Construction is a high hazard industry that has a wide range of activities involving alteration, and/or repair. Examples include residential and commercial building construction, bridge erection, roadway paving, excavations, demolition, and large scale painting jobs. Construction workers engage in many activities that may expose them to serious hazards, such as falling from rooftops, unguarded machinery, being struck by heavy construction equipment, electrocutions, silica dust, and asbestos. Most accidents can be avoided by implementing stringent health and safety protocols and ensuring those protocols are constantly maintained. This course is intended to give students knowledge and skills on construction safety and health methods will ensure the construction site has good design, good planning and uses tried and tested safety techniques.
Learning Outcomes:
· Examine and explain the theories and concepts of construction safety and health.
· Describe how to apply construction safety and health programmes and policies while on the job.
· Describe contractors and safety and health teams.
Duration:
4 Weeks
Teaching Methods:
Modified lectures, individual and group assignments and presentations, field work, demonstrations and case studies
Assessment:
Continuous assignments/practicals [40%], and final examination [60%].
Course Content:
· Occupational safety and health in the construction industry; characteristics of construction industry, Construction site-hazards and risk control.
· Building and construction regulations; regulatory distances; depth of septic tanks, care of water table.
· Pre-construction safety measures: storage of materials and dangerous products, formwork, scaffoldings, ladders.
· Safety aspects of machinery; equipment– scaffoldings, lifts, cranes, conveyor belts. Specifications for Construction Works
· Vehicle and plant movement safety
· During Construction works: safety measures, Labour regulations: safety harness, care for passers-by; security nets.
Study Materials:
1. Aoife F. A.G. 2013. Safety and Health in Construction Research Roadmap -Report for Consultation
2. Australia. Safe Work. 2015. Work Health & Safety Perceptions Construction Industry
3. Department of Building and Safety. 2016. Information Bulletin / Public - Building Code
4. Department of Labour. 2017. Occupational Health and Safety Act (85/1993): Construction Regulations
5. Fabián A., Suárez S. 2017. Occupational Safety and Health in Construction: a Review of Applications and Trends.
6. Goetsch, D. L. 2010. Construction Safety and the OSHA Standards.
7. Government of South Australia. 2014. Demolition Work Code of Practice Fact Sheet
8. Harwood S. 2016. Health and Safety in the Workplace
9. Health and Safety Executive, 2017. Health and Safety in Construction
10. Health and Safety Executive. 2015. Managing Health and Safety in Construction (Design and Management) Regulations.
11. Khodeir, L & Salahe, Y. 2018. The Impact of Integrating Occupational Safety and Health into the Pre-Construction Phase of Projects
12. New Zealand Government. 2014. Safe Use of Machinery
13. NSW Government. 2016. Code of Practice Demolition Work
14. Safe work Australia. 2016. Demolition Work Code of Practice
15. Sask P. 2013. Contractor Health and Safety Management Program, Contractor Information Package.
16. Schneider E. 2016. Safe Machinery Handbook.
17. The Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Construction Association. 2014. Construction Site Safety Handbook.
18. University of Guelph. 2017. Contractor Safety Management Program.
- Lecturer: Dennis Ojambo