Managing Hazards During Construction
Graham Marshall - Wednesday, July 25, 2012
According to the WA Department of Mines and
Petroleum, there is more than AUD $180 billion worth of resource
projects in development in Western Australia.
These mega-projects are expected to create more than 50,000 new construction jobs.
But the construction phase is a dangerous time for workers.
Accident statistics for the minerals sector have shown a consistently high proportion of fatalities and injuries associated with construction activities.
This is mainly because construction workers undertake such a high-number of potentially higher-risk tasks and jobs. Examples of these higher-risk jobs include:
• Lots of driving of light-vehicles and heavier mobile-equipment;
• Scaffolding;
• Tilt up or precast construction;
• Electrical work;
• Working at height;
• Using cranes;
• Work in excavations;
• Working with hazardous substances; and
• Using elevated work platforms (EWPs).
The requirement to perform such a high number of potentially higher-risk jobs is also then compounded by other management issues. These include:
• Tight deadlines for project completion;
• An inexperienced workforce;
• Large numbers of workers concentrated in relatively small area's; and
• The potential for poor contractor management systems.
Risk management during the construction phase of project development has always been a priority target for the Risk Management Tool Box.
For almost 15-years we've been reviewing and revising customer management systems to improve compliance capacity and capabilities, and add value by raising awareness of the hazard and risk management process.
Our experience and expertise during the construction phase is focused on the following:
• Improving the internal systems and processes deployed to manage risk by our customers, especially focussed on procedures, job safety analysis and appropriate risk assessments and planning;
• Empowering construction workers with the required safety competency needed to effectively promote OHS requirements during construction;
• Helping workers, supervisors and managers to identify and manage common construction hazards; and
• Providing behaviour-based hazard observation programs to ensure everyone is involved in managing the hazards they face at work.
Feel free to get in touch if it sounds like we have anything to offer!
These mega-projects are expected to create more than 50,000 new construction jobs.
But the construction phase is a dangerous time for workers.
Accident statistics for the minerals sector have shown a consistently high proportion of fatalities and injuries associated with construction activities.
This is mainly because construction workers undertake such a high-number of potentially higher-risk tasks and jobs. Examples of these higher-risk jobs include:
• Lots of driving of light-vehicles and heavier mobile-equipment;
• Scaffolding;
• Tilt up or precast construction;
• Electrical work;
• Working at height;
• Using cranes;
• Work in excavations;
• Working with hazardous substances; and
• Using elevated work platforms (EWPs).
The requirement to perform such a high number of potentially higher-risk jobs is also then compounded by other management issues. These include:
• Tight deadlines for project completion;
• An inexperienced workforce;
• Large numbers of workers concentrated in relatively small area's; and
• The potential for poor contractor management systems.
Risk management during the construction phase of project development has always been a priority target for the Risk Management Tool Box.
For almost 15-years we've been reviewing and revising customer management systems to improve compliance capacity and capabilities, and add value by raising awareness of the hazard and risk management process.
Our experience and expertise during the construction phase is focused on the following:
• Improving the internal systems and processes deployed to manage risk by our customers, especially focussed on procedures, job safety analysis and appropriate risk assessments and planning;
• Empowering construction workers with the required safety competency needed to effectively promote OHS requirements during construction;
• Helping workers, supervisors and managers to identify and manage common construction hazards; and
• Providing behaviour-based hazard observation programs to ensure everyone is involved in managing the hazards they face at work.
Feel free to get in touch if it sounds like we have anything to offer!
At work introducing a HSE Intervention Program.
In the field - but not the oilfield!
Rockin' the Bakken
Graham Marshall - Monday, August 01, 2011
One of our customers who is working the oil-patch in the Bakken (ND) and who is using our HSE Observation Program to enhance worker participation and intervention has sent me a copy of the July Edition of Talkin' the Bakken Magazine.
Our client in ND tells me that he is using the cover of the magazine as a tool-box training aid in order for workers to identify a number of "at-risk" practices shown on the cover photograph.
Take a look at the image below and see how many "at-risk" practices that you can identify.
We reckon eight issues to observe is a fairly easy target. .
You can find out more about our HSE Observation Program by clicking the "Behaviour Safety Tools" button at the top of the page.
Our client in ND tells me that he is using the cover of the magazine as a tool-box training aid in order for workers to identify a number of "at-risk" practices shown on the cover photograph.
Take a look at the image below and see how many "at-risk" practices that you can identify.
