Health & Safety in Construction Case Study Sample

Introduction

There are different forms of issues are there in a project. Among these issues, the most critical issue for a project is the issue of “health & safety”. In this project, the various aspects of this issue were considered. It can be seen that there are different forms of safety concerns are there in the different stages of a project. Here, the project of building cottages was taken. The companies “ASK Architects” and “BM Ltd” are required to build the design & construction of the project. These companies are doing the project on behalf of the companies “ARCH Developments” and “Wilton Estate”.

Purpose

There are different purposes for which this project was initiated. The purposes of this project are as follows.

• To find out the conditions of the project site.
• To find out the sustainability of the site for the project.
• To find out the possible hazards that can be present in the design stage of this project.
• To find out the possible hazards that can be present in the construction stage of this project.
• To find out the benefits and the design of a “green roof” that can be constructed in the project.
• To find out the roles played by the different modern technologies in managing “health & safety” in the project.

Roles & Responsibilities

This report was prepared from the point of view of a “Civil Engineer”. Different responsibilities are there for different people to maintain the “health & safety” of the project. The main responsibility of maintaining “health & safety” is on the safety engineer of the project (Akinlolu et al. 2022). Moreover, in the design stages, the designers should also take care of safety. In the construction stage maintaining “health & safety” also becomes the responsibility of the people involved in construction.

Project Information

Project Overview

The project that was undertaken here was the project of making cottages. This cottages will be used for spending leisure time. The potential risks that may be present in the process of design & construction were intended to find out here. This is a project that is under the control of two companies namely “ARCH Developments Ltd & Wilton Estate”. This project was sub-contracted to two companies that are “ASK architects & BM Ltd” (Li & Liu, 2019). The report was done from the point of view of a civil engineer who is involved in this project.

Site Observation

There are different things are present around the site. These are the descriptions of the surroundings of the project site. It can be seen that the total project site has an area of 0.95 hectares (Yang et al. 2023). This is situated beside a road that is busy in most of the time of the year that is the A36 road.

Site Assessment

Design & Construction phase risk assessment and plan

3.1.1 Health and Safety Arrangement

3.1.1.1 Site set-up plan

The list of things that are to be done for the preparation of the site are as follows.

• Site cleaning
• Site fencing
• Vegetation removal
• Survey work
• Soil testing
• Planning
• Site investigation

3.1.1.2 Fire and Safety Arrangement

The things that are to be included in the arrangement for safety against fire are as follows.

• Arrangement of EHS equipment
• Providing fire exits
• Arrangement of fire fighting equipment at the site
• Arrangement of medical facilities at the site
• Arrangement of easy transportation in case of any fire hazard

Green Roof Evaluation

The basic incorporation of a "green roof" in structures has acquired an expanding level of popularity lately. Green roofs are proposed to provide some advantages, including rainwater buffering, guidelines for indoor temperature energy-saving, and encouraging biodiversity (Hou et al. 2020). However, it is essential and important to assess and experiment with what these roofs mean for the long-term use and support of the buildings, especially from a security viewpoint.

Rainwater Buffer

The Green roofs can be operated as the rainwater buffers by retaining and putting away unnecessary rainwater. This helps to reduce the possibilities of flooding and, water overloading all over the metropolitan cities. However, the long-term use and the overall maintenance of the structures with green roofs should consider the potential for water leakage and damage (Zhang et al. 2021). The additional load of the green roof, particularly when filled with rainwater, ought to be considered in the fundamental model and development of the overall structure

Indoor Temperature Managing

Indoor temperature management is one more significant advantage and benefit of green roofs. The vegetation in the roof can act as proper insulation for the room where the vegetation decreases the overall flow of heat from the exterior part of the room to the interior of the room. This is one of the significant features of the green roof. This can assist with reducing the requirement for excessive warming or cooling, prompting energy investment funds (MD & Mahesh, 2023). Over the years, the heaviness and the load of the plants and soil on the green roof might increase the requirements and the maintenance. It is very significant to consistently observe and maintain the green roof to prevent any primary issues.

