Construction Safety

UnitII.pdf

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Course Learning Outcomes for Unit II

Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Apply safety and health theories to construction practices. 1.1 Identify workplace hazards using job hazard analysis. 1.2 Identify types of workplace inspections. 1.3 Discuss important accident causation and investigation concepts.

6. Explore safety and health management concepts related to construction safety. 6.1 Identify the elements necessary for an effective injury and illness prevention program.

Course/Unit Learning Outcomes

Learning Activity

1.1 Unit II Lesson Required Readings Unit II Assessment

1.2 Unit II Lesson Required Readings Unit II Assessment

1.3 Unit II Lesson Required Readings Unit II Assessment

6.1 Unit II Lesson Required Readings Unit II Assessment

Reading Assignment

Occupational Safety & Health Administration. (2002). Job hazard analysis [Brochure], pp. 1-14. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3071.pdf

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (2016). OSHA Publication 3885: Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/shpguidelines/docs/OSHA_SHP_Recommended_Practices.pdf

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (2015). Effective workplace inspections. Retrieved from http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/effectiv.html

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (2015b). Accident investigation. Retrieved from http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/investig.html

UNIT II STUDY GUIDE

Injury and Illness Prevention Programs

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3071.pdf

https://www.osha.gov/shpguidelines/docs/OSHA_SHP_Recommended_Practices.pdf

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/effectiv.html

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/investig.html

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Title Unit Lesson

Injury and Illness Prevention Programs

There is little doubt that the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has had a positive impact on workplace safety. Since 1970, the U.S. workforce has doubled in size, yet the rate of occupational injuries and illnesses has decreased by 66%, and the rate of workplace fatalities has been reduced by 67% (Occupational Safety & Health Administration [OSHA], n.d.-a). While the existence and enforcement of the OSHA standards have played a significant role in these reductions, it is not the entire story. Many organizations have learned that an effectively managed safety and health program, combined with standards compliance, results in the greatest reduction of injuries and illnesses. OSHA itself has published guidelines on how to manage a safety and health program and has been considering making these guidelines mandatory. Some states, such as California, have indeed enacted laws requiring employers to implement injury and illness prevention programs (Division of Occupational Safety and Health [CalOSHA], 2015).

OSHA has modeled its guidelines for Injury and Illness Prevention Programs (I2P2) after the California requirements. An I2P2, according to OSHA (2013), has six core elements:

 management leadership,

 worker participation,

 hazard identification and abatement,

 hazard prevention and control,

 education and training, and

 program evaluation and improvement.

To be effective, an I2P2 must:

 fully involve all employees, supervisors, and management;

 identify the specific workplace hazards employees are exposed to;

 correct identified hazards in an appropriate and timely manner; and

 provide effective training (CalOSHA, 2015).

In addition to federal and state guidelines for injury and illness prevention programs, there are a number of other resources available to organizations. ANSI/AIHA Z 10-2012, the Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Standard, was developed in cooperation with the leading occupational safety and

(Almeida, n.d.)

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Title health organizations in the United States and incorporates many of the best practices from similar standards throughout the world (Manuele, 2014). The core elements of Z10 are similar to the core elements of the OSHA I2P2.

OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), while originally designed to recognize excellence in standards compliance and injury reduction, has evolved into a safety management standard that can be used as a benchmark for organizations. VPP has a strong focus on standards compliance, but does include many program elements found in I2P2, Z-10, and other safety management systems (OSHA, n.d.-b).

Whichever safety management system is used by an organization, it must use proactive methods for risk reduction to protect assets. Assets include people, materials, and anything of value to a business. In terms of safety, people are the most valued asset. When developing a safety management system for a construction site, reduction or elimination of risk to people should be the first step.

Hazard Identification and Control

A hazard is something that can cause harm (Oakley, 2012). Controlling hazards in the workplace reduces the risk of harm to workers. The OSHA standards provide the starting point for identifying hazards on a construction site. We know that it is not possible for OSHA to cover every conceivable hazard, so we need ways to identify hazards regardless of whether or not they are covered in the standards. Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) and worksite inspections are two important methodologies for revealing workplace hazards.

A job hazard analysis is “a technique that focuses on job tasks as a way to identify hazards before they occur” (OSHA, 2002, p. 7). The steps in a specific task are listed and each step is examined for potential hazards. Once hazards have been identified, control measures to reduce risk can be determined and implemented. A strength of the JHA is that it looks at the relationships between the task, the worker, the tools, and the working environment. The ever-changing nature of the construction environment makes the JHA a particularly effective technique. A JHA is useful for jobs with a high injury rates, jobs with the potential for serious injuries, and jobs that change frequently. All of these are characteristics of many construction jobs. Involving all levels of workers in the development of JHAs is important.

Worksite inspections can serve a dual purpose: identification of potential violations of OSHA standards, and identification of hazards not addressed in the standards. Remember that all hazards have the potential to cause harm, not just the ones in the standards. In addition to identifying hazards, inspections also provide the opportunity to:

 listen to the concerns of workers and supervisors,

 gain further understanding of jobs and tasks,

 determine underlying causes of hazards, and

 monitor hazard controls (personal protective equipment, engineering controls, policies, procedures) (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety [CCOHS]. 2015b).

As with JHAs, it is important to involve all levels of the organization in the inspection process.

Accident Investigation

JHA preparation and worksite inspection are proactive ways of identifying hazards; that is, hazards are identified and corrected before they result in harm. We know from experience that risk in the workplace is never zero, and despite our best efforts to prevent injuries and illnesses, accidents still do occur. An effective accident investigation process is necessary to identify the hazards that caused or contributed to the incident. Control of the identified hazards helps prevent the accident scenario from repeating itself. Although a reactive (after the fact) process, accident investigation is still important for any injury and illness prevention program. In addition to the obvious prevention of recurrence, there are additional important reasons to conduct accident investigations (CCOHS, 2015a):

 fulfill any legal requirements,

 determine the cost of an accident,

 determine compliance with applicable safety regulations, and

 process workers' compensation claims.

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Title

Federal OSHA standards require reporting and recordkeeping for workplace injuries and illnesses, but they do not require full accident investigations. However, if your organization experiences a fatality, you can be sure that OSHA will conduct a very thorough investigation. Having an investigation process in place helps demonstrate your organization’s commitment to a safe workplace. If you work in a state with an OSHA- approved plan, like California, you may already be required to conduct investigations.

References

Almeida, A. (n.d.). “With all these lectures and safety manuals…” [Cartoon]. Retrieved from http://www.almeidacartoons.com/Safe_toons1.html

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (2015a) Accident investigation. Retrieved from http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/investig.html

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (2015b) Effective workplace inspections. Retrieved from: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/investig.html

Division of Occupational Safety and Health. 2015). What an IIPP is and how it works. Retrieved from http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/etools/09-031/what.htm

Manuele, F. A. (2014). Advanced safety management focusing on Z10 and serious injury prevention (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Oakley, J. S. (2012). Accident investigation techniques: Basic theories, analytical methods, and applications (2nd ed.). Des Plaines, IL: American Society of Safety Engineers.

Occupational Safety & Health Administration. (n.d.-a). Commonly used statistics. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html

Occupational Safety & Health Administration. (n.d.-b). Voluntary protection programs. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/vpp/index.html

Occupational Safety & Health Administration. (2002). OSHA publication 3071, job hazard analysis [Brochure]. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3071.pdf

Occupational Safety & Health Administration. (2013). OSHA fact sheet: injury and illness prevention programs [Brochure]. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3665.pdf