UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY MUKONO
Department of Civil Engineering
General Workshop Practice (CEng2110)
1. Introduction to Workshop Practice
Lecture material by:
Eng Tom More Mwanje
Feb., 2025
UCU,MUKONO
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1.1. Introduction to civil engineering profession
❑ Engineering is an art of converting scientific knowledge, principles, theories and other
facts in to useful practical applications for the benefit of mankind. Civil engineering is a
branch of engineering dealing with the design, construction and maintenance of the
physical and naturally built environment including highways, buildings, bridges, tunnels,
waterworks, harbors, etc. It was defined to distinguish non-military engineering from
military engineering
❑ Civil Engineering as defined by the London based Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) is a great
art, on which the wealth and well-being of the whole society depends. Its essential
feature, as distinct from science and the arts, is the exercise of imagination to develop
products, processes and people needed to create a sustainable physical and natural built
environment. It requires a broad understanding of scientific principles, knowledge of
materials and the art of analysis and synthesis. It also requires research, team working,
and leadership and business skills. A Civil Engineer is someone who practices all or part of
this art.
❑ Civil engineers are primarily responsible for the planning, design and construction of
infrastructure which includes major buildings, bridges, dams, pipelines, sewage and water
treatment plants, and various transportation systems and facilities. In order to provide
workable, durable, and affordable solutions to society's infrastructure needs.
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1.1. Introduction to civil engineering profession…
❑ As mentioned above, civil engineering field of study covers a wide area of applications which requires
categorization based on mastery on specific area. That means specialization within civil engineering important.
To mean a few specializations of civil engineering discipline:
Structural Engineering: Structural analysis and design of buildings, bridges and others
Geotechnical Engineering: Soil investigation, foundation design, tunneling, etc
Highway Engineering (Transportation Engineering): Roads, railways, public transport, etc
Hydraulic Engineering : Analysis of hydrology, catchment area, hydraulic designs of dams, ..
Water Supply and Sanitary Engineering: Water supply dam, storage reservoirs, sanitary lines, water
treatment facilities
Construction Technology and Management
❑ Construction projects involve many people from highly skilled professionals (Architects; designers; engineers;
surveyors, contractors; sub-contractors) to low skilled people (laborers), all working together to meet the needs
of the client. These construction professionals are brought together for a specific construction project and then
disbanded once construction is complete.
❑ The construction industry does require not only high level experts (managers, engineers, specialists, etc.) but
also require craftsman or tradesperson (technicians or skilled workers) having specific hands-on practical
technical skills.
❑ A tradesperson is a skilled worker that specializes in a particular trade. Tradespeople usually gain their skills
through work experience, on-the-job training, an apprenticeship program or formal education. A tradesman or
tradesperson is a skilled laborer in a specialized occupation, such as an electrician, plumber, CNC machinist,
HVAC technician, welder, carpenter, painter, or steelworker to name a few.
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1.2. Introduction to workshop
What is a workshop in engineering?
➢ Workshop is a controlled environment or space where individuals, often with a
specific skill or interest, come together to engage in hands-on activities, learning,
and collaborative work. Engineering workshop is the laboratory which provides both
the area and tools (or machinery) that may be required for the manufacture or
repair of manufactured goods.
➢ Workshops are designed to provide practical experience, training, and knowledge
sharing on a particular subject or skill set. Workshops typically involve hands-on
activities, facilitation techniques, group discussions, simulations, and collaborative
exercises, which allow participants to explore, ideate, and participate in achieving
their desired outcomes. In a similar way, construction workshop enable a research
and learning environment and an expert in building and materials for architectural
models, buildings and building parts or scale models.
➢ Workshop practice gives the basic working knowledge required for the production of
various engineering products.
➢ It explains the construction, function, use and application of different working tools,
equipment, machines as well as the technique of manufacturing a product from its
raw material.
➢ In order to have a balanced overall development of budding engineers, it is
necessary to integrate theory with practice. 4
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1.2. Introduction to safety in workshop
❑ So for engineering students, the role of workshop is immense as it
provide hands-on practices on building, fabrication, manufacturing,
or installation related works.
In doing so, the students will
develop practical skills and
also they will be familiar
with the specific machine
and its operational methods.
At least, students are
expected to identify the
activities involved in a
particular work, the
activities sequence, and the
required resources (in terms
of material, tools and labor
as well as time) for a
particular work.
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1.2. Health and safety, care and precaution in workshop
10 General Workshop Safety Tips & Rules
❑ Dress For The Occasion. ...
❑ Vision Protection. ...
❑ Keep Your Workshop Clean. ...
❑ No Drugs, Alcohol Or Other Impairments Please! ...
❑ Please Read The Book: operating manual. . ...
❑ Keep Tools and Equipment Sharp. ...
❑ Avoid Unnecessary Distractions. ...
❑ Use Safety Tools To Assist You: This includes push sticks, miter gauges,
custom built sleds, featherboards, and push blocks. …
❑ Inspect Timber For Nails, Knots Or Any Imperfections
❑ Electrical Extension Cords…keep the workshop clean!!!
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1.3. Construction Site Health and Safety
❑ Many construction activities are inherently health and safety risks
such as working at height, working underground, working in confined
spaces and close proximity to falling materials, handling load
manually, handling hazardous substances, noises, dusts, using plant
and equipment, fire, exposure to live cables, poor housekeeping and
ergonomics.
❑ In an urban context, health and safety accidents are relatively higher
due to the fact that high rise buildings remain predominant with the
fast-growing complexities of domain-wide construction projects to
cope with modernizing cities arena and high demand for housing,
offices, services and other infrastructures due to the high
urbanization.
