PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN SAFETY AND HEALTH IN THE

WORKPLACE
By the end of this sub-topic, learners should be able to:

1. Demonstrate the evacuation and handling of injured persons from a building site.
2. Express knowledge of the duties of health and building inspectors.

Introduction
There are different types of accidents that can occur at a building site,
and these accidents require immediate action. Examples of work site
accidents include; falls from heights, tripping hazards, trench collapse
and inhaling of toxic fumes. Sometimes these accidents may leave the
workmen injured or dead on the spot. When such an event has taken
place, no much attention is given to the deceased except to cover them
so that they may not to be exposed for a long time. Greater attention
ought to be given to the injured victims so as to save life or to prevent
further injuries. This section is going to dwell on the evacuation and
handling of injured persons at a building sites and on the duties of
health and building inspectors.
Procedures to be taken to save an injured victim
 To save injured personnel at a worksite, the following basic first aid measures should be taken
before the injured person is taken to receive full medical treatment:

Provide protection
 To eliminate further injuries, the injured victim must be removed from the scene of accident and
placed at a safe area.
 This will protect them from further damage.

Provide first aid services to the injured

 This is the assistance given to a person suffering a sudden illness or injury, with care provided to
preserve life.
 First aid service also prevents the condition of illness from worsening thus promoting recovery.
 First aid services include;
o Attending to the injured/casualty breathing such as giving a kiss of life.
o Trying to stop any bleeding.
 o Attending any possible chocking from vomit.
o Keeping the injured warm.
o Assurance life to the injured to avoid panic and shock.
o Prepare casualty for transportation to hospital.
 Simple cuts can be treated on site by;
o Washing the surrounding skin area with soap and water.
o Gently removing any dirt from the wound.
o Bandage the wound to stop further bleeding.
o Then quickly send the casualty to a doctor/physician for additional care in case of big
cuts.
 In case of head injuries;
o Keep the injured lying down and cover the victim to conserve body heat and reduce the
danger of shock.

Activity
You are working at a construction site at school, suddenly one of your
colleagues falls into a trench and gets injured.
 With your friends, demonstrate how you would help the injured/casualty.
 State the necessary actions you would take while waiting for full medical services.

Duties of a Building Inspector

 A Building Inspector is a person with engineering skills, who is employed to check or inspect
whether a building is being built per set standards and to monitor compliance to building
specifications and regulations.
 Building Inspection is done at the following stages of construction; site clearance, setting out,
excavation, concrete footing, foundation box and consolidation, concrete floor, brickwork up to
wall plate, roofing and completion.
 Building inspectors carry out the following tasks;
o They use survey instruments such as metering devices, tape measures and test equipment
(like concrete strength measurers) to inspect building constructions.
o Inspect bridges, dams, highways, buildings, wiring, plumbing, electrical circuits, sewers,
heating systems and foundations during and after construction for structural quality,
general safety and conformance to specifications and codes.
o They maintain daily logs and inspection records and photographs for construction work.
o Building inspectors review and interpret plans, blueprints, site layouts, specifications and
construction methods to ensure compliance to legal requirements and safety regulations.
o Inspect and monitor construction sites to ensure adherence to safety standards, building
codes and specifications.
o They verify the level, alignment, and elevation of structures and fixtures by measuring
dimensions. This is done to ensure compliance to building plans and codes.
o Issue permits for construction, relocation, demolition and occupancy.
o They approve plans that meet required specifications for implementation.
o Observe installation of plumbing, wiring, equipment, and appliances to ensure that
installation is performed correctly and in accordance to the set standards.
 o Inspectors examine lifting and conveying devices, such as elevators, escalators, moving
sidewalks, lifts and hoists, inclined railways and amusement rides to ensure safety and
proper functioning.
o They train, direct and supervise other construction inspectors.

Duties of Health Inspectors

 Health and safety inspectors are people responsible for monitoring and improving the health and
safety of employees or the general public within an organisation.
 Health inspectors maintain and protect health and safety standards in accordance with the health
legislation of the company and the country.
 The other responsibilities of health inspectors include:
o Investigating accidents, complaints and cases of ill-health within an organisation.
o Ensuring that workers’ health and wellness are not prone to risk by maintaining and
servicing work equipment and machinery.
o Ensure that health, safety and welfare of workers is guaranteed by inspecting and
examining work places.
o Control the use, handling and storage of work equipment.
o Provide adequate information and supervision to workers to ensure health and safety of
all workers at the site.
o Health inspectors make sure that all workers are provided with personal protective
clothing at no charge.
o They also ensure that the welfare facilities such as toilets and drinking water are
maintained and kept up to the standards.
o Ensuring that employees are aware of work health and safety requirements and
expectations through provision of induction, training and supervision.
o Health and safety inspectors ensure that hazards and areas of risk are properly controlled
and addressed.
o Address work health and safety issues that are brought to their attention in consultation
with those affected.
o Write and maintain records and reports on health and safety issues of the company.
o Provide health and safety advice and recommendations to employees.
o Provide prosecution evidence in court on behalf of the organisation as far as the health
and safety matters are concerned.

Activity
You are at a school and your Building Technology and Design teacher
asks you to design a chart with at least 10 rules that should be
observed in order to improve and maintain a health and safe
environment during your practical lessons. List/name the rules.
Summary
The duties of Health and Building Inspectors at building sites should
not be undermined in any way. Health inspectors ensures health and
safety of employees at workplaces, whilst building inspectors ensure
that buildings are constructed in accordance with the set standards and
that all building regulations are met and complied to. Duties of both
health and building inspectors help to minimise the number of
accidents on building and ensures that a health and safe working
environment is maintained.