Salahaddin University

College of Engineering
Architecture Department
Safety in
5th Grade - Spring Semester Construction
2022 - 2023
Site

Instructor: Asst. Prof. Dr. Hamid Turki Assistant: Mr. Carol Kharbosh
Content

I Safety’s Definition V OSHA

V
II Basic Terms Safety Programs
I

II Accidents Causes V Safety Procedures

I II

I Importance of Safety
V
What is Safety?

Safety is the state of being safe, freedom from danger, risk, or injury.

Safety is the absence of danger

Basic Terms

Accident

An accident can be defined formally as an undesired event, which results in

physical harm and/or property damage (injury, property damage, interruption,
delay).

Injury

An injury is a consequence of an incident.

Basic Terms

Hazard

Hazard means the inherent property or ability of something to cause harm.

Risk

• Risk is 'the chance or probability of loss’,

an evaluation of the potential for failure.
• It is easy to confuse the terms 'hazard' and
'risk', but a simple way to remember the
difference is that 'hazard' describes
potential for harm,
Accidents Causes

Unsafe acts

• Working without authority

• Failure lo warn others of sanger
• Leaving equipment in a dangerous condition
• Using equipment at the wrong speed
• Disconnecting safety devices such as guards
• Using defective equipment
• Using equipment, the wrong way or for the wrong tasks
• Failure to use or wear personal protective equipment
• Bad loading of vehicles
• Failure to lift loads correctly
• Horseplay
• Smoking in areas where this is not allowed
• Drinking alcohol or taking drugs
Accidents Causes

Unsafe conditions

• Missing platform guardrails

• Defective tools and equipment
• Inadequate fire warning systems
• Fire hazards
• Hazardous atmospheric conditions
• Excessive noise
• Not enough light to see to do the work
Importance of Safety

• It has been reported that construction, which consists of about 5% of the

U.S. work force, accounts for some 20% of work fatalities and 12% of
disabling injuries.
• In the United States, the total annual cost (direct and indirect) of
construction accidents has been estimated to exceed $17 billion.
• In the United States, national concern over the frequency and extent of
industrial accidents and health hazards led to the passage of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970, which established
specific safety and health requirements for virtually all industries, including
construction.
• OSHA is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations implementing
this act.
Importance of Safety

• OSHA regulations and penalties has tended to obscure the fact that there
are at least two other major reasons for construction management to be
seriously concerned about) safety. These reasons are humanitarian and
financial.
• Everyone is understandably distressed when a fellow employee is killed or
disabled, so the humanitarian basis for safety is apparent.
• However, many managers do not fully appreciate the financial
consequences of accidents. Worker's compensation insurance premiums,
for example, are based on a firm's accident rate.
• Public liability, property damage, and equipment insurance rates are also
affected by accident rates.
Importance of Safety

• Construction firm can lose its competitive bidding position simply because
of the effect of high insurance premiums resulting from a poor safety
record.
• In addition to the visible cost of accidents represented by insurance and
worker’s compensation payments, there are other costs, which are difficult
to estimate such costs associated with an accident include the monetary
value of lost project time while the accident is investigated and damages
are repaired, the time required to replace critical materials and equipment
and to train replacement workers, as well as the effect on those portions of
the project not directly involved in the accident.
OSHA

• The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has

produced a comprehensive set of safety and health regulations, inspection
procedures, and recordkeeping requirements.
• The law has also established both civil and criminal penalties for violations
of OSHA regulations.
• Table-1 indicates the maximum penalty for major categories of violations.

Administrative Proceeding
Violation Maximum Penalty
Willful or repeated $70,000/violation
Routine or serious $7,000/violation
Failing to correct cited violation $7,000/day
Failing to post. citation nest the place where violation exists $7,000/violation

Criminal Proceeding
Violation Maximum Fine Maximum Imprisonment
Killing. assaulting, or resisting OSHA officials $10,000 Life
Willful violation resulting in death of employee, first conviction 10,000 6 months
Willful violation resulting in death of employee, second conviction 20,000 1 year
Falsifying required records 10,000 6 months
Unauthorized advanced notice of inspection 1,000 6 months
OSHA

