CASE TWO: Heyrod Construction Ltd

I. Overview

Heyrod Construction Ltd is a subcontractor providing a specialist form work

/steel fixing service in the field of structural reinforced concrete. This case study
cited some ways and practices on how to create a safe workplace for the workers.
Safe work practices are stated to lessen the accidents in the workplace and to
inform the workers how important safety and health system in the construction
site.

II. Executive Summary

Heyrod Construction Ltd was founded in February 1978 by the present

Chairman Mr Frank Gillespie, originally with a view to providing a specialist form
work /steel fixing service in the field of structural reinforced concrete. The
company soon won significant subcontract orders in bridge works, highway
structures, and water authority work in the form of sewage treatment works, box
reservoirs and pumping stations. The company specializes in constructing all types
of concrete structures. They also provides services such as building false work,
specialist scaffolding, pouring and finishing concrete and operating associated
plant. Builds include bridgeworks, highway structures, sewage works, pumping
stations, and multi-storey concrete frames. In the year 2005 they noticed the rising
number of accidents and they conducted investigation to find out what are the
causes of these accidents and what could be the solution to this problem since their
goal is to be known as the safest employer in their sector. Even though they have
some plans and practices to lessen the accidents they also want the employees to
know that they should still look after their own safety and health. But when
Heyrod employs 700 workers directly and 100 additional European workers it
seems that as their number of workers increases, the number of injuries and
accidents also increased. It is stated that the suggestions from workforce can
improve safe conditions on the workplace.

III. Introduction

Health and safety processes in building websites are very essential seeing
that this enterprise tends to be greater uncovered in hazardous situations.
Safety administration is a deliberate manner for carrying out
a certain pastime to ensure each and every precaution has been taken to account in
order to reduce the likelihood having an incident that leaves a individual injured or
hospitalized. Identify hazards and risks in a systematic way. Heyrod noticed that
the number of accidents increases as the number of their employee increased.
Health and safety is one of the most important considerations you should take
before any construction project gets underway. You should always make sure that
all aspects of health and safety have been considered before you step foot on the
construction site. Health and safety in construction are particularly important
because the industry is prone to hazardous situations and can be dangerous at
times. Statistics show that 3% of all construction workers in the UK sustain a work
related injury and around 4% are suffering from work related illness. This can lead
to a huge loss in working hours and also mean that workers are unhappy within
their job roles. There are some major reasons why health and safety is important in
the workplace.

The heyrod safety team used Total Quality Management to improve the quality of
their outputs, including goods and services, through continual improvement of
internal practices. Also in September 2005 , heyrod implemented a range of
communication and engagement strategies.

They also used strategic methods such as: supervisor training, regular
communication and briefings between employees and supervisors, personal
protective equipment (PPE) evaluation, health screening, and bulletins.

IV. Analysis

Construction sites are dynamic activities where workers engage in many

activities that may expose them to a variety of safety hazards, such as falling
objects, working from rooftops or scaffolding, exposure to heavy construction
equipment, or the use of temporary electrical circuits while operating electrical
equipment and machinery in damp locations. Through implementation of safe
work practices, training, and compliance with federal, state, and local regulatory
requirements, the Workplace Safety program aims to identify, control, or eliminate
construction-related hazards.Supervisors are responsible for a great deal of what
goes on day to day in the workplace; it's not just a position that solely assigns tasks.
Supervisors must ensure a safe and healthful workplace for employees. Employees
must be able to report unsafe or unhealthful workplace conditions or hazards to a
supervisor without fear of reprisal.It's the supervisors responsibility to enforce safe
work practices and procedures; failure to do so is an invitation for accidents to
occur. Workers must be encouraged to identify unsafe or unhealthful workplace
conditions or hazards and absolutely not be disciplined for doing so. The
supervisor is the one person who can take immediate, direct action to make sure
that his or her work area is safe and healthful for all employees. No matter how
hard construction companies work to keep their employees safe, construction sites
remain inherently hazardous environments. The various heavy machinery and
equipment, power tools, countless workers, and structures usually
pose life-threatening challenges that both the site workers and the stakeholders in
the construction industry must deal with to enhance construction safety.