We reckon eight issues to observe is a fairly easy target. .
You can find out more about our HSE Observation Program by clicking the "Behaviour Safety Tools" button at the top of the page.
Safety Observation Program Data Management
The successful introduction of any Behavioral Based Safety initiative relies on good information management.
You might have the best BBS process for observations but if the information collected during observations is not handled appropriately, the whole program will be fatally weakened.
Leaders, managers, supervisors and workers participating in any BBS program need to be able to input, capture, analyze, access and report on information for easy decision support.
The information system behind any BBS programm needs to be inherent flexible with a framework providing the most comprehensive information management capabilities.
Below are some features that I would recommend to be essential for data management for any BBS program to stand a chance of success:
You might have the best BBS process for observations but if the information collected during observations is not handled appropriately, the whole program will be fatally weakened.
Leaders, managers, supervisors and workers participating in any BBS program need to be able to input, capture, analyze, access and report on information for easy decision support.
The information system behind any BBS programm needs to be inherent flexible with a framework providing the most comprehensive information management capabilities.
Below are some features that I would recommend to be essential for data management for any BBS program to stand a chance of success:
- One centralized database for company-wide BBS information management.
- Ability for organizational customization for site-specific HSE observations and user security.
- Ensure consistent BBS information management process across your organization.
- Information management program should provide real-time tracking of HSE observations.
- Should provide the ability to identify areas requiring HSE improvement within the organization.
- The BBS information management system should assist in establishing organization strategic HSE plans, HSE training needs and other long-term HSE commitments.
- The information management system should allow a wide range of data analysis to be performed.
- Should allow for relevent reports to be created for appropriate stakeholders using available BBS information
Presenting Meaningful Behavioral Safety Data
Graham Marshall - Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Today's special BBS topic is all about data - recording it and presenting it in meaningful ways.
One of the fundamentals of BBS is that it relies on a form of what psychologists have called "posted feedback".
The posted feedback approach to behaviour modification has a long history in psychology. In the OHS arena, posted feedback allows workers, supervisors and managers to track changes over time and to see if targeted goals are being met.
In our BBS program, we have created a simple to use database that allows HSE observation data to be entered. Importantly, the data entry method is idiot-proof as we've created a system that allows only the correctly observed HSE information to be recorded.
This helps to eliminate errors during HSE data entry. Furthermore, a huge benefit you'll find with our program is that each time the data from a HSE observation is entered into the database, the system automatically updates and generates all of the graphs and charts that are used for posted feedback.
This also eliminates the chance for error when it comes time to look at and review the information outputs of the HSE Observation Program.
So let's get started and look at some data output from our program.
When you open the attached presentation, you'll find four slides.
The first slide shows the simple administrative data we collect.
The second slide shows issues of HSE concern that may need fixing. This information allows you to focus your efforts on real "at-risk" concerns.
The third slides shows the hazad potential and the potential incidents that could occur within the workscope being observed. Once again, this allows a more focussed approach to specific hazard mangement.
The final slides shows important information about breaches of Golden Safety Rules. This data allows for urgent rectification of serious HSE-critical concerns.
One of the fundamentals of BBS is that it relies on a form of what psychologists have called "posted feedback".
The posted feedback approach to behaviour modification has a long history in psychology. In the OHS arena, posted feedback allows workers, supervisors and managers to track changes over time and to see if targeted goals are being met.
In our BBS program, we have created a simple to use database that allows HSE observation data to be entered. Importantly, the data entry method is idiot-proof as we've created a system that allows only the correctly observed HSE information to be recorded.
This helps to eliminate errors during HSE data entry. Furthermore, a huge benefit you'll find with our program is that each time the data from a HSE observation is entered into the database, the system automatically updates and generates all of the graphs and charts that are used for posted feedback.
This also eliminates the chance for error when it comes time to look at and review the information outputs of the HSE Observation Program.
So let's get started and look at some data output from our program.
When you open the attached presentation, you'll find four slides.
The first slide shows the simple administrative data we collect.
The second slide shows issues of HSE concern that may need fixing. This information allows you to focus your efforts on real "at-risk" concerns.
The third slides shows the hazad potential and the potential incidents that could occur within the workscope being observed. Once again, this allows a more focussed approach to specific hazard mangement.
The final slides shows important information about breaches of Golden Safety Rules. This data allows for urgent rectification of serious HSE-critical concerns.
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