Health, Safety and Welfare for

Construction and the Built

Environment
 Unit Outline
• Understand the health, safety and welfare legislation applicable to the
construction and built environment sector.

• Understand the main requirements of an effective health and safety policy

• Understand hazard and risk identification in design and construction

• Understand the need to review, revise and monitor risk assessments

• Be able to undertake risk assessments

What is “Health” ?
• Health is a state of complete physical, mental and
social well-being and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity.
- WHO -
What is “Safety” ?
• Safety is the state of being "safe“, the condition of
being protected from harm or other non-desirable
outcomes.
• Safety can also refer to the control of recognized
hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
What is “Welfare” ?
• Availability of resources and presence of
conditions required for reasonably comfortable,
healthy, and secure living.
 Construction Industry
• Construction is a series of actions undertaken by construction
companies and consultants, which produces or alter buildings and
infrastructure.
• Construction actions can be described as a complex interplay of
people, tools, equipment and materials, coordinated by
communication and paid for with money.
 Overview to the Construction Industry
• Construction is an industry with a high number of hazards that comprises
a wide range of activities involving construction, alteration, and/or repair.
• Examples include residential, highway, irrigation, water supply and
drainage constructions, bridge erection, roadway paving, excavations,
demolitions.
• Contributes to 8% to 10% of the country's’ GDP.
• Almost 6-7% employees are employed within the construction industry.
• Disproportionate level of fatal, major injuries and incidents of ill-health.
Overview to the Construction Industry
Overview to the Construction Industry

Dump Truck Accident

Overview to the Construction Industry

Crane Accident
Overview to the Construction Industry
Overview to the Construction Industry
Overview to the Construction Industry
Overview to the Construction Industry

Safety
Performance of
the Sri Lankan
Construction
Industry
Overview to the Construction Industry
Overview to the Construction Industry
Overview to the Construction Industry

“ Policy and Procedures” alone is not enough…

We need to breed a culture of safety,

From board-room to brick-layer,

To take a holistic

System-wide approach to safety

 Overview to the Construction Industry
Analysis of figures by type of accident % of total Type of accident
(Percentage of accidents in construction)

• 46% - Falls from a height

• 15% - Struck by falling/flying object,
• 15% - Struck by a moving vehicle
• 9% - Trapped by something collapsing or overturning
• 7% - Other causes ex chemicals, fires or explosions
• 6% - Contact with electricity or an electrical discharge
• 2% - Contact with moving machinery or material being machined
 Overview to the Construction Industry
- Basic Terms -
• Hazard - The potential to cause harm. Harm including ill health and injury,
damage to property, plant, products or the environment, production losses or increased
liabilities.
• Risk - Means the likelihood that a specified undesired event will occur due to
the realisation of a hazard by, or during work activities or by the products and services
created by work activities.
• Incident - Undesired circumstances and ‘near misses’ which could cause
accidents.
• Accident - Undesired circumstances which give rise to ill-health or injury, damage
to property, plant, products or the environment; production losses or increased liabilities.
 Overview to the Construction Industry
- Basic Terms -
• Injury - Injury is damage to the body. This may be caused by accidents, falls,
hits, weapons, and other causes. Major trauma is injury that has the potential to cause
prolonged disability or death.
• Ill-health - Acute and chronic ill health caused by physical, chemical or biological
agents as well as adverse effects on mental health.
• Damage - loss or harm resulting from injury to person, property, or reputation.
 Overview to the Construction Industry
- Accident Causes -
• Unsafe Acts - - Using equipment the wrong way or for
- Working without authority the wrong tasks

- Failure to warn others of danger - Failure to use or wear personal

- Leaving equipment in a dangerous protective equipment

condition - Bad / Over loading of vehicles

- Using equipment at the wrong speed - Failure to lift loads correctly

- Disconnecting safety devices such as - Smoking in areas where it is not

guards allowed

- Using defective equipment - Drinking alcohol or taking drugs

 Overview to the Construction Industry
- Accident 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
 Overview to the Construction Industry
- Factors Affecting Safe Behaviors -
• Adequate selection of individuals for the tasks that have to be performed
• Effective selection requires the employee to be correctly matched with the job
• Adequate supervision
• Adequate employee motivation
• Personal and welfare matters can also affect individual’s work performance
• Organizational safety procedures and processes
 Overview to the Construction Industry
- Importance of HSW -
• Ethical Obligation -

No-one comes to work to be injured or killed

• Regulatory Obligation –

• The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

• Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
 Overview to the Construction Industry
- Importance of HSW -
• Organizational Benefits -
• Better Morale
• Increased productivity and efficiency
• Lower staff turnover
• Protect brand equity
• Financial Benefits -
• Reduced schedule disruption
• Reduced worker’s compensation
• Lower Insurance Premiums
• Lower legal fees
Overview to the Construction Industry
- Importance of HSW -
Overview to the Construction Industry
- Importance of HSW -
QUESTIONS ???