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• Construction Occupational Safety and Health are important aspects of Civil Engineering.

Main Objectives

• Identify the leading causes of construction site accidents.
• Safety and health in the construction industry should be assessed.
• Explain the importance of occupational safety and health training.
• Explain the importance of recognizing present safety and health situations in the construction industry.
• Explain how the implementation of occupational safety and health (OSH) programs can protect workers and the general public.
• OSH programs are useful during construction projects, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Global Occupational Safety and Health Situation

• There are 279 million accidents reported.
• There are 350,000 fatal injuries.
• There are 160 million cases of work-related illnesses.
• Two million workers die every year
• Over 100,000 work fatalities every month
• Over 5,000 work fatalities every minute
• Approximately 2.0 million Filipino workers die each year from work-related accidents and disease.
• Occupational accidents and diseases cause human suffering and loss.
• Studies show that OSH conditions in micro-firms and the informal sector pose risks and hazards.
• Of a workforce of 38.8 million, 17 out of 18 persons do not benefit from acceptable working conditions.
• The ILO Country Office in the Philippines aims to promote a culture of safety and health
• The ILO brings OSH services to those that need them most.
• A range of government and non-government agencies are beneficiaries in promoting safety.
• A national occupational safety and health culture is one in which the right to a safe and healthy working environment is respected at all levels.
• Governments, employers, and workers actively participate in securing a safe and healthy working environment.
• It happens through a system of defined rights, responsibilities, and duties, where the highest priority.

Systems of Work

• A work system involves human participants and/or machines performing work (processes and activities).
• The work system uses information, technology, and other resources to produce products/services for internal or external customers.
• Work systems are very important when it comes to Health and Safety.
• It part of Risk Assessments, and to help to achieve a controlled completion of work with minimum risk.
• Safe System of Work is a formal procedure which results from systematic examination of a task in order to identify all the hazards.
• It defines safe methods to ensure all hazards are eliminated or risks minimised.

Four key work systems

• People are who perform the work
• Equipment is anything relevant to a specific purpose.
• Material are elements that something is made of.
• Environment is the organizational, cultural, competitive, technical, and regulatory environment within which the work operates.

Construction Accidents

• Construction site accidents are categorized into the following.
• Falls: Construction workers often perform their jobs from high places; falling from these heights is the number one most common construction accident, causing almost 35% of construction injuries.
• Falling Tools/Debris: Tools, building materials, pieces of scaffolding can cause serious damage if they fall from significant heights and land on a worker.
• Electrocutions: Until electrical systems are complete, unfinished electrical wiring can cause death.
• Explosions: Exposed wires may spark explosions or fires.
• Slip and Fall Accidents: Construction sites have materials/debris lying around, workers could trip.
• Machinery Accidents: Workers operate large machines which can be dangerous.
• Getting Trapped Between Materials: Workers can be struck and pinned by materials.
• Trench or Ground Collapses: Ground excavation causes the surrounding ground to collapse onto workers in the trench.
• Getting Hit by a Vehicle: Workers can be hit by speeding drivers at a highway construction site.
• Overexertion: Heat and humidity can cause injury from dehydration, fainting, or even strokes.

Costs of Injuries

• Mandatory reporting systems includes direct costs paid by worker's comp insurance; for medical, claim mitigations, and time loss from work
• Voluntary costs includes indirect costs paid by businesses; for reduced productivity, lost contracts, and time loss.

Violations

• Unsafe/Unhealthy Act is violating procedure, and may be omission or commission.
• Unsafe/Unhealthy Condition is a physical/chemical property.
• Unsafe /Unhealthy Act is any act that deviates from doing a job safely, increases accident risk.
• Unsafe/Unhealthy Condition is the physical/chemical property of, or environment that may result in injury.

Factors contributing to Unsafe/Unhealthy Acts

• Unaware: Lack of knowledge, training, or communication.
• Unable: Lack of skills or experience, with limited understanding, physical limits, defective eyesight, or fatigue.
• Unmotivated: Improper attitude.

Theories of Accident Causation

Domino Theory

• Includes ancestry & social environment leading to unsafe behavior.
• Includes error of person, unsafe act/mechanical or physical hazard, accidents and injury

Energy Release Theory

• Theory compares the rate of energy release related to the kind and severity of injuries.
• Prevent the marshalling of energy by reducing the amount needed and/or providing vent release mechanisms.
• Install control methods that modify the release rate using space and time.
• Fixed barrier guard to separates space by not allowing workers machinery.

