Guidelines for preparing Safety and

Health Management Program for

Construction Projects
(Construction Safety Management Plan)
(CSMP)

1 Introduction
This document offers guidance to principal contractors and subcontractors with regards to the
preparation of Safety and Health Programs for construction projects.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) sets a national minimum standard
for safety, but allows local jurisdictions to adopt standards which are at least as stringent.
Under common law, as an employer, you are obligated to provide your employees with a safe
place to work. As a businessperson, you must provide customers, vendors and other people
who visit your company site with safe passage. As an owner or occupant of any property, you
must maintain it in a condition safe for everyone who comes onto your property.

A Construction Safety Management Plan (OSHA Safety Plan) is a written document that
describes the process for identifying the physical and health hazards that could harm workers,
procedures to prevent accidents, and steps to take when accidents occur. The written safety
plan is your blueprint for keeping workers safe. Many organizations compile their activity-
specific safety plans into a single safety manual

Prior to the commencement of work, Principal Contractors are required to prepare a

Construction Safety Management Plan (CSMP) detailing the safety and health systems and
procedures that will apply during the construction phase of the project.

Implementing a well structured CSMP will result in reduced injury-related costs; these savings
when properly administered will exceed the cost of implementing a safety and health program
in the workplace.

The plan provides a focus for managing and coordinating safety and health on the site. The
amount of detail in the CSMP should depend on the nature and extent of the project and on
the contract arrangements for the construction work. The plan must be specific and relevant
to the particular project.

Your Construction Safety Management Plan must identify hazards associated with the work
on the site, along with the hazard control measures that will be implemented to ensure that
people are adequately protected from risk of injury or illness. The CSMP must be available on
site for inspection by all people at that place of work or about to commence work.

The Construction Safety Management Plan must be signed and dated by a senior
management representative of your organisation. The Plan must be maintained and kept up
to date during the course of the work

2 Construction Safety Plan Elements

The elements of an effective program should include the following:

2.1 Works Description

A brief description of the scope of work associated with the contract should be documented.
The description should be sufficiently detailed to provide persons unfamiliar with the contract
an overview of the type of work being carried out and under what conditions.

The scope of work should include as a minimum requirement the following details:

• Summary of major activities/works to be performed, including demolition and site

clearance.
• List of tasks or specialist procedures that may require detailed safety and health work
procedures and training.
• List areas of contract requiring special consideration from a safety and health
perspective eg: presence of public, traffic management, work restrictions (work-times,
confined spaces) and exposure to hazards (noise, dust, elevated heights)

2.2 Project Management Structure and Statement of

Responsibilities
The CSMP should outline the project management structure, responsibilities, standards and
control systems applicable to the contract to ensure safety and health (SH) requirements are
adequately addressed.

The following information should be included:

• Company safety and health policy;

• Emergency contact persons and numbers;
• Position and/or name of SH Coordinator;
• A statement of responsibilities of the project delivery team names and/or positions of
those with specific safety and health responsibilities

The statement of responsibilities must define who will be responsible for:

• identifying hazards and assessing the risks associated with the work, and
documenting the risk control measures to be taken
• managing compliance with SH, workplace injury management and workers
compensation legislation, regulations, standards and codes, Safe Work Method
Statements and the Site Safety Rules
• assessing and monitoring the capability of your service providers in the supply chain,
and verifying that they meet SH requirements.
• making sure that the Site Safety Rules are displayed and available on the work site
and provided to people who work on, or visit, the work site
• providing your service providers in the contract chain with your Construction Safety
Management Plan and any updates
• managing SH communication and consultation provisions in accordance with the
regulatory and other requirements
• conducting site-specific induction, specific work activity safety training and refresher
training
• making sure that before starting work on site, all personnel attend an SH induction
training course covering general construction work as well as the particular site and
specific work activity
• preparing, maintaining and making available the register of hazardous substances
• managing workplace injury management processes to suit procedures
• maintaining first aid stocks and providing first aid
• managing illness/injury and emergency processes to suit procedures
• keeping SH records
2.3 Risk Assessment (Worksite hazard analysis)
The Risk Assessment is an integral part of the Construction Safety Plan and considers the
following:

• identifies hazards associated with contract tasks and activities

• determines the level of risk
• establishes appropriate risk control measures

Each major or significant task or activity associated with the contract shall be assessed in
terms of the associated hazards. When all hazards have been identified the most likely
outcome as a result of an incident shall be determined.

Risks may be classified according to the following table:

Consequences &/or Likelihood: What is the likelihood of this occurring?

