How can you create a safety plan that meets OSHA standards for construction sites?

Determine the scope of work and the time lines for task completion. Determine the interactions necessary to complete the phases. This drives the hazard identification and analysis; leading to the selected control measures.

I walk the site prior to any Iron or crews are scheduled to arrive to get a lay of the land, soil conditions, overhead hazards, access and control hazards, traffic and pedestrian interactions, and finally environmental concerns. From there I formulate my assessment and sit down with the Project Manager and Foreman assigned to the project and put a plan in place to control the hazards.

To narrow down to the specific Hazards the easiest way is by doing a job task analysis. It is one of the best ways to identify hazards workers may face. Break each job down into small tasks. For each task, ask - what are the dangers here? Could a worker be struck by something, fall, get caught in machinery? Are chemicals or noise an issue? A detailed job task analysis helps you spot hazards before an accident happens. Involving frontline workers is key - they know the job best. A good job task analysis is the first step to creating a safe workplace

During identification of hazards on construction site, it's very import to carry the workers along from mason to the least labourer. This will give a very robust hazard register. It's gives them a sense of belonging and makes them feel important. By doing so, they will freely point out hazards OHS professionals may not pay attention to. Stakeholders engagement in safety management system is inclusive of engaging workers during hazard identification process. This identification of hazards should be done with respect to each operation in the construction such as excavation, lifting, form work, fabrication, welding etc.

É importante conhecer as atividades e como elas realmente acontecem. Na maioria das vezes os procedimentos operacionais padrão não contemplam os pequenos detalhes, por isso costumo acompanhar as atividade do início ao fim, sem questionar, apenas observando e fazendo alguns registros fotográficos, ao final da atividade tiro algumas dúvidas com quem executa e acompanha, valorizando cada contribuição. Ao final da análise com a identificação dos riscos e melhorias observadas através da contribuição dos colaboradores, resgistro o nome deles como elaboradores participativos, e evidencio para os demais essa contribuição fazendo com que ele seja parte do processo construtivo de segurança. E com certeza os resultados são bastante positivos.

Penso que antes de agirmos nas questões físicas, devemos direcionar esforços para o comportamento dos Empregados, pois não adianta as empresas gastarem rios de dinheiro com Programas de Segurança se os empregados não comprarem a ideia!!!

Safety is a powerful weapon and very interesting to learn in every moment but one thing We have to follow the rules and regulations that is a long brief in short as per my experience safety is a common sense and need more interest and involvement to collect the knowledge.

No processo de identificação dos perigos é necessário registrar quais são as atividades, sejam elas normais, não rotineiras ou emergenciais, sendo executadas ou não nos limites físicos da organização. Existem pontos de atenção no apontamento dos perigos. Existem lugares que merecem um cuidado diferenciado, entretanto, cada tipo de empresa possui sua particularidade. As avaliações dos riscos é consequência do processo de identificação dos perigos. É recomendado avaliar os riscos, conforme sua severidade e probabilidade de ocorrência.

Ascertain what type of work activities involved, how they are going to execute the activities and what machinery is being used. After the understanding of the activities, conduct the Hazard identification involving the at risk workers and staff those who have experience in such type of works, followed by a risk analysis which drives to the control measures that needs to be taken. Control measures shall be effective and mostly should follow the hierarchy of control measures, which shall leads to the reduction of the risk level to as low as reasonably practicable.

Use the hierarchy of control as a checklist and guide to select the most appropriate control for the identified hazards. Don't rely on any one control strategy. Construction seems to have an overreliance on PPE to control hazards when elimination, substitution and engineering are more effective.

During the implementation of controls for identified hazards in operation. We need to keep in mind that the controls should be able to reduce the risk as low as reasonably practicable. The controls can be applied simultaneously in line with the hierarchy of control. It should be noted that the use of Personal Protective Equipment is the last option in the hierarchy of control. The control needs to be evaluated and tested before implementation. Workers participation is also key in the implementation of controls.

100% Implementing the control measures that are extracted during the Hazard identification and risk assessment can only be possible when all the staff , workers involved in the implementation. This can be achieved by creating a mindset of positive safety culture in the workplace and continuous training of staff and workers on the safety implementation. Implementation sometimes may also require a reward and reprimand system for motivating and encouraging for keeping the safety as first priority.

When I perform my pre- work assessment of the site and area I look for medical facilities in case of injury/illness for my crews health. I will also drive the area to see where the closest Fire station is and if that station has a Medic unit assigned to it, along with this I will search online to see what response times could be for the area we are working in. I will also look for areas of refuge from severe weather if we are working in that season. From there I will sit down and formulate my EAP for that site complete with a comm. plan and back up plans if needed.

Human Interaction This is one hazard the we to often overlook. Mental health, physical capabilities, training effectiveness. Are we looking at the entire picture? How often do we look at the fit for duty of the employee and overlook the same from our front line leaders? We as a collective must examine the human interaction aspect and come to the understanding that the human factor is a real hazard and must plan for failures due to and often unknown influences.

Emergency occur when least expected and as such one need to carefully plan for emergency before it happens. Emergency planning will make a huge difference between life and death when emergency is experience on site. One need to consider the work environment, the nature of operations and how accessible are emergency support facilities from the construction site. Competence of emergency response team is also very import and this builds confidence when emergency eventual happen on site. The team should be trained and re-trained to remain relevant. However, Occupational Safety and Health professionals should plan for natural emergency such as flood, earthquake etc.

