DRO2533

OSH IN CONSTRUCTION

Lecture 1: Fundamentals of
Construction Safety
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
ARTICLES IN THE MEDIA
 BASIC TERMS
• Safety – the protection of people from physical injury.
• Health – the protection of the bodies and minds of people from
illness resulting from the materials, processes or procedures used in
the workplace.
• Welfare – the provision of facilities to maintain the health and well
being of individuals at the workplace.
• Risk – the likelihood of a substance, activity or process to cause harm
• Accident – any unplanned event that result in injury or ill health of
people, or damage or loss to property, plant, materials or the
environment.
 BASIC TERMS
• Hazard – the potential of a substance, activity or process to
cause harm.
• Forms of hazards:
– Chemical
– Physical
– Biological
– Ergonomics
– Psychological
 SAFETY MANAGEMENT
• Definition: Managing safety, health and welfare of the workers
at a workplace in an organization
• A process of:
– Planning of health safety – policies and objectives
– Leading and directing safe work culture
– Organizing safety and health program
– Coordination of safety programs and training
– Control of accidents, preventions and investigation
 SAFETY MANAGEMENT
Planning policies, Top management
objectives and resources

Leadership and All management levels

commitment

Organizing safety and Management and

health programs employees

Measuring performance
and effectiveness
Management

Review and control

 OSH GOVERNING BODIES
• Ministry of Human Resource – encompass workers and employers state of
safety, health, welfare and human resources matters
• Ministry of Trade and Regulations – ensure potential investors oblige and
comply with regulations
• National Council for Occupational and Safety Health (NIOSH) - provide training,
research and consultation regarding safety at workplace to public
• Dept. of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) – enforce the OSH law and
regulations and monitoring
• Dept. of Environment – enforce environmental law, regulations and monitoring
• Local fire department, town councils and government authorities
• Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) – provide Green Card
Program and provides safety training
 MALAYSIAN OSHA ACT (1994)
• OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Act
• Act 514, 1994
• Purpose – secure the safety, health and
welfare of the people at work against risks to
safety or health at work
FACTORIES AND MACHINERY ACT (FMA) 1967
• Provide for the control of factories on matters relating to the
safety, health and welfare of persons, and the registration
and inspection of machinery.
• High risk machinery - boilers, unfired pressure vessels,
passenger lifts and other lifting equipment such as mobile
cranes, tower cranes, passenger hoists and overhead
traveling cranes must be certified and inspected by DOSH.
“SAFETY IS, WITHOUT DOUBT, THE MOST
CRUCIAL INVESTMENT WE CAN MAKE. AND
THE QUESTION IS NOT WHAT IT COST, BUT
WHAT IT SAVES.”
Robert E. McKee
 WHY MANAGE SAFETY?
o Three main reason:
➢Humanitarian
❑Many workers killed or suffer major injuries
❑Suffer from long term health problems
➢Financial cost
❑Measurable cost
❑Hidden cost
➢Legal requirement
❑OSH is under legislation
❑Could result in action by the relevant enforcing authority
 Insured Costs:
Covering injury, ill health,
damage.

Uninsured Costs:
(8-36 times)
Product, material, tool,
equipment damage.
Legal costs.
Expenditure on emergency
First-aid supplies.
Clearing site.
Production delays.
Overtime working.
Temporary labor.
Investigation time.
Supervisor’s time diverted.
Clerical efforts.
Fines.
Loss of expertise / experience

