Construction Safety Essay Example

Construction Safety Essay Construction Safety Name: Institution: Date: We will write a custom essay sample on Construction Safety specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Construction Safety specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Construction Safety specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Construction Safety The science studies how man relates to his work and applies theory, principles, data and methods to design a favorable working condition. Ergonomics seeks to understand the needs of a worker in his work place by eliminating bottlenecks such as inefficient, unsafe, unhealthy, and uncomfortable work situations and basic practices. This is mainly done by taking into account the physical and psychological capabilities and the limitations of a worker. Ergonomics ensures that the employer maximizes on the capabilities rather than the limitations. Ergonomics takes into account factors such as body movement and body posture. It also considers environmental, operational and organizational aspects of the work place. All these factors play a central role in ensuring efficiency of employees at the work place. The main concern of managers at construction sites is to ensure the safety of the work environment for the workers. Construction safety considers how management of ergonomics integrates the safety management philosophy and technique in guaranteeing safety on the construction sites. Safety management philosophy outlines general necessities on how to prevent injury or loss of life and to protect a work environment from fire, explosion and procedural dangers (Sutton, 2011). Ergonomics of management should consider these issues in designing a safe work environment out of a construction site. Application of ergonomics should also consider the physical and psychological impact of the work to the employee. Construction companies should employ ergonomics to ensure that injuries that are usually because of error are non-existent at the place of work. Physical factors include the body posture and body movement while at work. In a construction site, many things have to be moved up and about a building under construction. In this process, the site worker is exposed to many dangers. Back injuries are the most frequent injuries in a construction site. These injuries usually result from applying oneself to much on the job. In any workstation, postural support is necessary for managing loads on the spinal and appendages (Proctor Vu, 2005). For example, a worker while hammering nails on to a roof may stay bent in the same position for a long time with out relieving or supporting himself. The prolonged position may cause a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) that may negatively influence how he performs other tasks later and may involve errors. Ergonomics should explore options that would make employee mobility safer and less strenuous. Controlling human error is important to avoid any major injuries while working. The deteriorating health of employees costs money and business performance and reputation. If these issues continue to arise then one risks losing a business. A good business should promise heath and safety to achieve high value productivity. The finest working systems are centered on a well-trained staff, with appropriately designed work that is relevant to the person’s skills. The physical, organizational and mental effect on a person at the workplace can affect their well being and safety and affects their output. Consider a worker who needs to apply a huge amount of their strength in doing performing a task. Increased energy use, increases the chances of injury occurrence. People may see a challenge if the mental demands of a job is too high. If this is the case, then this can pose a health issue, but it can also affect the quality of the work produced. Similarly, if individuals have no clear-c ut idea of what their job entails, they may lack the drive to work and the job will suffer. The work of the safety manager is ensuring issues are handled to maximize the productivity of an individual at work. A company must undertake a risk assessment to determine the various issues that may negatively affect productivity. A company must assess the rates of injuries in their construction sites to determine their need of an ergonomics program. Even if there is none, it is important to employ this program for assurances that they will never arise. Several elements must be considered to guarantee that an ergonomics program is successful. To begin with, employer must commit time, employees and resources at their disposal to ensure the program succeeds. There has to be someone in charge with the ability to effect the changes made due to the program. Employees must be actively involved in identifying the problems and suggesting solutions to the problems. There also has to be a system that identifies risk factors in the site. There also has to be a system to research, acquire, and apply resolutions arrived at such as new equipment. Management also has to be trained on procedures being implemented. It will also be vital for management to guarantee that medical cover will be available for the injured workers. U ltimately, the system has to be regularly revisited to cater for new problems that may affect the work place. Ergonomic factors depend on the environment, work factors and the organizational factors. It also considers the human and personal attributes that manipulate conduct at work and can influence safety and health. Ergonomics ensures that all these factors are evaluated to determine the flaws in a system that might compromise health and safety in construction sites. In short, to apply ergonomics in a work place, there has to be a comprehensive risk assessment based on certain areas. In the workplace, errors are bound to occur. This is possible despite the level of training the workers may have. The costs arising from this error can be too much to bear. Errors are believed to be the number one cause for accidents. It should be a necessity to ensure that systems employed by the construction managers are error free. A risk assessment will therefore determine what causes the errors and now this could be solved. One of the factors that create room for error is fatigue. Strauch (2004) asserts that fatigue impairs performance. Fatigue also makes a person less aware of procedures that are supposed to be followed leading to accidents. The safety managers at constructions site have to develop a system that reduces fatigue. For example, they can make workers movements as minimal as possible by limiting their work areas. Another area to look at is the procedures put in place at the construction sites. Procedures are usually instructions that guide what a worker is supposed to do at the work place on specific tasks. If employees do not follow procedure, an error will likely occur. An error then means a possibility of an accident occurring. A risk assessment therefore determines the procedures put in place are appropriate enough to avoid error. If the guidelines are effective, then competency of the worker should be put into question and a decision should be made. Procedures need to be followed to the later. Human competence is therefore vital. For a worker to be competent, he must be trained. The safety manager has to ensure that the every employee has the necessary skill set to operate the machinery on sit. If not, the employee must be given adequate training. Competence must be associated with the responsibilities a worker has. Safety manager must always ensure that the worker remain competent in their areas of work. This will mean training of workers when needed to adapt to new industry standards. A competent worker should be able to adequately trained handle risky situations. If a site manager feels a team is not sufficiently competent, then it would be important for them to outsource services from elsewhere. Staffing means having the right people to handle a job assigned to them. These people must be in the right place and at the right time always. It is important t6o have staffing levels that will enable workers to work in an organized manner. Staffing organization ensures that people operate as directed. This reduces the frequency of accidents since everyone knows their roles. Through staffing, workers can be assigned a workload. It is important that the safety manager ensure that the staff is not over worked. Too much work may mean that the job will be hurriedly and the require quality will not be met. In the workplace, it is necessary to have effective communication patterns. The information in the site can either be written or spoken. Written signs can be put up in various locations that are considered dangerous. This will ensure that everyone on the work site is aware of the danger zones in the building. The safety manager should make sure that the relevant areas are marked appropriately. The safety manager should also consider who has to initiate communication about safety concerns. For example, the supervisor has to communicate the relevant safety measure a worker has to take everyday before work begins. Ergonomics must be introduced into the organizational culture of an organization. An organizational culture is the process of doing things in an organization. A consistent culture nurtures a productive and successful business entity (Schein, 2010). A safety manager at a site must ensure that safety measures are part of the organizational culture. Culture has a great influence on how workers perform on the job. Culture forms the basis through which and worker will gauge the acceptability of his behavior. If it is the organizations’ culture for workers uphold safety at all times then, everyone will insist on being on the safe side all the time. References Dul, J., Weerdmeester, B. A. (2008). Ergonomics for beginners: A quick reference guide. Boca Raton: Taylor Francis. In Proctor, R. W., Vu, K.-P. L. (2005). Handbook of human factors in Web design. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Strauch, B. (2004). Investigating human error: Incidents, accidents, and complex systems. Aldershot, England ; Burlington, VT: Ashgate. Sutton, I. S. (2012). Offshore safety management: Implementing a SEMS program. Waltham, MA: William Andrew.