Saving Energy

Green roofs can decrease the issues of overheating and use minimal energy and expenses. The extra layer of vegetation provides a basic insulated layer, which reduces the flow of heat through the roof. However, the long-term use and the overall maintenance of these roofs ought to think about the effect of vegetation on the building's mechanical frameworks and design (Chen & Wang, 2021). Normal cleaning and trimming of vegetation are very important to keep up with the ideal flow of air and prevent the growth of unnecessary plants.

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Encouraging Biodiversity

This is one more important advantage of green roofs. The vegetation on green roofs gives territories to different plant species, bugs, and birds, developing the biodiversity in metropolitan cities. However, the long-term maintenance of the green roofs ought to think about the possibilities for the infiltration or invasive diseases of plants (Yiu et al. 2019). However, the vegetation and the maintenance of it helps to sustain and maintain the ecosystem of this environment.

New Technology Adoption

The integration of advanced technology innovations, including Building Information Modeling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Mixed Reality (MR), has fundamentally further developed Health and Safety (H&S) in building locales. This assessment features the basic job these advancements play in improving well-being, risk the board, and proficiency:

Building Information Modeling (BIM)

BIM is an incredible asset that permits development groups to make computerized portrayals of the undertaking, incorporating both the physical and useful parts of the construction (Khan et al. 2021). BIM's effect on H&S is significant:

• Risk Assessment and Mitigation: BIM considers ongoing reproduction and examination of development processes. This guides recognizing and moderating potential security risks by envisioning the whole venture before development begins.
• Clash Detection: BIM detects conflicts and clashes inside the plan, forestalling nearby conflicts that can present dangers. This decreases the improvement and the probability of mishaps.
• Time Optimization: By sequencing assignments and recreating development, BIM assists in advancing with projecting timetables. This limits the openness of laborers to risks over a drawn-out period.

Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT implies the organization of interconnected gadgets that can gather and trade information. On building destinations, IoT devices have a few applications for upgrading H&S:

• WearableTechnology: IoT-empowered wearables, like brilliant protective caps and vests, can screen laborers' important bodily functions and natural circumstances (Li et al. 2020). This guarantees quick reaction to crises and early recognition of medical problems.
• Site Monitoring: Sensors on development hardware and materials can screen conditions, distinguish abnormalities, and continuously send information (Awolusi et al. 2022). This data supports preventive upkeep and limits the gamble of gear disappointments or mishaps.
• Environmental Monitoring: IoT gadgets can follow natural circumstances like air quality, temperature, and moistness, giving early admonition frameworks to potential perils like compound releases or outrageous weather patterns.

Mixed Reality (MR)

Mixed Reality mixes the physical and computerized universes to make vivid, intuitive encounters. In the development business, MR has different applications for upgrading H&S:

• Training and Simulation: MR permits laborers to rehearse complex undertakings in a safe virtual climate, lessening the gamble related to learning at work.
• Visualizing Hazards: MR can overlay well-being data onto this present reality climate, making it simpler for laborers to distinguish dangers and follow security conventions.
• Remote Assistance: MR empowers specialists to give continuous direction to on-location laborers from a distant area, improving well-being during complex tasks.

The role of advanced technologies like BIM, IoT, and MR in improving H&S on building destinations is evident. These innovations further develop risk evaluation, relieve expected dangers, upgrade plans, screen site conditions, improve preparation, and empower far-off help. The outcome is a more secure workplace, diminished mishaps, and expanded productivity, which benefits development laborers' prosperity and development projects' general progress (Loosemore et al. 2019). Notwithstanding, it's vital to recognize that the fruitful execution of these advances requires venture, preparing, and progressing support, yet the drawn-out benefits far offset the underlying expenses.

Conclusion

The overall report regarding construction management and safety focuses on various aspects of the file. This report contains information regarding the project which includes the project overview, observation of the site, and also the assessments of the site. The risk assessment and the safety management in this report are very important regarding this topic. Also, the detailed information and review of Green Roof are discussed here. It was observed how a green roof plan can significantly change the construction and development of the project. The advantages of green roofs such as rainwater buffers, and indoor temperature control are thoroughly discussed in this report. However, to increase sustainability the adoption of new technologies is very important and also significant. That is why various types of technologies are added and discussed here in the report. However, after considering all of this data and information, it can be concluded that the report on the given topic of construction management and safety has met all of the necessary criteria and can proceed further.