❑ Despite its importance, therefore, construction industry is
considered as being risky with frequent and high accidents rate and
ill-health problems to workers, practitioners and end users.
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1.3. Construction Site Health and Safety…
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1.3. Construction Site Health and Safety…
➢ Site Layout and Planning
A badly planned and messy site is the underlying cause of
many accidents.
This results from falls of material and collisions between
workers and plant or equipment.
There are many accidents due to tripping, slipping or
falling over materials and equipment which have been
left lying around, and stepping on nails which have been
left projecting from timber.
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1.3. Construction Site Health and Safety…
➢ PPE
Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to protective
clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garment or equipment
designed to protect the wearer's body from injury by blunt
impacts, electrical hazards, heat, chemicals, and infection, for
job-related occupational health and safety purposes.
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1.3. Construction Site Health and Safety…
➢ First aid Kits and Accident Reporting
Construction sites are dangerous places, and first aid and rescue
equipment should always be available.
What is needed depends on the size of the site and the numbers
employed, but there should be a blanket and a stretcher.
On large sites with more than 200 people are employed, there should
be a properly equipped first aid room.
On any construction site of that size, at least one person on every
shift should have been trained in first aid to a nationally recognized
standard.
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1.3. Construction Site Health and Safety…
➢ Health and Safety Warning Signs
Safety Signs and Signals are one of the main means of communicating health and
safety information.
This includes the use of illuminated signs, hand and acoustic signals (e.g. fire
alarms), spoken communication and the marking of pipework containing dangerous
substances.
Traditional signboards, such as prohibition and warning signs, signs for fire exits,
fire action plan notices (fire drills) and fire-fighting equipment are also considered
to be Safety Signs.
It is critical that all Safety Signs and Signals can be easily understood.
Where signboards are used in a workplace they should be sufficiently large and
clear so that they can be easily seen and understood.
Signboards also need to be durable, securely fastened and properly maintained to
ensure they remain visible.
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1.3. Construction Site Health and Safety… Signs !!
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1.3. Construction Site Health and Safety…
➢ Safety Policy
Site managers should have a written safety policy for their enterprise setting
out the safety and health standards which it is their objective to
achieve.
The policy should name the senior executive who is responsible for seeing
that the standards are achieved, and who has authority to allocate
responsibilities to management and supervisors at all levels and to see
they are carried out.
Training programs is mandatory for the safety policy.
Site meetings are one of the ways of sensitizing workers on their
health and safety in the site and should therefore be held frequently.
OSH, ILO…
The Ethiopian Labor Proclamation has a provision requires the employer to
have an obligation to safeguard workers from accidents and injuries.
The proclamation also requires that the employer provide regular health
services including during worker injury and sickness.
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1.3. Construction Site Health and Safety…
➢ Health and Safety Training in Construction Sites
With regard to OSH, training consist of instruction in hazard
recognition and control measures, learning safe work
practices and proper use of personal protective equipment,
and acquiring knowledge of emergency procedures and
preventive actions.
Training also provide workers with ways to obtain added
information about potential hazards and their control; they could
gain skills to assume a more active role in implementing hazard
control programs or to effect organizational changes that
would enhance worksite protection.
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1.3. Construction Site Health and Safety…
➢ Working Environment
Chemical Substances are a major health hazards since there are many
chemicals used in the construction industry, which include insecticides,
adhesives, cleaning agents, wood preservatives, fungicides, and paints
among others.
Many of these chemicals are hazardous, with a potential to cause poisoning.
Toxic substances can cause both acute and chronic effects resulting from
exposure for a long period.
Dusts from many sources are also a prominent hazard in construction.
Silica and asbestos dust can permanently damage the lung tissue, if the dust is
absorbed into lungs and enters the blood stream causing poisoning.
Cement mixes is also a well known cause of skin disease.
Lead is found in electricity cables, pipes gutters and lead sheet roofs.
Excessive lead absorption causes constipation, abdominal pain, anemia,
weak muscles and kidney failure
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1.3. Construction Site Care and Precaution
The 98% accidents could be easily avoided provided
due precautions are taken well in time.
A very familiar slogan goes on to say that ‘accidents do
not just happen but are caused due to the failure of
one element or the other’.
The common causes which lead to accidents are:
❖ Unsafe working position.
❖ Improper or defective tools or their improper use.
❖ Improper acts which result in violation of safety
rules and non-observance of safety precautions.
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1.3. Construction Site Care and Precaution
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1.3. Construction Site Care and Precaution
➢ Basic Safety Precautions at Construction Site
❑ In any construction project the basic safety precautions to be implemented are:
✓ Guard rails to be installed at open scaffold areas, all openings in the building floor,
in the excavated areas, at mobile elevated platforms.
✓ Yellow stickers with safety notes to be pasted where necessary
✓ All the working platforms should be stable, properly braced, should not be
overloaded and safe for the working personnel
✓ All the working areas and passageways should be free from waste or debris or any
of obstruction like stored material. The site should be clean all the times and
the material should be stored safely
✓ There should be proper arrangement of collection and disposal of waste
materials
✓ First aid should be available at all times on site for cuts burns or any mishaps
✓ Fire extinguishers to be placed on site on proper locations in case of any fire
✓ That should be proper lighting arrangements on the site especially when the
work is carried out during the night stand.
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1.3. Construction Site Care and Precaution
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Reflective Questions
1. Mention the role of civil engineers in the society ?
2. Mention the role of craftsman/ craftsperson in the society?
3. What is the main aim of workshop establishment under
Architecture Engineering Construction (AEC) companies?
4. What is personal protective equipment(PPE)? Mention the
most recommended ones in construction workshops
5. What is your opinion on the main causes of accidents in a
construction site?
The End!
Thank You!!
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