V. Alternatives and Criteria

Safety performance in the construction industry has reached alarming levels

and continues to be a primary source of concern to industry stakeholders. The
construction industry is considered more hazardous than other major industries
such as manufacturing. In the other industries, safety performance has been
substantially improved and generally falls within acceptable levels. One noticeable
difference between construction and other industries is that the rate of technology
implementation in the other industries is significantly higher than in construction.
High rates of technology implementation are expected to lead to improved safety
and non-safety performance. The primary objective of the present study is to
summarize the use of technology alternatives in the application of the hierarchy of
controls using a preliminary, unstructured review of literature. The hierarchy of
controls is a systematic method to reduce worker exposure to workplace hazards
and mitigate potential safety risks on job sites. The result of the study indicated
that there are several technological controls used to mitigate workplace safety
hazards during construction. Although virtual reality and building information
modelling (BIM) are more effective than others in mitigating workplace safety
hazards, the other technologies such as wearable sensing devices, warning systems,
drones, and robotics can play significant role in protecting and/or alerting workers
from potential workplace safety hazards. It is expected that the present study will
help industry practitioners improve their understanding of technological controls
used to mitigate workplace hazards and motivate higher levels of technology
adoption in construction.

Figure 1. Hierarchy of Technological Control

The hierarchy of controls is a safety management system used in many

industries to minimize or eliminate workplace safety risks. It is an effective
means of determining what safety measures to implement and how to implement
them effectively. Manuele defines the hierarchy of controls as “a systematic way
of thinking and acting, considering steps in a ranked and
sequential order, to choose the most effective means of eliminating or reducing
hazards and the risk that derive from hazards”

VI. Recommendation

Every day, at least one construction worker is injured on the job, somewhere in
the world. It is a dangerous profession, but not so dangerous that everyone should
wonder if any part of it is safe. There are plenty of guidelines and regulations that
need to be followed on construction sites, and almost all of them pertain to the
safety of the people who work there. It is recommended that construction workers
make sure all the mud is cleaned off their boots prior to making a climb and that
they are wearing gloves to ensure that they have a decent grip when they grab on.
A three-point stance is also necessary, as it prevents a person from losing their
footing at any time. No one should stretch more than they should to grab onto the
handles, nor should anyone carry anything as they are getting up or down. It is also
important to never jump down from a machine, as they is when the most accidents
happen.. Hold regular weekly safety meetings as a mandatory job requirement
for all workers to attend. Report on the previous week and any accidents or near
misses that occurred. Go over specific job-related safety precautions and leave
time for workers to make suggestions about making the job site safer.In addition
to meetings and safety-training sessions, write down all your safety requirements
and give a copy to every new employee. Include a sheet that employees must
sign and turn into you saying that they read the rules and understand the
instructions. Keep a copy of the signature page on file with their human resource
records.
VII. Conclusion

Occupational security and health now not be sidelined as

a service delivery issue. Health employee health and well-being is
an essential component of workers’ motivation and job satisfaction,
which impact productiveness as nicely as retention.
Health worker security also affects the exceptional of care; caring for the
caregiver be a precedence place of subject for the fitness system’s performance.
What is top for worker health is suitable for patient health. Multi-stakeholder
initiatives that include global principles, country wide policy advocacy, and the
involvement of professional councils, schools, and health services can facilitate
OSH danger reduction measures and fill the gaps. The PPE Campaign represents
an vital approach to bringing occupational security and health policies to
practice, ensuring the well-being of the health sector’s
most important resource and in turn that of the patients and populations they
serve, therefore assisting to radically change the fitness gadget at large.

VIII. Citing of Sources

 Heyrod Construction Ltd

 National Safety Council
 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

IX. References

https://ehs.princeton.edu/workplace-construction/construction-safety
https://www.ors.od.nih.gov/sr/dohs/HealthAndWellness/Pages/Safety-Responsibili
ties-for-Supervisors.aspx

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328143710_Technology_Alternatives_fo
r_Workplace_Safety_Risk_Mitigation_in_Construction

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/construction-safety-orientation-recommendations-
49714.html