ICEBERG THEORY
 CONSTRUCTION
• Involves the process of building infrastructure or a facility.
• Comprises six to nine percent of the gross domestic product
of developed countries.
• Offers an example of human multitasking: zoning
requirement, environmental impact, successful scheduling,
budgeting, site safety, transportation of materials, logistics,
public nuisance, bidding, etc.
• Comes from latin constructionem (com – together, struere – to
pile up)
 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
• Ancient times:
– Stone age (as early as 12, 000 BC) – using materials readily available
like mud, wood and stone.
– Constructing simple structures for protection from rain, cold, heat
and snow.
– Development of bronze and iron expanded the possibilities for
constructions.
– Simple shelters grow into planned settlements, villages and cities.
– Small village become large cities and large cities grew into great
civilization.
 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
• Egypt and the pyramids:
– Egyptian begin using stone as their primary building material
resulting in the great pyramids.
– First known building code: code of Hammurabi.
– Dictated acceptable workplace standards.
• Greek influence:
– Build many temples made of marble and limestones.
– Beginning of the building trades concept – skill is honed to a level
of expertise.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
• Roman empire:
– Early form of concrete was invented by the roman.
– Some of the world’s most impressive building were built.
• The industrial revolution:
– Construction become recognized as separate and unique
from designing.
– New machinery and equipment being invented to support
building.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
• Age of the skyscraper:
– Production of steel and electricity influence the construction
industry in the big way.
– Opportunities for extensive projects in housing, industry,
transportation and city development were popping all over the
world.
– Construction industry developed into a major economic sector.
– Building codes, standards, specification and regulations were
established to help regulate and control the quality and safety.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
 Industry sectors
• There are four basics sectors of the industry:
– Residential building
– Commercial building
– Heavy/highway construction
– Industrial construction
• Each sector is characterized by different means, methods and
materials of construction.
Industry sectors
 Residential construction
• Address the housing needs of the of a society – individual
homes, apartments, condominiums and townhouses.
• Typically funded by private individuals or developers for their
own use or for sale.
• Engineering services are rarely required, and construction
techniques are relatively simple.
• Project duration is in three to six months range for single family
home.
Residential construction
 Commercial construction
• Addresses the needs of commerce, trade and government –
banks, school, office buildings, hotels, shopping malls and
other facilities where people gather.
• Building costs are significantly higher and the project duration
is much longer than residential construction.
• Commercial projects are typically designed by architects and
building system can be complex and various specialty
engineers are engaged.
Commercial construction
 Industrial construction
• Highly specialized and requires firms with vast resources and
significant construction and engineering expertise.
• Project type are defined by the production facilities that occur within
the facility – manufacturing plants, oil refineries, pipelines, steel mills
and processing plant.
• Massive boilers, reactors and processors that need to be installed
under strict quality standards and regulatory guidelines.
• Usually lead by engineers because the installation of the equipment
and systems requires technological savvy, sophisticated knowledge
and attention to details.
Industrial construction
 Heavy civil construction
• Any works associated with infrastructure, transportation and
how we move about – roadways, bridges, tunnels, dams,
airports and railways.
• Typically lead by civil engineer with management team with
civil engineering background.
• Usually publicly funded and tend to last for a long time.
Heavy civil construction
 Project players
• Construction team is a collaborative team with diverse skills
and expertise.
• Many players involved and make contribution to the project
while at the same time adding to the complexity of the project.
• Primary players:
– Owner
– designers (architects and engineers)
– contractors
 Owners
• Driving force behind the construction industry.
• After an owner determines need and decides to build, their duties
are:
– Developing the program and outlining the needs and requirements
of the end users.
– Determining the quantity, extent and character of the project by
defining the scope of work.
– Creating the overall budget for the project.
– Providing the funding for the project and making periodic
payments.
 Designers
• Two types of designers:
– Architects deals with the function, life safety issues and aesthetic aspects
– Engineers deals with the system.
• Primary responsibilities:
– Assist the owner in developing the facility program.
– Advise the owner regarding the image and character of the facility.
– Assist the owners in selecting products to fit the program and the
budget.
– Advise the owner on special and aesthetic issues.
– Develop the final building plans, construction details and specifications.
 Contractors
• Professional responsible for all construction activities whether as a
general contractor, a construction manager or a specialty contractor.
• Contractor’s job are:
– Interpret the plans and specifications and prepare cost estimates and
time schedules to meet the requirements of the owner.
