OSH in Construction

• Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) concepts and techniques in the construction industry are designed to promote awareness, enhance risk management, ensure compliance, prevent workplace accidents and illnesses, foster a safety culture, and improve productivity on construction sites.

Purpose of OSH

• Introduce fundamental concepts of occupational safety and health (OSH).
• Develop practical techniques for identifying, assessing, and mitigating hazards in construction activities.
• Align construction operations with relevant safety laws, regulations, and standards.
• Minimize injuries, fatalities, and health-related risks through proactive safety measures.
• Encourage prioritizing safety among all construction stakeholders, including workers, supervisors, and contractors.
• Ensure project timelines are met by reducing disruptions caused by accidents or unsafe conditions.

Scope of OSH

• Cover principles of OSH, including hazard identification, risk assessment, and control measures.
• Focus on hazards unique to construction, such as working at heights, handling heavy equipment, scaffolding, excavation, and exposure to hazardous substances.
• Include planning, implementation, monitoring, and review of safety programs and policies tailored for construction worksites.
• Teach techniques for responding to emergencies such as fires, structural collapses, and accidents.
• Encompass methods to train workers and supervisors on safety protocols, proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and first aid.
• Address construction-specific laws, standards, and guidelines governing occupational safety and health.

Work Conditions

• Safe and healthful work conditions means workers are assured of effective protection against injury, sickness, or death.

Safety Rules

• Safety refers to the physical or ambient conditions of work or employment that comply with OSH Standards.

Safety and Health in Workplace: Minimum Standards

• Provide proper seating, light and ventilation.
• Ensure adequate passages, exits, and firefighting apparatus.
• Provide separate facilities for men and women.
• Use appropriate safety equipment, such as protective clothing, masks, helmets, boots, coats, and first-aid kits.
• Medicines, medical supplies, or first aid kits shall be provided.
• Provide free medical and dental care.

Safety Requirements

• Provide proper protection equipment and apparel, such as overall head covers, goggles, gloves, aprons, and respirators.
• Ventilation, a good exhaust system, and proper waste disposal are essential to prevent dangerous gases or fumes from entering employees' breathing zones.
• Enough fire extinguishers in the workplace.
• Secure spaces for welding and smoking away from flammable, explosive, or combustible materials.

Safety Measures

• Building facilities must have enough fire, emergency, or danger signs and safety directions visible at all times.
• Handicapped employees must be restricted to specific workplaces.
• Good housekeeping must be maintained at all times through cleanliness.
• Adequate dressing rooms, locker rooms, comfort rooms and lavatories separate for male and female workers shall be provided.

Suspension of Rules

• Temporary suspension of specific safety rules may be necessary in construction to adapt to evolving site conditions.
• Safety Regulations, Environmental Compliance and Contractual Deadlines are all examples of unforeseen circumstances

Key Considerations and Techniques for Suspension of Rules

• Conduct a thorough risk assessment before suspending any safety rule, analyzing potential impacts on worker safety and site conditions.
• If scaffolding is unsafe during high winds might mean temporarily halting work or implementing other support that might be safer than suspended rules.
• Communicate changes to all affected personnel to ensure understanding of the rationale and impact and minimize confusion.
• Implement alternative safeguards to mitigate risks; increased supervision, spotters, or restricted site access can help ensure worker safety.

Variation Orders

• Variation orders are formal changes to the original contract scope that can significantly impact safety protocols.

Variation Order Types

• Additive Variation Orders: Adding new landscaping features and extra floor to a building increasing the scope of existing work
• Deductive Variation Orders: Reducing the number of rooms or eliminating a planned swimming pool that reduces original scope
• Substitution Variation Orders: Replacing specified materials with alternative materials due to availability or cost considerations

Key Considerations and techniques with Variation Orders

• Assess how each variation order affects existing safety protocols and the site's risk profile, e.g., introducing new materials might require updated handling procedures.
• All variation orders should be documented and approved to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Update worker training if variation orders introduce new equipment or materials.

Hazardous Workplaces

• Construction sites are inherently hazardous due to their dynamic nature, requiring continuous monitoring and adjustments to safety measures.

Key Considerations and Techniques for Managing Hazardous Workplaces

• Regularly evaluate site conditions and update risk assessments as projects move through different phases.
• Develop and enforce clear protocols tailored to specific hazards such as working at heights, or handling hazardous materials.
• Create comprehensive emergency action plans for incidents such as structural failures and train workers.

Integrated Approach

• A hazardous condition might necessitate the suspension of rules to ensure immediate safety.
• Suspension requires a variation order to modify the project timeline, materials, or design to prevent future incidents, supported by ongoing risk assessments and emergency preparedness to ensure workplace adaptability.

Registration

• Employers must register their businesses with the Regional Labor Office, contributing to a databank of all covered establishments under OSH Standards.
• Each establishment is considered a separate registrable unit, regardless of its size or economic activity, applying only to establishments operating within one location.

Registration Periods

• Existing establishments must register within 60 days after the OSH Standards take effect.
• New establishments must register at least 30 days before commencing operations.

Registration Process

• Employers must complete the DOLE-BWC-IP-3 registration form in triplicate copies and submit it to the Regional Labor Office.

Registration facts

• Registration is free of charge and valid for the lifetime of the establishment, except under circumstances requiring re-registration.
• Changes include if the official name changes, relocation of the workplace, ownership changes, or re-opening after closure which all require re-registration.

Workplace Layout Plan

• Registration must include a layout plan of the workplace, drawn to a scale of 1:100 meters on white or blueprints.
• The layout must display all physical features of the workplace, including storage areas, exits, aisles, machinery placement, clinic facilities, and placement of emergency devices.