Casugbo, Cyrel Vince S.

Safety Management

REFLECTION PAPER ABOUT CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

As the video shown by us from my professor there is a lot to maintain during a

construction or before a construction began. Safety precautions and safety
hazards must be implemented during the construction. PPE is a must and proper
use of equipment’s such as power tools and power vehicles must be learned.
This video helps us to be aware and alert to certain situations to prevent
accidents and provide safety on our surroundings to maintain a healthy
environment on the construction site. During a construction there’s always way to
prevent accidents such as consulting the supervisor before using an equipment
and following orders to avoid unnecessary cautions. Do not put anyone in danger
due to our actions. The video shows us to be alert all times, put warnings on
everything that is dangerous. Proper use of equipment’s such as scaffolding,
ladders, power tools, safety helmet, safety gears, reflective vest are examples of
PPE that is required for every workers on a construction site.

Proper use of safety harness are present on the video such as hooking up on
safety rails when working on high point such as buildings to prevent falling
accident. Use of ladders to reach hig point it should be 1 feet away for every 4 ft
height from where its leaning. We also keep in mind of our head that’s why we
need to wear safety helmets. Falling debris from a construction site is
unavoidable so the company should put a safety net or safety cover to prevent
falling debris accident on pedestrians below. The video also shows us the proper
writings on hazardous place such as holes,hazardous chemicals that are present
on the site. This safety precautions will help other workers identified which is
which.

There are many employees who doesn’t bother about their surrounding hazards.
But, it is important to observe your co-employees working circumstances. Once
you get to know about the particular hazards that occur at your workplace, then it
will help you in reducing the risk and allow you to take the precautionary steps.It is
essential that you wear the right protection equipment tools during your work.
And, the equipment’s can be in any form like, earplugs, earmuffs, hard hats,
gloves, full-face masks, safety gloves and any other equipment which is required
to wear while working. These tools will prevent the workers from the incidents that
occur at workplace.

Hard hats are common on construction sites. Just passing by a site, you can
usually identify workers by their hard hats. They are designed to protect against
flying or falling objects that would otherwise impact or penetrate the worker.
Some hard hats are equipped with accessories such as face shields and
earmuffs. Hard hats should be well-fitted; those that are too large or too small are
inappropriate for use.

Eye and face protection are equally as important as head protection. Safety
goggles, spectacles and full face shields can give you the protection needed for
the eyes and face. Metal work, wood-work, hot-work and air-tool operations all
require this type of protection.

Respiratory protection is vital on sites where toxic substances are present.

Sometimes what you can’t see can hurt you. Respiratory protections like
respirators are designed to protect you from dust, fumes, paint spray, pesticides
and other dangerous substances that could cause permanent impairment.
Respiratory protection should be used in environments with air contaminants.
Earplugs and earmuffs are common hearing protection tools. It is important to
note that earmuffs are more effective in reducing high-frequency noise while
earplugs are more effective for reducing low-frequency noise.

Take appropriate precautions while using machinery or any other tool, instead of
taking any shortcuts. Taking shortcuts is one of the biggest reason behind
workplace loss. It’s a biggest safety risk to use scaffolding as a ladder or one tool
instead of another for a particular job. So, it is always recommended to use the
correct tools and reduce the opportunity of workplace injury. Whenever, you want
to carry or lift up some heavy equipment’s then you should use a conveyor belt,
crank or forklift. There are lot of risks involved, if you try to lift something which is
heavier, it can affect your weighing capability and can lead to some muscle
displacement. So, make sure that use the appropriate tools for not harming
yourself.

Using PPE, and wearing it properly, is vital to avoid unnecessary injury in the
workplace. Choosing not to wear PPE can be dangerous especially when it could
save your. life Supervisors always provides workers with necessary PPE unless
otherwise noted. Never hesitate to ask temporary staffing agencies if they have
the necessary PPE. Safety is important and having an understanding of these
various protection devices can help to prevent hazardous injury.

