Improving Quality in Construction Thru Safety

1. Improving Quality in Construction Thru Safety

2. Facts • Construction has the third highest rate of death by injury • 15.2 deaths per 100,000 workers • Only mining and agriculture experience higher rates

3. Leading Causes of Death • Falls from elevations • Motor vehicle crashes • Electrocution • Machines • Struck by falling objects

4. Machinery Elevated work surfaces Electrical Hazards Temperature Extremes Pressure Hazards Bloodborne Pathogens Fire Hazards Radiation Noise Falling/Impact/ Lifting Industrial Construction Hazards

5. Mitigation Methods • Safety Training • Site Specific Orientations • Safety Meetings • JSA/JHA • Job Site Audits • Safety Committee’s • Accident Investigation

6. Safety Training • Allows the employee to learn the general company rules. • Sets the minimum expectations required by the company. • Instills the company core values on new employees. • Existing employees are refreshed periodically.

7. Site Specific Orientation • Gives the employee a more thorough look at their specific work area. • Specific and unique hazards to specific areas are identified. • Allows interaction between instructor and employee. • Specific questions can be answered.

8. Safety Meetings • The daily job scope can be reviewed in a general manner between workers and supervisors. • Specific safety issues can be looked at more in depth. • Daily issues can be addressed. • Allows time for feedback between supervision and workers.

9. JSA/JHA • Allows the crew involved in a job to stop and plan a job before beginning. • Bigger jobs are broken down into smaller more specific tasks. • The hazards associated with each task are then identified. • Mitigation for each hazard is then planned.

10. Job Site Audits • Usually conducted by a safety representative or a supervisor. • Checklists are used to help identify potential hazards. • Employee’s knowledge in emergency situations is tested. • Records are kept to track progress.

11. Safety Committees • Gives the ground level employee a chance to be heard by management. • A member of each crew represents the group and brings up any issues or ideas to the meeting. • The informality of the meeting gives its members a relaxed feeling and allows for better feedback.

12. Accident Investigations • Accidents are caused, they don’t just happen. • Incidents are backtracked and contributing factors are determined. • A good investigation isolates the root cause of an accident. • Corrective actions are then recommended to avoid reoccurrence of a similar accident.

13. Conclusion • Collectively, all of these items contribute to a good safety program. • Safer and healthier employees produce more efficient work and are generally happier. • The end product is a healthy work force and a quality final product.