eBusiness Weekly
Engineering and Construction Matters
Innocent Chatikobo
Introduction
Occupational health and safety is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health and welfare of the people at work. It encompasses regulations and procedures intended to prevent accidents or injury in workplaces or public environments.
Employee safety and health programmes should be a major priority for management because they save lives, increase productivity, and reduce costs. Good health and safety management is characterised by strong leadership involving managers, workers, suppliers, contractors and customers.
Workplace health and safety is about promoting positive well-being, in terms of employee comfort, happiness and contentment. Every job has its own unique risks or hazards. Both employer and employee are responsible for worker health and safety.
Employee provides a healthy and safe workplace
Employee takes seriously, understand the hazards they are exposed to and work with their employer to minimise the hazards
Importance of safety at the workplace
a) Its morally right to ensure your workers return home safe and healthy at the end of every working day.
b) Workers are more productive in workplaces that are committed to health and safety.
c) It saves lives / reduces risks of death to workers.
d) Increases productivity and job satisfaction.
e) Reduces costs / fewer occupational health costs.
f) Reduces risk of injury and illness.
g) Less anxiety and stress for employees (better mental health).
h) Higher morale among employees.
Hazards / sources of risk in construction and engineering
Construction and engineering workers provide vital services but they are subjected to many risks. Workplace injuries can either be acute or chronic
a) Acute injuries — usually from accidents or sudden exposure. We try to prevent them through good safety measures.
b) Chronic injuries — result from cumulative exposures which happen over time or from repetitive motion performing the same task over and over again which causes chronic pain and musculoskeletal damage.
Some of the risks or hazards which workers are exposed to at an engineering and construction site are the following;
Material handling injuries e.g. straining of back by lifting heavy objects such as steel, bricks, etc.
Airborne contaminants causing injury of lungs with exposure to toxic substances e.g. cement dust; fumes during welding of galvanised and painted items
Excessive noise.
Being struck by moving objects e.g. machines such as forklifts.
Falls — due to unstable working surfaces and steep slopes such as roofs.
Trench collapses.
Improperly assembled scaffolds which also cause falls.
Electrical incidents — overhead and underground cables.
Burns from chemicals and hot surfaces.
Slips and trips from spillages and crowding of workplaces.
Overhead cranes — loads moved over workers.
Falling objects e.g. bricks, which cause serious head injuries. Hard hats can assist with that
Exposure to chemicals can cause burns and respiratory problems. They can also trigger fires and explosions causing severe injuries to workers.
Hand arm vibration
Ways of maintaining safety at a workplace
Provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) e.g. helmets, work suits/overalls/dustcoats, safety shoes, safety goggles, respirators, ear protection, fall arrest system like safety belts, etc.
Display of safety sign boards / warning labels.
Providing information and employee training.
Prepare a health and safety policy, and implement a health and safety management system for your business.
Having and using the right workplace facilities and tools. Use the right tool for the right job at the right time.
Availability of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for each chemical present during construction to help in handling of chemicals.
Involve workers in risk assessment to increase their buy in and ownership of their own health and safety.
Rotation of workers to ensure one worker is not constantly exposed to a hazardous workstation.
Keep workspaces neat, tidy and free of clutter and spills to avoid falls.
Roll over protectives (ROPs) on vehicles.
Fall over protectives (FOPs) on machinery and equipment such as forklifts, cranes, tractors.
Machine guards on all moving parts such as belt drives, chain and sprocket drive and gears.
Electrical insulations and proper earthing .
Scaffolds netting and proper setting.
Report accidents, near misses, and work-related illnesses.
Have a readily available and fully equipped first aid kit on site.
Appointment of safety officers.
Discouragement of negative behaviours e.g. taking risks to save time or effort.
Re-design some ways the jobs are done to lessen hazards e.g. if continuously exposed to dust and other particles from construction, you can add ventilation fans and ducts.
Workers should get right training first on how to operate a piece of equipment.
Conducting Job Safety Analysis (JSA) to identify hazards and potential risks and determine control measures to prevent accidents
First Aid
It is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life. In some cases, it may be the only care a person needs.
The purpose of first aid is to minimise injury and future disability. First aid prevent deterioration, a delay of first aid on the scene can worsen the situation and cause further harm.
It promotes recovery, relieve pain and protects the unconscious. First aid is administered immediately after the injury occurs and at the location where it occurred.
How to practice first aid
Check for dangers to the injured person and yourself. Clear the danger if any, or move the individual away from further harm. If he is wearing glasses remove them.
Once danger has been cleared, check if the patient is conscious and alert.
Check whether the airway is clear, if not, try to clear it. Remove any obstructions from the mouth
Ensure the individual is breathing effectively. Examine chest for movement and the mouth for signs of breathing.
If person is breathing safely, carry out a rapid whole-body check for open wounds, deformities, swellings, etc. any bleeding wounds should be dressed immediately.
Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
If the person is not breathing, the first aider needs to perform CPR. The purpose of CPR is to maintain the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and heart, preventing or delaying tissue death.
It prevents brain damage. There are two main steps in CPR namely Applying chest compressions and then providing breaths.
Chest compressions: using your hands, push the breastbone / chest up and down.
Provide breaths: pinch the nose so it closes, take a deep breath, seal your mouth over that of the person with the injury then exhale into the airway. Ensure that the chest rise and fall. To get another breath, lift your head and breathe in deeply and repeat the exhaling.
Repeat the chest compressions follow by the two breaths about five times and then check for normal breathing. If there is no change yet, carry on performing the CPR.
First aid kit
It’s a box, bag or other container that holds essential supplies used to treat common injuries such as cuts, scrapes, bruises, sprains etc. to come up with a suitable first aid kit we consider the following aspects
Type of work to be done.
Hazards and the likely risks associated.
Size of workforce.
Workplace size.
Work patterns of staff.
History of accidents at workplace.
Proximity to emergency medical services.
Some of the common items required in a first aid kit for the engineering and construction site are: gauze swabs; crepe bandages; Elastoplast; latex gloves; triangular bandages; heat rub; eye ointment; eye gene; wow bandage; methylated spirits; alcohol swabs; betadine solution; cotton wool; pain killers; antibiotics.
Relationship between safe workplace and sound business
A safe workplace plays a significant role in ensuring that the business is making meaningful profits. It contributes in the following ways among others:
Reducing of costs including reduction in workers compensation premiums.
Increased productivity and enhancement of overall business operations through reduction of absences.
The trauma associated with accidents can lead to substandard performance.
Reducing down time caused by illness and accidents means less disruption hence saves business money.
Commitment to health and safety attracts more investors and partnerships as well as customers. Good health and safety record builds trust in your reputation and brand, hence business growth.
Commitment to safety attracts top talent and you won’t have to spend time and money trying to find replacements.
This week’s questions
In Zimbabwe what are some of the acts that deal with workplace health and safety for the engineering and construction sector?
Innocent Chatikobo is an entrepreneur and engineer by profession with AtroServe Engineering Zimbabwe. He has extensive knowledge and experience in Structural Engineering and Construction. For your comments, views, questions and feedback he can be contacted on the following platforms Cell: +263 777 950 224; +263 712 376 037; +263 782 502 732. Email: [email protected]; Facebook: AtroServe Engineering Zimbabwe