Construction safety is very important for each and every employee in the industry
because all the workers work in a safe and protected atmosphere. Health and
safety is the factor for all the industries in order to promote the wellness of both
employees and employers. It is a duty and moral responsibility of the company to
look after the employee’s protection.
Each and every person who leaves his home for his work in the morning should
come back to his home in evening in good health. . This is the only reason that
why it is important to create a safe working environment.

These days, workplace health and safety procedures are important for the well-
being of both employees and employers because human loss is immeasurable
and intolerable. Such as loss or injuries can employ major loss to the families.

All the industries do have safety risks but the management should devote their
time to think and strategize the things that what safety precautions are required in
their company to make sure that their workers are safe enough for all the time.
Also, the management should confirm with all the workers related to their daily
work and comfort. So, that the management can take the same step according to
the desired aspects of workers. This helps them in improving the productivity and
quality of the products and lot more.
The construction industry can be a risky place to work. The construction industry
has always been hound with an abundance of reportable accidents. Accidents
include not only direct physical injury to person or damage to property but also
short and long-term effects or incidents due to other exposure on sites that can
affect the worker's health and physical well-being. Accidents are the direct results
of unsafe actions and conditions, both which can be under controlled. Employers
are obligated to provide a safe working environment for their workers.
Regardless of the type of work they perform, whether it's pouring concrete to
repair heavily trafficked roadways or poring over accounts receivables in the
finance department, employees should never be in a position where their
physical safety is in jeopardy. The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration is the federal agency responsible for enforcing workplace safety
regulations. The meaning of safety and employers' responsibilities to prevent
injuries vary according to the type of working conditions
Construction site accident cases tend to be very complicated. It is not always
easy to assign the blame for the cause of injury in the site. Responsibility may fall
on the company, the contractor or the Engineer in charge. Additionally, there are
rules, regulations, and standards intended to guarantee a workers safety.
However, most workers do not follow it. The group visited several numbers of
construction sites with an aim to evaluate and observe safety operations done
inside the construction site. Likewise, this will supplement the discussions
acquired in the classroom for a contemporary understanding and application

Having identified some of the hazards and unsafe conditions inside a

construction site, we also need to analyze the consequence to understand and
avert the impending contingencies that might arise. When we place the frequency
level of hazards and unsafe conditions around the work area, there is a very high
probability of an impending undesired occurrence of an accident. The potential
damage that might result in life, assets, environment, and reputation of the
company is such that cannot be overlooked. The situation is one that calls for an
immediate response by management to ensure that appropriate measures are
taken to control the above risk factors to “as low as reasonably practicable.”

To minimize the safety concerns and unsafe safety operations. The following
recommendations were made: There should be a health and safety and committee
in place to ensure that every task to be performed by every worker is carefully
planned and all the hazards associated with it is apparently identified. This involves
the following processes: All the personnel to perform the task should be identified,
and their competence assured. The various tools and equipment to be used for the
job should also be acknowledged and tested. Any noticed shortfalls in performance
must be rectified and made ready for use. All the personal protective equipment
required should be identified, provided and the understanding of the usage is
explained.

Personal protective equipment must be made available at all cost. It has

been commonly observed that most of our workers carry out their duties without
these pieces of equipment and apparels which are supposed to be worn to protect
them against the hazards existing in the job. It is also essential to note that the
lifespan of the personal protective equipment as well as the frequency with which
it should be issued to a worker. There should be strict adherence to the different
safety policy inside of a construction site.

Provision of safety signs, pictures, and slogans: Considering the literacy

level of some of the workers, it will be most useful to communicate safety to them
using boldly printed safety signs pictures and slogans around the construction site
premises. Safety Signs and slogans must be displayed in a place where workers
will easily see it. The Policy “No PPE, No Entry” must be strictly followed.

The safety officer’s main aim is to prevent accidents, injuries and work-
related illnesses in the workplace. Their role is to create and implement health and
safety policies in accordance with the latest legislation and to ensure that these
policies are implemented by management and employees. One of their most
important roles is undertaking regular inspections and risk assessments, and
ensuring that any hazards or defects are rectified immediately. They will also keep
an accident book and must record and thoroughly investigate any accident,
recommending any improvements in safety standards if required.

Accidents should be prevented instead of treated.