References

Journals

• Akinlolu, M., Haupt, T. C., Edwards, D. J., & Simpeh, F. (2022). A bibliometric review of the status and emerging research trends in construction safety management technologies. International Journal of Construction Management, 22(14), 2699-2711. Retrieved from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15623599.2020.1819584 [Retrieved on: 15/10/2023]
• Awolusi, I., Sulbaran, T., Song, S., Nnaji, C., & Ostadalimakhmalbaf, M. (2022, June). Safety Education in the Curriculum of Construction Programs. In Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Construction Engineering and Project Management (ICCEPM 2022), Las Vegas, NV, USA (pp. 20-23). Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Siyuan-Song-6/publication/361775326_Safety_Education_in_the_Curriculum_of_Construction_Programs/links/62c47cebdb1d233df1ca9d8f/Safety-Education-in-the-Curriculum-of-Construction-Programs.pdf [Retrieved on: 15/10/2023]
• Chen, Y., & Wang, Z. (2021, February). Accident causing theory in construction safety management. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 638, No. 1, p. 012097). IOP Publishing. Retrieved from: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/638/1/012097/meta [Retrieved on: 15/10/2023]
• Hou, L., Wu, S., Zhang, G., Tan, Y., & Wang, X. (2020). Literature review of digital twins applications in construction workforce safety. Applied Sciences, 11(1), 339. Retrieved from: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/1/339[Retrieved on: 15/10/2023]
• Khan, M. S., Park, J., & Seo, J. (2021). Geotechnical property modeling and construction safety zoning based on GIS and BIM integration. Applied Sciences, 11(9), 4004. Retrieved from: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/9/4004 [Retrieved on: 15/10/2023]
• Li, Y., & Liu, C. (2019). Applications of multirotor drone technologies in construction management. International Journal of Construction Management, 19(5), 401-412. Retrieved from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15623599.2018.1452101 [Retrieved on: 15/10/2023]
• Li, Y., Wu, Y., & Gao, X. (2020, August). Measures for the optimization and management of construction safety based on BIM technology. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 552, No. 1, p. 012018). IOP Publishing Retrieved from: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/552/1/012018/meta [Retrieved on: 15/10/2023]
• Loosemore, M., Sunindijo, R. Y., Lestari, F., Kusminanti, Y., & Widanarko, B. (2019). Comparing the safety climate of the Indonesian and Australian construction industries: Cultural and institutional relativity in safety research. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 26(10), 2206-2222. Retrieved from: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ECAM-08-2018-0340/full/html [Retrieved on: 15/10/2023]
• MD, D., & Mahesh, G. (2023). A framework for enhancing construction safety through knowledge-based safety culture indicators. International Journal of Construction Management, 23(12), 2039-2047. Retrieved from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15623599.2022.2033420 [Retrieved on: 15/10/2023]
• Yang, Y., Wang, Y., Easa, S. M., & Yan, X. (2023). Risk factors influencing tunnel construction safety: Structural equation model approach. Heliyon, 9(1). Retrieved from: https://www.cell.com/heliyon/pdf/S2405-8440(23)00131-7.pdf [Retrieved on: 15/10/2023]
• Yiu, N. S., Chan, D. W., Shan, M., & Sze, N. N. (2019). Implementation of safety management system in managing construction projects: Benefits and obstacles. Safety science, 117, 23-32. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753517320982 [Retrieved on: 15/10/2023]
• Zhang, Z., Guo, B. H., Chang-Richards, A., Jin, R., & Han, Y. (2021). Digitalisation-based Situation Awareness for Construction Safety Management Critical Review. In ISARC. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (Vol. 38, pp. 605-612). IAARC Publications. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zhe-Zhang-130/publication/355928667_Digitalisation-based_situation_awareness_for_construction_safety_management_-A_critical_review/links/61850ab23c987366c32cbb8c/Digitalisation-based-situation-awareness-for-construction-safety-management-A-critical-review.pdf [Retrieved on: 15/10/2023]