• As shown in Table 1 , civil penalties of $7000 per day may be assessed for
failure to correct a cited violation.
• Under criminal proceedings, a fine of $20,000 and imprisonment for 1 year
may be adjudged for a second conviction of a violation resulting in the
death of an employee.
• OSHA officials may also seek a restraining order through a U.S. District
Court to stop work or take other action required to alleviate a condition
identified as presenting imminent danger of serious injury or death.
• Under OSHA regulations employers are required to keep records of all
work-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses.
• It is not necessary to record minor injuries that require only first-aid
treatment.
• However, all injuries involving medical treatment, loss of consciousness,
restrictions on work or body motion, or transfer to another job must be
recorded.
• A special report of serious accidents resulting in one or more deaths or the
hospitalization of five or more employees must be made to OSHA officials
within 48 hours.
OSHA

• One of the major inequities of OSHA is that only management may be penalized
for safety violations.
• Thus even though an employee willfully violates both OSHA and company safety
regulations, only the company and its management can be penalized under
OSHA for any safety violation.
• Therefore, the only way in which management may enforce safety regulations is
to discipline or fire workers engaging in unsafe acts.
• OSHA safety regulations for construction consist largely of safety standards
developed by segments of the construction industry.
• Requirements for equipment safety include rollover protection (ROPS), seat
belts, back-up alarms, improved brake systems, and guards for moving parts.
Maximum noise levels are also set for equipment operators and other workers.
• It should be pointed out that OSHA safety regulations are considered to be the
minimum federal safety standards and that the various states may impose more
stringent safety standards for construction within the state.
• The U.S. Department of Labor has also delegated to certain states the authority
and responsibility for enforcing OSHA regulations within those states.
Safety Programs

• All construction firms need a carefully planned and directed safety program
to minimize accidents and ensure compliance with OSHA and other safety
regulations.
• However, no safety program will be successful without the active support of
top management. Jobsite supervisors have traditionally neglected safety in
their haste to get the job done on time and within budget.
• Only when supervisors are convinced by higher management that safety is
equally as important as production will the benefits of an effective safety
program be achieved.
• An effective safety program must instill a sense of safety consciousness in
every employee.
Safety Programs

• There are many ingredients in a comprehensive safety program, some of

the major elements are listed below:
1. A formal safety training program for all new employees. Note: OSHA
Regulations require every employer to "instruct each employee in the
recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable
to his work environment.... "
2. Periodic refresher training for each worker.
3. A formal supervisory safety training program for all supervisors.
4. A program of regular site visits by safety personnel to review and control job
hazards.
5. Provision of adequate personal protective equipment, first-aid equipment,
and trained emergency personnel.
6. An established procedure for the emergency evacuation of injured workers.
7. Provisions for maintaining safety records and reporting accidents in
compliance with OSHA requirements.
Safety Procedures

• It has been found that most serious construction accidents involve

construction equipment operations, trench and embankment failure, falls
from elevated positions, collapse of temporary structures and formwork, or
the failure of structures under construction.
• OSHA safety regulations are quite specific in many of these areas and
special management attention should be devoted to the safety of these
activities.
Safety Procedures

list of major safety precautions should be helpful as a general guide:

Equipment Construction
General
Operations Plant

Marine or
Construction
Excavations Over-Water
of Structures
Construction
Safety Procedures

General

• Good housekeeping on a project site is both a safety measure and an

indicator of good project supervision.
• Lumber, used formwork, and other material lying around a work area
increase the likelihood of falls and puncture wounds.

Equipment Operations

• Utilize guides or signalmen when the operator's visibility is limited or when

there is danger to nearby workers.
• Backup alarms or guides must be used when equipment operates in
reverse.
• Exercise extreme caution and comply with safety regulations when
operating near high-voltage lines.
• In case of accidental contact with a high-voltage line, the operator should
attempt to move the equipment enough to break contact.
Safety Procedures

Equipment Operations

• Make sure that machines are equipped with required safety features and
that operators use seat belts when provided.
• Use care when operating equipment on side slopes to prevent overturning.
• When operating cranes, be extremely careful not to exceed safe load limits
for the operating radius and boom position.
• Electronic load indicators are available.
• Do not allow workers to ride on equipment unless proper seating is
provided.
• Haul roads must be properly maintained.
• Items to check include:
condition of the road surface (holes, slippery surface, excess dust), visibility
(curves, obstacles, intersections, and dust), and adequate width for vehicles to
pass (unless one-way).
Safety Procedures

Equipment Operations

• Park equipment with the brake set, blade or bowl grounded, and ignition
key removed at the end of work.
• Equipment used for land clearing must be equipped with overhead and rear
canopy protection.
• Workers engaged in clearing must be protected from the hazards of irritant
and toxic plants and instructed in the first-aid treatment for such hazards.
• When hauling heavy or oversized loads on highways, make sure that loads
are properly secured and covered if necessary.
• Slow-moving and over-sized vehicles must use required markings and
signals to warn other traffic.
• Take positive action to ensure that equipment under repair cannot be
accidentally operated.
Safety Procedures

