Safety Measures during High-Rise Building

Construction works
High-rise buildings are the current trend in construction nowadays because of its
convenience, advantages, architectural design, grade and luxury. Not known to many, it
has many safety risks for occupancy.

The most frequent problems/accidents related to safety in high-rise construction often

include:
1. Ladders
2. Falling Debris
3. Falling From Heights
4. Electrical shock & Machinery
5. Trips and Slips
6. Crane and hoist operation

For overcoming these type problem , we focused the following objectives:

1. To establish SMS (Safety Management System) at a high-rise construction project in

Bangladesh.
2. To study safety risk in construction of high-rise building in Bangladesh.
3. To analyze strength, weakness and propose recommendations for improvement of
safety in high-rise construction in Bangladesh.

The ultimately goals as set out for the project are:

1. To ensure safe and hazard free working environment so as to attain maximum

efficiency.
2. To achieve confidence of customer as well as society at large by ensuring safety
performance.

Throughout the core basis of safety literature and actual high-rise tower now under
construction, the main important issues can be summarized as below:

(1) Summary of Safety Management System (SMS)

The SMS is a must for every construction project, especially for high-rise construction
because this area is consisting of many latent hazard and risk. Without SMS, the owners,
developers, investors, shareholders, and managers cannot reach the goal and target as
expected. On the other hand, the contractors, suppliers, installers, and workers cannot
fulfill and complete their mission.
In overall, without SMS, the construction of a high-rise will become very dangerous and
the casualty/damage cannot be prevented. The SMS must be set up and strictly
implemented and it should comprise of the main frames:
 Safety Policy
 Safety Organization
 Safety Plan & Program
 Hazard & Risk analysis and identification
 Safety Documenting & Recording
 Safety Review & Upgrading

In addition, high-rise construction project should also have strong and powerful
Project/Construction Management team who will monitor, control, and handle the
safety matters. It is also their duty to strictly implement these safety plans which
normally and basically include the following:

 Safety management/hierarchy/organization
 Scaffolding (fixed and mobile) including ladders & platforms
 Electro-mechanical activities and controls
 Site status
 Temporary power supply and tools
 Health & welfares
 Storage condition
 Fire prevention
 Waste/pollution control
 Monitoring and control of working on height
 Aid/first aid and evacuation
 Emergency plan for unanticipated circumstances

It is recommended that for biding the high-rise construction project, the owner should
seek and hire a professional project management team usually PMC companies (project
management consultancy), as the project & construction manager and their
representative as well. The Project Manager will be enthusiastically and heartily
dedicated to the multi-goal completion of a high-rise construction project: schedule
reached, within budget, quality achieved and also well perform the high safety
requirements/demands.

The PM as the owner representative should have strong and effective ways to force all
contractors and their subs at site to totally and absolutely comply with safety rules. It is
necessarily to cleverly apply the method of fine and reward to guarantee the safe
situation at site workplace.

(2) Summary of Hazard/Risk Identification:

This is the most important portion of every specific SMS especially for high-rise project.
Depending on the specific condition and particular situation, the PM should:
(i) Thoroughly analyze all aspect of the project: geographical, structure, sub-water,
vicinity, surrounding inhabitants

(ii) Far-seeing and fore-seeing for all possible causes may lead to hazard

(iii) Focusing in the most would-be hazard of high-rise construction: falling, slip, fire,
electrical flashing of tower crane, hoist, lift, elevator, scaffolding etc.

(iv) Periodically and frequently conduct site-safety check carefully and thoroughly. The
same for site-safety audit

(v) Evaluation the site-safety check/audit and requires improvements

(vi) Always available for an emergency plan to cope with an unanticipated circumstance

(vii) Always keep best relationship for availability of a hot-contact with nearest local
authorities and utilities

(viii) Frequently review, analyze and search for other possible hazards and identification
of its risks

(3) Strength & Weakness of the actual SMS

Strength:

 Strong and powerful: the PM monitor, control and force the contactors & their subs
to execute the safety rules.
 Standardized & professional: the safety rules & items based on the advanced
standards/norms of site-safety and implemented by a long-history Project
Management Consultant like DDC.
 Sufficient: the SMS and its rules/items comprising the most frequent issues in high-
rise construction

Weakness:

 Lack of identification of hazard/risk from some potential possibilities such as: glass
wall, lift, sub-water, overhead power line
 No considering on the role of 3rd safety party for audit/verification
 Only involving the actions in construction phase.
 No mentioning the other phase: commissioning and delivery
 No mentioning on safety training, especially for induction training
 Take much time much, paper for meeting and inspection so the time schedule may
be impacted.

