Chapter 1

Introduction

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 1.1 Nature of Construction Operations

The construction industry accounts for about 10% of injury accidents and 20% of industrial workforce deaths,
even though construction workers account for just about 8% of industrial man-hours worked in the United
States.

Table 1.1 Fatality Cases within the Construction Industry

Year Construction Fatalities Fatality Rates*

2011 738 9.1

2012 806 9.9
2013 828 9.7
2014 899 9.8
2015 937 10.1
2016 991 10.1
2017 971 9.5
2018 1,008 9.5

1,008 construction deaths have occurred in the private sector in 2018, compared to 971 in 2017.
 1.1 Nature of Construction Operations

• The industry 's fatal accident rate was even at 9.5 per 100,000 full-time-equivalent workers.

• The rate of the last year represents a decrease from 2016 to 2015, when the figure was 10.1.

• Deaths in the heavy and construction sectors increased by 18% in 2018, to 180 from 152, and fatalities in
buildings construction increased slightly, from 196 in the previous year to 200 in 2018.

• Specialty trade contractors had 609 fatalities in 2018, one fewer than in 2017.

• The Bureau stated that the fatality rates for individual construction sectors were not available.

• In an encouraging result, BLS reported that the number of deaths caused by falls, slips, and trips across all sectors
decreased by 11% to 791 in 2018. That compares with a high for this BLS data series of 887 in 2017.

• The Bureau traces the decline in falls to a decrease of 14% from 713 fatal falls to a lower level to 615.
1.1 Nature of Construction Operations

Figure 1.1 Complexity of a construction site with the potential of accidents

Photo courtesy of Zukiman Mohamad from Pexels
 1.1 Nature of Construction Operations

There are two key aspects of the safety of the project site:

 Safety of persons working on the site and

 Safety of the general public who may be near the project site.

The primary causes of construction job site injuries are:

 Falling from an elevation

 Being struck by something
 Trenching and excavation cave in
 Being caught between two objects
 Electrical shock
 1.1 Nature of Construction Operations

• Many hazards exist on all construction sites: sharp edges, falling objects, openings in floors,
chemicals, noise, and a myriad of other potentially dangerous situations.

• Mitigation measures are required to reduce the risk for injury, and further training is required to ensure
that the entire workplace has a healthy working attitude.

• Most of the construction projects are special and implemented in a variety of work environments.
 1.1 Nature of Construction Operations

• Construction workers are, therefore, constantly expected to become familiar with new situations that could
potentially be hazardous.
• Besides, the composition of construction project teams varies from project to project, and many craft workers
may work for different employers, resulting in a lack of conformity and continuity.
• Craft workers may only work during some phases of the work on a project site and then move to another
project site.
• The ongoing change in the composition of the work force on a project provides the project manager, director,
and field supervisors with significant leadership challenges.
• Another big safety problem for construction site supervisors is the increased employment of workers whose
second language is English.
• Not only do these workers have difficulty reading and understanding safety signage, but they may be
unwilling to report unsafe job site conditions or working practices.
 1.2 Introduction to OSHA
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency of the United States Department
of Labor.

• Congress established the agency under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) on December 29,
1970.

• OSHA's mission is to "assure safe and healthy working conditions for working men and women by setting
and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance."

• The Agency is also charged with the enforcement of a variety of whistleblower statutes and regulations.

• Federal OSHA is a small agency; with our state partners, we have approximately 2,100 inspectors
responsible for the health and safety of 130 million workers, employed at more than 8 million worksites
around the nation — which translates to about one compliance officer for every 59,000 workers.
 1.2 Introduction to OSHA

OOSHA workplace safety inspections have shown that injury rates and injury costs have been reduced without
adverse effects on employment, sales, credit ratings, or firm survival (Levine et al. 2012).

For more than four decades, OSHA and our state partners, along with employers' contributions, health and safety
practitioners, unions and advocates, have had a significant impact on safety at work.

Some milestones of OSHA impacts are listed below:

 Worker deaths in America are down-on average, from about 38 worker deaths a day in 1970 to 14 a day in 2017.
 Worker injuries and illnesses were down-from 10.9 incidents per 100 workers in 1972 to 2.8 per 100 in 2017.
 Cut the work-related fatality rate to historic loas for 2002 to 2004.
 From 2003 to 2004, reduced the number of workplace injuries and illnesses by 4% and lost workday cases rates
dropped by 5.8% in the same period.
 In 2005, OSHA conducted close to 39,000 inspections and issued just over 85,000 citations for violations.

In 2004, the Consultation Program made over 31,000 visits to employers

 1.2 Introduction to OSHA

• The Act allowed individual States to lay down their own occupational health and safety standards as long as
the state standards are at least as stringent as the federal requirements.

• Several States have adopted their own occupational safety and health laws and employ inspectors to ensure
enforcement of state-owned construction projects.

• Failure to comply with regulatory criteria usually results in significant citations and fines.

• Rules created by all federal regulatory agencies are collected into a multi-part document called the Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR). OSHA 29 CFR 1926 standards focus on the construction industry, and identify
the specific work-related risks associated with it.
 Example 1.1

OSHA ………………. are rules that describe the methods that employers must use to protect workers from hazards.

A. Website
B. Trainings
C. Quick takes
D. Standards
 Example 1.1

OSHA ………………. are rules that describe the methods that employers must use to protect workers from hazards.

A. Website
B. Trainings
C. Quick takes
D. Standards

Answer: D
 1.3 Importance of Safe Practices
It is the responsibility of the construction company to provide a safe working environment for all construction
workers on the site, including those employed by subcontractors, and to protect the public from harm.