Equipment Operations

• Utilize blocking, cribbing, or other positive support when employees must

work under heavy loads supported by cables, jacks, or hydraulic systems.
• Ensure that any guards or safety devices removed during equipment repair
are promptly replaced.
• Shut down engines and do not allow smoking during refueling.
Safety Procedures

Construction Plant

• Set equipment containing hot or flammable fluids on firm foundations to

prevent overturning.
• Clearly mark high-temperature lines and containers to prevent burns.
• Be especially careful of live steam.
• Provide fire extinguishers and other required safety equipment.
• Aggregate bins and batching plants should be emptied before performing
major repairs.
• When electrical equipment is being repaired, shut off and tag electrical
circuits.
• Ensure that wire rope and cable is of the proper size and strength, well
maintained, and inspected at least weekly.
Safety Procedures

Excavations

The location of underground utilities and other hazards must be determined

before starting an excavation.
• Contact utility companies and property owners to request that they
establish the location of such installations.
• Almost all U.S. states have central One-Call telephone numbers which
coordinate with
• utility companies to provide prompt service in locating and marking their
underground lines when requested.
• When utility companies or owners cannot provide this information
promptly (usually within 24 hours), the contractor may cautiously proceed
with excavation.
• However, in this situation, the contractor must employ detection
equipment or other acceptable means to locate and avoid underground
hazards.
Safety Procedures

Excavations

The sides of excavations must be properly shored or sloped to the angle of

repose to prevent cave-ins.
• OSHA regulations require that banks over 5 ft (1.5 m) must be shored. cut
back to a stable slope, or otherwise protected.
• Regulations also require that protective systems (sloping, benching,
shoring, or shielding) for excavations over 20 ft (6.1 m) deep must be
designed by a registered professional engineer.
• When workers are required to enter a trench excavation 4 ft (1.2192 m) or
more in depth, a stairway, ladder, ramp, or other safe means of egress must
be located in such a manner as to require no more than 25 ft (7.62 m) of
lateral travel by any worker in the trench.
Safety Procedures

Excavations

Avoid the operation of equipment near the top edge of an excavation because
this increases the chance of slope failure.
• The storage of materials near the top edge of an excavation, vibration, and
the presence of water also increase the chance of slope failure.
• When these conditions cannot be avoided, additional measures must be
taken to increase slope stability.
• If workers are required to enter the excavation, no spoil or other material
may be stored within 2 ft (0.6 m) of the edge of the excavation.
Safety Procedures

Excavations

Ensure that workers are not allowed under loads being handled by excavators
or hoists.

Watch out for buried lines and containers when excavating.

• Possible hazards include toxic and flammable gases, electricity, and collapse
of side slopes due to sudden release of liquids.
• If a gas line is ruptured and catches fire, get personnel and flammable
material away from the fire and have the gas turned off as quickly as
possible.
• Da not attempt to extinguish the fire because an accumulation of unburned
gas poses a greater threat than does a fire.
Safety Procedures

Construction of Structures

• Properly guard all openings above ground level.

• Provide guard rails, safety lines, safety belts, and/or safety nets for workers
on scaffolds or steelwork.
• Ensure that temporary structures are properly designed, constructed, and
braced.

Special caution should be exercised in high-rise concrete construction.

• Forms must be of adequate strength and properly braced.
• The rate of pour must be maintained at or below design limits.
• Shoring must be adequately braced and not removed until the concrete has
developed the required strength.
Safety Procedures

Marine or Over-Water Construction

• Marine or over-water construction operations present all of the usual

construction hazards plus additional hazards posed by the marine
environment
• These additional hazards include drowning, slippery surfaces, increased
tripping and height hazards, as well as weather and wave action,
• Some of the major safety precautions that should be taken are listed below,
• Unless workers can safely step onto vessels, a ramp or safe walkway must
be provided.
• Access ways must be adequately Illuminated, free of obstructions, and
located clear of suspended loads.
Safety Procedures

Marine or Over-Water Construction

• Working areas should have nonslip surfaces, be maintained clear of

obstructions, and be equipped with adequate handrails.
• Workers on unguarded decks or surfaces over water must wear approved
lifejackets or buoyant vests.
• Life rings and a rescue boat must also be available.
• Workers more than 25 ft (7.6 m) above a water surface must be protected
by safety belts, safety nets, or similar protective equipment.
Thank you
Any Question?