(4) Suggestions & Recommendations

 Build-up a comprehensive safety plan and extensive safety programs: the plan
should involve all factors that possibly cause risks and hazards of unsafe conditions.

 Strictly abiding and complying with local code and governmental regulations and
stipulations.

 Build and maintain very good relationship with local authorities and utilities.

 Pay special attention on the geographical, geological, environmental, hydro-

geological characteristics of the area, to foresee/ anticipate suitable counter
measures and actions.

 PLAN – DO – CHECK – ACT: strictly and thoroughly executing the established

safety plan/program; frequently review and improve for better outcomes.

 NO COMPROMISE on safety especially in high -rise construction.

 Ready for safety egress in site for rescue and emergency exit

 Emergency Action Plan: ready for reaction plan/scenarios to any unexpected

circumstance/contingency; prepare plan, scenarios and evacuation method for
readiness and coping with even the worst case might be happened: fire, collapse,
seismic, terrorism

 Periodically organize training, re-training for emergency drill/rehearsal and

contingency scenarios of evacuation.

 Check and review design for specific items which may cause risk.

 NO SMOKING at construction site: so no hazard and no risk for fire occurrence

themselves. Furthermore shall ensure that 4 Nos. CO2 and 4 Nos. of dry powder fire
extinguishers are available each unit at the workplace. There will be 2 Nos. CO2
types and 2 Nos. of dry powder type fire extinguishers for each unit stored at site
warehouse to backup.

 Increasing safety awareness: although we have rules, notices, regulations but the
hazard/risk/accident are still be possible to occur. In order to avoid and prevent
more and more the possibility of hazard, risk and accident, the
awareness/perception on safety in high-rise construction of every involved people
must be increased and enhanced.

 This can be got by education level of every worker, person participated on site.
This can be increased by frequently training/re-training them on safety subject by
various type: oriented safety, 15-minute tool-box meeting every morning, safety
 inspection daily, weekly safety audit, safety signs/panel/billboards/notice on site,
safety lunch for every 100,000 safe-working hours.

 Motivation and incentives: similar to job and wage, performance and bonus;
safety in high-rise construction needs to have encouragement to the people who are
good examples for well-performed of safety on site. There are various ways/forms to
enhance and support safety goal: safety lunch, safety lottery, safety award to the
best-performed worker, bonus, pay-rise, promotion etc.

 More attention – less occurrence: the more attention on safety the less accident
and problems occurred.

 Strengthen functions of employers and supervisors: employers and supervisors

must ensure compliance with the provisions of the regulations.

Key requirements for employers include:

(a) Employer

(i) Instruct, inform and supervise workers to protect their health and safety
(ii) Appoint competent persons as supervisors
(iii) Take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a
worker
(iv) Prepare and review at least annually a written occupational health and safety policy,
and develop and maintain a program to implement that policy if the workplace has six
or more full-time employees
(v) Post a copy of the occupational health and safety policy in the workplace, where
workers will be most likely to see it

(b) Supervisors
Sub-contractor will be engaged for majority of the works. They will be under supervisior
and controlled by Site Engineer and Project manager.There activities are as follows:

(i) Ensure workers work in compliance with protective devices, measures and
procedures required by the act and regulations
(ii) Ensure workers use or wear any equipment, protective device or clothing required
by the employer
(iii) Advise workers of any potential or actual health or safety dangers known by the
supervisor
(iv) If required, provide workers with written instructions on the measures and
procedures to be taken for the workers’ protection
(v)Take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of workers

* Frequently carry out preventing methods/measures for safety:

* Periodically check and verify crane/hoist by 3rd independent parties.
* Frequently training and certificating operators
* Review and amendment/adjusting safety plan/program from safety audits
 Frequently TRAINING on safety to all workers. Make sure them always to keep in mind
that safety does not depend on luck or destiny but it depends on themselves.

d. Equipment Inspection and Maintenance:

All the equipment will be brought to work site and will be checked and approved by
Project Engineer minimum two days before use. The equipments will be inspected based
on the checklist .

