operation of the crane must be informed so that they may be able to look out for their safety. In addition to that, mobilizing all the individuals, groups or departments that are directly or indirectly affected by the crane’s operation will allow a more efficient and effective work process. For example, working efficiently and optimally for three hours with the crane will minimize the operational hazards of the crane compared to having the crane work for 16 hours. Most importantly, all the individuals working with the train must be equipped with two-way communication systems in order to be updated with the development of the operations, committing less errors, and allowing continuous chain of command to take place. This way, people can be warned before accidents can actually occur; thus keeping people safe and away from harm at all times. Health and Safety Executive. 2009. Proposed Framework Management Statement. Retrieved online from http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/howwework/management/dwphse.pdf on July 27, 2009 Office of the Public Sector Information. 2009. Construction (Design and Management) Regulation 2007. Retrieved online from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/uksi_20070320_en_3 on July 28, 2009 Read More