Occupational Safety and Health Management as the Foundation to Ensure the Safe Work Environment in Construction Work Place
OPEN UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA
INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
EXECUTIVE DIPLOMA IN SAFETY AND HEALTH
Module - Occupational Safety
Lecturer: Captain Adam
NAME :ANANTHAN
MATRIX NO :IEDOSH-12xxxxx
CENTRE : BANGI
Occupational safety and health management as the foundation to ensure the safe work environment in construction work place
Construction is noisy, dusty, hazardous and sometimes the most uninhabitable work place one can ever be exposed to. It is also an industry that contributes persistently to high accident rates; especially fatalities. Everything that is taboo in the safety practitioner’s book can be found in the construction site. For example, employees are easily exposed to hazardous substances such as paints, thinners, glues, varnishes, asbestos, and also to toxic agents mainly from underground work. Sites can easily accumulate debris which can be a fire hazard or a health hazard. Drilling and excavation work can cause accidental fires or even explosion. Working at height can result in debris falling on workers or even workers falling from heights. Fire, noise and dust are common constituents in construction sites, can be an inconvenience or danger to the neighborhood, especially in built-up areas. The issue of hygiene may also be a problem especially in the demolition of old buildings which may have been a haven for drug addicts.
The problems in the construction sector is not limited to the above mentioned areas can range from an unreported little bruise, to the collapse of the Highland Towers. Even the smallest construction site has the potential to cause a catastrophe. The construction site indeed versatile and accident are increasing both in absolute terms and by percentage. Take for example the statistic on permanent disablement cases in the construction sector, which has risen from 190 in 1991 to 305 in 1993. The appalling safety record is a clear indication that things are not right, and something has
INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
EXECUTIVE DIPLOMA IN SAFETY AND HEALTH
Module - Occupational Safety
Lecturer: Captain Adam
NAME :ANANTHAN
MATRIX NO :IEDOSH-12xxxxx
CENTRE : BANGI
Occupational safety and health management as the foundation to ensure the safe work environment in construction work place
Construction is noisy, dusty, hazardous and sometimes the most uninhabitable work place one can ever be exposed to. It is also an industry that contributes persistently to high accident rates; especially fatalities. Everything that is taboo in the safety practitioner’s book can be found in the construction site. For example, employees are easily exposed to hazardous substances such as paints, thinners, glues, varnishes, asbestos, and also to toxic agents mainly from underground work. Sites can easily accumulate debris which can be a fire hazard or a health hazard. Drilling and excavation work can cause accidental fires or even explosion. Working at height can result in debris falling on workers or even workers falling from heights. Fire, noise and dust are common constituents in construction sites, can be an inconvenience or danger to the neighborhood, especially in built-up areas. The issue of hygiene may also be a problem especially in the demolition of old buildings which may have been a haven for drug addicts.
The problems in the construction sector is not limited to the above mentioned areas can range from an unreported little bruise, to the collapse of the Highland Towers. Even the smallest construction site has the potential to cause a catastrophe. The construction site indeed versatile and accident are increasing both in absolute terms and by percentage. Take for example the statistic on permanent disablement cases in the construction sector, which has risen from 190 in 1991 to 305 in 1993. The appalling safety record is a clear indication that things are not right, and something has