A decisão de implementar um plano de emergência l na empresa deve resultar principalmente da conscientização de seu uso como um instrumento de prevenção. Ao mesmo tempo, deve ser considerada a sua real implementação, uma vez que não teria sentido limitá-lo a algumas páginas guardadas em uma gaveta. Essencialmente, a elaboração de um plano de emergência comporta 5 fases principais: identificação e avaliação das vulnerabilidades; avaliação dos recursos necessários; definição da composição do plano; implementação do plano; revisão e atualização permanentes.

Identify the possible emergencies that are prone to or applicable in the area and prepare for those by providing the training on the emergency response to the identified emergencies. Also be prepared by providing the first aid medical facilities, fire fighting facilities and tie up with local authorities / fire services / hospitals for the spontaneous response to the emergencies. Evaluate the distance from the emergency services and how much time that will take to reach you. If the analysis says it is more than 10 minutes it is recommended to station an ambulance or fire brigade near the workplace if employed workers are more. For example in the case of a heart attack after 10 minutes of stroke it is impossible to save the person's life.

Our corporation has set up regional training centers to perform the onboarding of new employees, for our Operating Unit which is Civil construction based, our new hires go through OSHA 10, first aid/CPR, trench confined space competent person, and any heavy equipment training and certification they are expected to use. Yearly we perform in house refreshers on Excavation, Confined space, and first aid CPR classes, along with heavy equipment training as needed. we also do in house OSHA 30 for our field management staff.

Os treinamentos trazem benefícios porque são práticas importantes para informar os trabalhadores e gestores sobre os riscos e os mecanismos de controle do ambiente de trabalho, além disso, é um conhecimento que contribui para que as pessoas possam trabalhar com mais segurança e sejam mais produtivas.

The better you train your workers on workplace safety and emergency response the safer the workplace will be. Most important factor in improving the safety culture is training. Train all staff, workers on hazards and its control measures, general rules, SOP’s, do’s and don'ts specific to the tasks and emergency response management for the identified emergencies.

Training in key right from the day any worker steps on a construction site. All new workers most go through a mandatory induction where the site safety plan will be shared with them. This must be done with a well documented evidence.

Especially for renovation and/or restoration projects, trace back utility feeds, abandoned or not, for consideration as a potential hazard if disturbed during physical work tasks occurring in close proximity to subject areas within project scope. Utility feeds can be pressure, chemical or electrical transfer. If lines are live know where isolation valves are located and know the steps involved to safely shut them off. Ensure OSHA compliant LOTO and mitigation procedures are clearly understood before initiating work. Communicate this information to workers involved with tasks. Notify employees in affected areas of the work, risk involved, and schedule including procedures to follow in case of unexpected developments during work period.

Communication is what makes the plan work. Allow for bilateral communication as workers on site may have observed different hazard control strategies as well as how effective those strategies worked. When employees know how to implement hazard controll and do it automatically, success has been achieved.

Communication is the key when it comes to safety at the workplace. Communication can be made in written, verbal, pictorial / graphical signs, hand signals or combination of one or more. But the key is, your communicated message should reach the required without any ambiguity / confusion. Your message should be crisp and clear so that nobody can misunderstand it another way.

A plan without communication with necessary shareholder is a plan that is ready to fail. The communication must be clear without any ambiguity. The channel of communication must be open throughout the project life cycle. The use of email is also a welcome development for HSE communication.

First, identify the hazard assessment, then determine how to control it. Control methods can be based on OSHA standards to determine the safety of an activity. Second, conducting outreach to workers regarding the agreed rules/standards. This aims to ensure that all workers understand and know safe work standards

To create a safety plan that meets OSHA standards for construction conduct a thorough assessment of the construction site to identify potential hazards such as falls, electrical risks, and heavy machinery. Establish procedures to mitigate identified hazards. This includes fall protection plans, lockout/tagout procedures, and more. Provide ongoing training for all employees on safety protocols, hazard recognition, and emergency procedures. This can include hands-on training, workshops, and safety meetings. Engage workers in safety planning and encourage them to report unsafe conditions without fear of retaliation. Continuously review and update the safety plan for new hazards, changes in regulations, and feedback.

Especially for renovation and/or restoration projects, trace back utility feeds, abandoned or not, for consideration as a potential hazard if disturbed during physical work tasks occurring in close proximity to subject areas within project scope. Utility feeds can be pressure, chemical or electrical transfer. If lines are live know where isolation valves are located and know the steps involved to safely shut them off. Ensure OSHA compliant LOTO and mitigation procedures are clearly understood before initiating work. Communicate this information to workers involved with tasks. Notify employees in affected areas of the work, risk involved, and schedule including procedures to follow in case of unexpected developments during work period.

O propósito dessa normativa é contribuir para que as companhias adotem  boas práticas para proteger a saúde e a vida dos seus colaboradores, entregando-lhes um ambiente de trabalho seguro, saudável e compatível com as funções que precisam ser executadas. Quanto a isso, é fundamental ter em mente que o cuidado com a saúde e o bem-estar dos profissionais não deve se limitar ao atendimento das leis trabalhistas relacionadas, apenas como forma de evitar que o negócio sofre penalidades legais. Na prática, o foco dessas medidas deve ser realmente zelar pela vida, segurança e conforto dos contratados, de modo que isso seja benéfico para eles tanto dentro quanto fora do ambiente de trabalho.