Impact
What type of impact do Very Likely Likely (L) Unlikely (UL) Very unlikely
you expect could result (VL) The event could The event could (VL)
from exposure to this The event could happen sometime occur but very May happen but
hazard? happen at any rarely probably never
time will
K
Kill or cause permanent 1 1 2 3
disability or ill health
S
Long term illness or 1 2 3 4
serious injury
M
Medical attention and 2 3 4 5
several days off work
F
First aid needed 3 4 4 6

1 High risk; immediate action is required 3&4 Medium risk; risk control measures are
required
2 Significant risk; important to do 5&6 Low risk; manage by routine
something about this hazard as soon procedures
as possible

A primary goal shall be to eliminate high, significant and medium risks associated with the
works and should be a major focus of the Risk Assessment. Contractors should detail risk
control measures that adequately address all identified high and medium risks.

When determining risk control strategies, the hierarchy of controls summarised below should
be considered:

Hierarchy of Controls

1. Eliminate the hazard

Get rid of the hazard out of the workplace eg. repair damaged electrical plugs or cables.

If it is not practicable, then

2. Substitute the hazard
 With something of a lesser risk; eg: use non-caustic chemicals instead of acid wash for
finishing off tiling work.

If it is not practicable, then

3. Section off the hazard
Isolate the hazard; eg: barricade and cover floor opening.

If it is not practicable, then

4. Use engineering controls
eg: installing an exhaust ventilation system to extract dangerous fumes or dust.

If it is not practicable, then

5. Use administrative controls
eg: training, safe work method statements, regular inspection of electrical hand tools.

If it is not practicable, then

6. Use personal protective clothing and
equipment

eg: fall arrest equipment, sun hat, safety boots, goggles, overalls.

until you have a better method of control

Where safe work procedures or instructions are developed they must clearly spell out the
work sequence, highlighting the procedures required to adequately control each high and
medium risk identified in the risk assessment. All employees involved in the activity shall
receive appropriate training in the safe work procedures.

The Risk Assessment shall be completed on a Risk Assessment Form evaluating the full
scope of work associated with the contract. Additional risk assessments may be undertaken
during the course of the contract as required (i.e. work undertaken by subcontractors).

2.4 Induction and Safety Training

HS legislation requires all employers to ensure that their employees have the skills and
training required to carry out their work in a safe manner. Principal Contractors are required to
document their safety training program ensuring that they have appropriately skilled
employees, suitable training programs and adequate supervision for the contract works.

The Plan must define how you will:

• identify the SH training needs of management, supervisors and other personnel for
the contract
• conduct specific work activity and work site safety training, and refresher training in
SH for everyone working on the work site
• make sure that all personnel attend adequate site-specific induction, work activity and
refresher safety training
• make sure SH committee personnel and SH representatives attend consultation
training
• keep appropriate records of SH training

2.5 Incident Management

All incidents associated with the contract involving personal injury, medical treatment or
property damage should be recorded, investigated and reported to your client and in some
cases may be required to report to the Office of the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor.

The Plan must define:

• who will be available (both during and outside normal working hours) to prevent,
prepare for, respond to and recover from illness/injury and incidents
• your procedures for contacting these people, and any changes to these nominations
and procedures, as they are kept up to date, are communicated and displayed
promptly on the work site
• keeping appropriate records
• details of how notifiable incidents shall be notified to Office of the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor.

2.6 Site Safety Rules

Site Safety Rules must be prepared, implemented and displayed on notice boards and other
suitable locations on the work site, and be provided to all personnel on, and visitors to, the
work site.

As a minimum Site Safety Rules must cover and include the following:

Induction and safety training

• Before starting work on site, all personnel must attend adequate site-specific training
and induction training for the particular work activity being undertaken
• All personnel on the work site must attend appropriate refresher training and be
involved in regular discussion of work site SH matters
• All visitors when on the work site must be accompanied by a person who has
received the above training

Personal protective equipment

• All personnel and visitors must wear appropriate personal protective equipment
(PPE) when on the work site

Site access and security

• All entry to, movement on, passage adjacent to, and exit from the work site of
persons, vehicles and equipment will be controlled in accordance with required
procedures

Illness/injury and emergency procedures

• All first aid facilities and illness/injury and emergency procedures will be clearly
identified and used, including reporting illness/injury and incidents

Protection of all workers and the public

• Effective barricades, fencing and overhead protection will be used where applicable
Elevated work
• All work at heights will be done in accordance with the relevant legislation,
regulations, standards, codes and procedures
• Electrical work, overhead wiring, installations and equipment
• All electrical work, plant and equipment must comply with SH and electrical safety
legislation, regulations, standards, codes and procedures, including inspection and
tagging of leads and power tools
 • The presence and location of all electrical cables will be identified before
commencing adjacent work

Demolition, excavation, scaffolding, formwork and other structural frames

• All demolition, excavation, scaffolding, formwork, and work with other structural
frames will be done in accordance with the relevant legislation, regulations,
standards, codes and procedures

Hazardous materials and dangerous goods

• A register of hazardous substances must be kept and maintained for all hazardous
substances brought onto the work site
• All hazardous substances and dangerous goods must be used, handled and stored in
accordance with requirements

Safe working
• All requirements identified will be followed, including fire prevention and
housekeeping procedures.
• The consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs is prohibited on the work site.