The primary factors that motivate safe practices on construction sites are:

 Humanitarian concern for workers and the public

 Economic cost of accidents
 Regulatory requirements for work site safety

It is a normally accepted principle that a person should not suffer an injury while working for an employer.

There is a significant adverse economic impact if an accident occurs. Accidents are costly, as discussed in the
next section, and often lead to uncompensable delays in completing the construction project.
 1.3 Importance of Safe Practices

Most successful construction companies have recognized the importance of safety management and have developed
effective company safety programs that include:

 New employee orientation

 Safety training
 Project-specific accident prevention plans
 Job site surveillance

Good safety practices reduce business expenses as they reduce workers' compensation and liability insurance rates
and mitigate the expenses of accidents and injuries at work.

Construction companies often pay 10 to 20% of their direct labor costs for workers ' compensation insurance
premiums, depending on the type of craft labor they employ, which is a significant cost of doing business.

Also, unsafe project sites often result in citations and fines from state or federal inspections of occupational safety
and health.
 1.4 Workers Right
 Working conditions that do not pose a risk of serious harm. Figure 1.2 is an example of risky work practice
where a construction worker is walking very close to an excavator.
 Receive information and training (in a language and vocabulary the worker understands) about workplace
hazards, methods to prevent them, and the OSHA standards that apply to their workplace.
 Review records of work-related injuries and illnesses for the past 5 years. The employer must provide this by
the end of the next workday.
 File a complaint asking OSHA to inspect their workplace if they believe there is a serious hazard or that their
employer is not following OSHA's rules. OSHA will keep all identities confidential.
 Exercise their legal rights without retaliation, including reporting an injury to their employer or OSHA or
raising health and safety concerns. If a worker has been retaliated for using his or her right, he or she must
file a complaint with OSHA as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days.
 Be free from retaliation for exercising safety and health practices.
 Participate in an OSHA inspection directly. You have the right to talk to the inspector privately.
 Complain or request hazard correction from employer
 1.4 Workers Right

Under federal law, you are entitled to a safe workplace. Your employer must ensure that the workplace is free of
known health and safety hazards. If you have any concerns, you have the right to speak out about them without fear
of retaliation. You also have the right to:

 Be trained in a language you understand

 Work on machines that are safe
 Be provided required safety gear, such as gloves or a harness and lifeline for falls
 Be protected from toxic chemicals
 Request an OSHA inspection, and speak to the inspector
 Report an injury or illness, and get copies of your medical records
 See copies of the workplace injury and illness log
 Review records of work-related injuries and illnesses
 Get copies of test results done to find hazards in the workplace
 1.4 Workers Right

Figure 1.2 A construction worker close to an excavator

Photo courtesy of Nicholas Lim from Pexels
 1.4 Workers Right
Another important workers’ right is to know about the hazardous chemicals present in the workplace. Wmployers
must have a written complete hazard communication program that includes information on:

 Container labeling
 Safety Data Sheets (SDSs)

Workers have the right to examine and copy exposure and medical records including records of workplace
monitoring or measuring a toxic substance.

Examples of toxic substances and harmful physical agents are:

 Some metal and dusts such as lead, cadmium, silica, etc.

 Biological agents such as bacterial, viruses, fungi, etc.
 Physical stresses such as noise, heat, cold, vibration, repetitive motion, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation,
etc.
 Example 1.2

Under OSHA, workers have specific rights: [Select all that apply the]

A. Right to examine exposure and medical records including monitoring or measuring toxic substances
B. Right to file an OSHA complaint and participate in an OSHA inspection
C. Right to information about the hazards they face including Safety Data Sheets (SDSs)
D. Right to hazard and overtime pay for hazardous tasks
E. Right to information about injuries and illness in the workplace
F. Right to modify OSHA safety programs and enforce OSHA workplace
G. Right to training from employers on health and safety hazards and standards
H. Right to set permissible exposure levels for all workers who may encounter toxic substance
 Example 1.2

Under OSHA, workers have specific rights: [Select all that apply the]

A. Right to examine exposure and meducal records including monitoring or measuring toxic substances
B. Right to file an OSHA complaint and participate in an OSHA inspection
C. Right to information about the hazards they face including Safety Data Sheets (SDSs)
D. Right to hazard and overtime pay for hazardous tasks
E. Right to information about injuries and illness in the workplace
F. Right to modify OSHA safety programs and enforce OSHA workplace
G. Right to training from employers on health and safety hazards and standards
H. Right to set permissible exposure levels for all workers who may encounter toxic substance

Answers: A, B, C, E, G
 Example 1.3

SDS stands for:

A. Safety Data Sheet

B. Safe Data System
C. System Data Safety
D. System Data Sheet
 Example 1.3

SDS stands for:

A. Safety Data Sheet

B. Safe Data System
C. System Data Safety
D. System Data Sheet
Answer: A
 1.5 Summary
• Construction site is a very complex and dynamic workplace consisting of workers from different background
and expertise. Accident in construction is thus very common.
• After Occupational Safety and Health Act was established in 1971 to give structure to the worker protection
activities, accident in construction industry and other areas decreased remarkably.
• OSHA holds the employer responsible for providing a workplace that is free from recognized hazards.
• The current mission of OSHA is “to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect the health of America’s workers.”
It is the employer’s responsibility to keep the workplace free from any known or recognized hazard that is
likely to cause injury or illness to their workers.
• Workers have the right to know what hazardous materials they are required to work around. Workers must
have a way to report hazardous conditions, injuries, and illnesses.
• Employers must provide training for the workers to inform them on hazard recognition and hazard control. In
addition to training, the employers must have medical screening and monitoring when employees are exposed
to certain hazards.
Now work on the:

• Multiple Choice Questions

• Practice Problems
• Critical Thinking and Discussion Topic