Multiple Causation Theory

• Factors combine in random fashion at the intersection which can include man, media (environment), machine, and management,

Human Factors Theory

• Includes overload related to Capacity, and/or abilities.
• Environmental factors (e.g noise)
• Internal factors (e.g. personal problems)
• Situational factors (e.g. risk)
• Includes inappropriate response due to; Known hazard that is ignored, removing safeguards, and ignoring safety rules
• Includes Inappropriate activities due to; Not trained to do the job and not judging the degree of risk correctly

National Policy

• Aims for workers right to a safe and healthy working environment

Occupational Safety and Health Standards

• A set of mandatory rules
• It's Objective is to protection of all workers from work hazards and risks
• Coverage includes all workplaces except mines

Republic Act No. 11058

• President Duterte signed into law the measure which ensures a safe and healthful workplace for workers.
• Protection against all hazards in the work environment on 17 August 2018.
• The IRR was approved and signed by Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III on 06 December 2018.

Construction Safety and Health Program

• “Construction safety and health program" refers to a set of detailed rules to cover the processes and practices that must be used.
• Used in a specific construction project site to conform with the OSHS.
• Also include personnel responsible and the penalties for violations thereof.
• The department order no. 13 s. 1998 governs; The occupational safety and health in the construction industry. Ensuring the protection and welfare of workers. Protection and welfare of the general public. Industry practices and applicable government requirements.

Elements of the CSHP

• Statement of commitment to comply with OSH requirements
• Company Safety and Health Policy
• Project details
• Construction safety and health committee
• Composition of construction safety and health committee (CSHC)
• Duties of the CSH Committee.
• Duties of the safety man/officer
• Dangerous occurrence or major accident
• Emergency occupational health personnel and facilities
• Safety & health promotion & education
• Specialized instruction and trainings
• Toolbox meeting
• Responsible for the toolbox meeting
• Accident/incident/illnesses investigation & reporting
• Conducting and documenting the accident/illnesses investigation
• Compliance with government requirements
• Personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Protection of the general public
• Safety signages
• Construction workers skills certification
• Testing & inspection of construction heavy equipment
• Control measures on construction activities
• First-aid, health care medicines and equipment facilities
• Workers welfare facilities
• Medical surveillance
• Working hour & break time
• Construction waste disposal
• Emergency preparedness
• Penalties/sanctions
• Attachments
• The services of the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) cover the preventive aspects of occupational safety and health.
• The Center shall serve in every workplace, public or private.
• The Center shall serve as the authority on Occupational Safety and Health in the areas of research, training and information dissemination and technical services.
• The Center undertakes studies and researches on all aspects of occupational safety and health to prevent and reduce occupational injuries and illnesses.
• The Center to continuously review and support the updating of list of occupational illnesses.
• The center also to aid setting standard and enforcement of OSH Standards

Terms

• “Certified first-aider” – refers to any person trained and duly certified to administer first aid
• By the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) or any organization authorized by the Secretary of Labor and Employment “Competency Standards” refers to specification of proficiency required for effective work performance.
• “Covered Workplaces” refers to projects, sites all other places where work is being undertaken
• “Low risk establishment" refers to workplace with low level of danger, with low probability to result in accident.
• "Medium risk establishment" refers to a workplace where there is moderate exposure to safety and health hazards.
• "High risk establishment" refers to a workplace wherein the presence of potential hazard may affect safety/health of workers.

Workers Rights

• Information should readily available and accessible to workers, provided prior to start of work.
• OSH seminar and other trainings/orientations shall be at no cost on the worker.
• Workers' has the right of refusal to work without threat or reprisal from the employer.
• Workers have the right to report any accidents or dangerous occurrences.
• The cost of PPE shall be part of the safety and health.
• All PPE shall be tested/approved by the DOLE based on its standards.

Implementation of OSH program responsibilities

• The required safety officers shall implement OSH program
• Oversee the overall management of the OSH program that monitor/inspects the workplace.
• Assist government inspectors in safety/health, and Issue Work Stoppage Order (WSO).
• Minimum eight (8)-hour OSH orientation course needed for Safety Officer 1.
• a 40-hour basic OSH training course applicable to the industry for Safety Officer 2.
• A trained Mandatory forty (40), eight hour basic, and and two (2) years OSH experience for Safety Officer 3.
• Actual experience of SO3 for at least four (4) year for Safety Officer 4.
• Covered workplaces shall have qualified occupational health personnel with medical supplies and equipment for their sites.
• The number of health personnel, equipment and facilities, shall be proportionate to the total number of workers and the risk of the workplace.