– Determine and implement the best construction practices, means
and methods to satisfy the owner’s requirement for time, cost and
quality.
– Oversee and manage all of the construction operations into a single,
safe and coordinated effort.
 Secondary Players
• Outside parties that have influence on the entire construction process
and outcome, and beyond the immediate control of the primary players.
• Divided into three levels of influence:
– First level – subcontractors, material suppliers and equipment
vendors.
– Second level – insurance companies, utility companies, building code
officials, labor unions and manufacturers.
– Third level – courts and attorneys, local, state and federal
government, trade associations, bankers, education and training and
others.
Level of influence
 Project Values
• Factors that need to be managed and controlled on a construction
project in order to produce a successful outcome for the owner and all
parties involved.
• Referred these factors as the ‘six dials of project value:
 Project Risks
• Risk are identified, understood and analyzed so proper
allocations to someone trained to manage them can be made.
Project Stages
 Project Stages
• Design and bidding stage:
– Steps you must take before a project is approved and any planning
begins.
– The planning team outlines the objectives and goals of project
through feasibility study.
– Sketch showing the spaces as well as materials, colors, and textures
will be produced.
– Contract documents contain the final drawings and final
specifications will be used by those placing bids to work on the
project.
 Project Stages
• Pre-construction:
– Start when bidding is completed and contractor has been chosen to
do the work.
– Project team is put together to prepare the construction site before
the work begins.
– Site examination findings and all plan will be reviewed by the city
authorities.
– Project team begins to gather labourer and resources required for
constructions once strategic plan, budget, design, and timeline are
finalised.
 Project Stages
• Procurement:
– The project team orders, purchases, or rents all the materials, tools,
and services necessary to complete the project.
• Construction:
– This is the project execution phase and belongs to contractor and
subcontractors.
– The priority is to ensure that the project is delivered by the
contractor as designed.
 Project Stages
• Post-construction:
– Project closure phase and the last step in the long process of
designing and completing a construction project.
– The resources required for the project are demobilized, equipment
rentals are returned, the worksite is cleaned up, and subcontractors
that have completed their jobs move onto other projects.
– Post-project review that help to detect any tasks that weren’t
completed, analyse any challenges and put together a list of
informative insights for the future.
 Construction Stage
• Some typical work items associated with various building elements:
Construction stage
 Construction Stage
• Five critical stages of construction:
– Sitework
– Rough framing
– Exterior construction
– MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing)
– Finishing
 Construction Stage
• Sitework:
– Crews get the site ready by grading the property, digging or drilling
for a foundation and footings, and developing a driveway for
deliveries and subs.
– They’ll also drill wells and bring underground utilities to the site, like
electricity and gas.
– The excavation, earthwork, drilling, utilities, concrete, framing, and
scaffolding subs are usually on-site and working together to get the
concrete poured and the foundation ready for vertical building.
 Construction Stage
• Rough framing:
– When the building starts going vertical where the cranes lift the
structural steel into place while steel contractors attach it to the
foundation and footings.
– With the steel for each floor in place, crews pour the concrete for the
floors. After that, the framing sub will build the walls and give the
building its main structure.
– The general contractor is on-site, along with the scaffolding sub, the
framing sub, and the structural steel and metal subs. A lot of this
stage involves cranes, welding, and metal framing.
 Construction Stage
• Exterior Construction:
– “drying in” the building or sealing it off to the elements where it
involves installing the windows, doors, siding, roofing, any brick or
plasterwork, and everything else the drawings call for on the exterior
of the building.
– The general contractor is still there, along with the scaffolding, metal
subs, roofing, siding, glazing, doors and windows, masonry and brick,
and plastering subs are there as well, closing the building off to the
elements.
 Construction Stage
• MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing):
– With the building envelope sealed, specialty subs are able to get on the
site and do their jobs.
– Mechanical contractors can install boilers, air handlers, ductwork, and
other equipment.
– Electricians can start installing panels, generators, switchgear, and
distribution rooms, and pull wire throughout the building.
– Plumbers are also on-site, running water supply pipes as well as waste,
drain, and vent pipes.
– Fire suppression and alarm subcontractors will start installing their
systems, and elevator constructors can build their shafts and cars.
 Construction Stage
• Finishes and Fixtures:
– Finishes and fixtures are the final push, where at this point, the
building starts to take its final form, inside and out.
– The number of subs jumps tremendously: glazing, door and window,
masonry, plastering, elevator, insulation, drywall, painting, tile, finish
carpentry, and flooring subcontractors are all working inside the
building to finish the job.
– Landscaping subs and swimming pool contractors might be working
on buttoning up the exterior features.
Construction stage
Construction stage
Q&A

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