2.7 Safe Work Method Statement

All work activities assessed as having high SH risks require the preparation and
implementation of Safe Work Method Statements. When preparing such statements, it is
important to consult with and involve the personnel who will be doing the work.

Your Safe Work Method Statements must:

• be on your organisation’s letterhead and show the name and registered office
address of the organisation
• be signed and dated by a senior management representative of your organisation

Your Safe Work Method Statements must at least include the following:

• a description of the work to be undertaken

• the step-by-step sequence of activities and tasks involved in doing the work
• the potential hazards and risks associated with each step of the work
• the safety controls that will be put in place to minimise the risks
• all precautions to be taken to protect safety and health
• all safety and health instructions to be given to persons involved with the work
• identification of the parts of SH, workplace injury management and workers
compensation legislation, regulations, codes, standards and procedures applicable to
the work, and where these documents are kept
• the names and qualifications of those who will: supervise the work and inspect and
approve work area conditions, work methods, protective measures, plant, equipment
and power tools for use
• a description of what training is given to people involved with the work
• the names of those who will be, or have been, trained for the work activities described
in the
• Statements, and the names and qualifications of the people responsible for training
them
• identification of the resources, plant and equipment that is most likely to be used on
the work site, such as ladders, scaffolds, grinders, electrical leads, welding machines,
fire extinguisher, tools and materials
 • details of any work permits and licenses required to complete the work and where
they are kept
• details of the inspection and maintenance checks that will be, or have been, carried
out on the plant and equipment listed for use.

2.8 Site Safety Inspections

Site safety inspections play an important role in the identification of hazards at the workplace
and in the development of control measures. The Site Safety Plan should outline the
procedures and methods by which contract workplaces will be inspected on a regular basis.

The following information should be provided:

• Details of how site safety inspections will be undertaken during the contract,
considering checklists to be used, frequency of inspections, team members and
actioning of inspection findings

• Details of hazard reporting procedures for the contract, including hazard report forms.

2.9 Safety and health Consultation

Consultation with employees provides an important mechanism whereby safety and health
issues can be dealt with in a manner that promotes ownership and prompt resolution.

The following information should be documented:

• Details of how the contractor consults with employees to enable them to contribute to
the making of decisions affecting their health, safety and welfare at work.
• Details of the membership and operation of the Safety Committee if any

3 The construction safety management plan – a live

document
The CSMP is a live document and as such should be regularly reviewed and updated as
works progress on site.

Where during the construction phase, the principal Contractor or other contractors or
designers identify additional hazards and risks they should be noted and control measures
adopted and documented as an update in the CSMP.

During the duration of the project the Principal Contractor shall:

• Arrange for regular site safety inspections and audits to be carried out by competent
persons to review the safety and health aspects of work in progress throughout the
construction phase.

• Continually review and develop the CSMP, identifying and implementing any
necessary changes from any risk assessments, hazards identified safety inspections
and audits.
4 Preparing your Construction Safety Management
Plan
You have few options available to get your Construction phase plan they are:

• You prepare your own plan with the expertise and resources available in your
organisation (preferred option)

• You outsource and hire a consultant to draft for you (least preferred option)

• You get a template from providers on the internet and you tailored to specifics of your
project (economical and best option). Tailoring the template by YOU and your team
gives you ownership and understanding of the plan and confidence to implement it.

The choice is yours, the bottom line is to have a plan that:

• Is easy to implement,

• Written in plain English so everyone understand it, and

• Compliant to the federal OSHA act and/or state legislations

If you don’t have the expertise or resources to write a plan

from scratch, you can get a Construction Safety Management
Plan with all those attributes on the internet at
http://www.myconstructionsafetyplan.com
Using this guidelines and information available in the Occupational Health and Safety
Administration website www.osha.com you would be able to prepare your own safety
and health program. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, there is a wealth of
information on the website and in particular we recommend looking the links below:

http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/construction/index_cons
truction.html (compliance assistance quick start for the construction industry)

http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/construction/constructio
n_library.html (the site contains Quick cards, fact sheets, pocket guides, booklets,
publications, posters that cover a variety of topics for all trades; there is also some
documentation in Spanish)

http://www.osha.gov/Publications/Homebuilders/Homebuilders.html (selected
construction regulation for the home building industry)

http://www.osha.gov/Publications/smallbusiness/small-business.pdf (handbook to
help small business employers meet the legal requirements imposed by the
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act), and achieve an in-compliance
status before an OSHA inspection

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction/shprogram.html (list of topics

relevant to developing and maintaining a safety program, along with some regulatory
citations applicable to each topic)