An inspection program will be held for equipment and every week to check their
condition. All substandard equipment will be taken offsite and be immediately replaced
by site safety in Charge. Inspection reports will be properly documented and kept on
site.

e. Fire Protection:
Safety officer shall ensure that 4 Nos. CO2 and 4 Nos. of dry powder fire extinguishers
are available at the workplace. There will be 2 Nos. CO2 types and 2 Nos. of dry powder
type fire extinguishers stored at site warehouse to backup, extinguishers in case of
servicing or immediate requirement.

f. Designated Smoking Area:

Designated smoking area will be provided for the workers and all at the office. No one
will be allowed to smoke at the site without using the designated smoking area for
safety reason. Chief Safety Officer will ensure the proper use of the smoking area with
the proper disposal system of cigarette butts.

g. Night Operation:
PM has decided to carry out testing mainly at day time however, when it
will be done at night time sufficient lighting Will be arranged according to
approval

h. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (Model & Specification):

All employees (worker, site charges and others) will wear the PPE according to JHA at site all the times.
Only approved PPE will be supplied to all persons. This equipment may include: Hard hat, safety boots,
gloves, hearing protection, respirator, eye protective safety glasses etc.

DDC will ensure all items of PPE are used and maintained in accordance with the relevant Standard and
JHA.
Each employee will be instructed and trained in the correct use, maintenance and storage of each PPE
item prior to use. In every working day, the worker will collect the PPE according to the JHA at the
designated storage area and store back to the storage after daily use.

i. Work at Height (Scaffolding):

All works at height will be done with the help of proper Equipment and specification. The Chief HES
Officer will ensure all the works done with proper use of scaffolding supplied by DDC

Every morning, before start the job, HSE officer must inspect those scaffolding to ensure integrity and
safety. It will be also documented regularly in the site inspection form.

j. Electrical works:
DDC will ensure that the use of electrical wiring, portable tools and extension leads will be in accordance
with the Standard by an authorized electrician.

h. Reporting:
All injuries will be reported immediately to the HES officer. Then Chief HES will call to the emergency
members from the HES display board. Injuries will be recorded in the Site Injury Register.

Abstract

Construction is indispensable for the growing up of any country and cities. The more
development of society/community, the more projects are going on. Construction
industry brings up the new picture of country/city; attracts investors to come in and
provides more jobs/incomes to people/community; especially for the under-developing
countries.

However, construction industry is one of the most dangerous/risky economic sectors. In

Vietnam, in the year 2011, official reports recorded that 5896 accidents occurred in
construction led 6154 injuries included 504 severe cases with 574 deaths. (SG
newspaper dated 26-June-2012). Note that 2011 is the year which construction was
depressing nationwide due to the problems of high inflation and high interest rate.
Further a certain accident amount was not put in the above official report.

Accident cases from machines/tools always being a major percentage but deaths are
mainly by falling and electric shocks. In most cases, the control of safety management at
sites is not strictly, frequently slacken while the owner and contractors only focusing on
completion schedule and profits; insufficient interest to safety for people on sites.
Another part is from the lack of understandings/perception on safety of the workers
themselves.
Everyone is aware on the important of safety, everyone is told about the preciousness of
human being and many losses comes from the accidents; but casualties still be recorded.
How to find out and apply an effective manner to minimize and – may be - eliminate all
unsafe conditions and possible causes /risks of the would-be hazards?

Fatal injury statistics

Summary for 2014/15

The information in this document relates to the latest 'full-year' statistics on fatal injuries in the
workplace, for 2014/15.

 The provisional figure for the number of workers fatally injured in 2014/15 is 142, and
corresponds to a rate of fatal injury of 0.46 deaths per 100,000 workers.
 The figure of 142 worker deaths in 2014/15 is 9% lower than the average for the past five years
(156). The latest rate of fatal injury of 0.46 compares to the five-year average rate of 0.53.

 The finalised figure for 2013/14 is 136 worker fatalities, and corresponds to a rate of 0.45 deaths
per 100,000 workers.

 Over the latest 20-year time period there has been a downward trend in the rate of fatal injury,
although more recently (since 2008/09) the trend is less clear.

 There were 102 members of the public fatally injured in accidents connected to work in 2014/15
(excluding railways-related incidents).
Figure 1: Number and rate of fatal injury to workers 1, 1995/96 –
2014/15p

p = Provisional

r = Revised