4project ohs.docx |occupational health and safety lecture notes

YILDIRIM BEYAZIT UNIVERSITY UE302 Principles of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)

Student no: 1205024008 Name: Adramane ASSOUMANA Project report: I.

Introduction:

The work is the human activity that allows the production of goods and services. The main aim of this one is to meet the needs of the workers and the others. We encounter several types of work, and each one has its own permanent risks and hazards accordingly. The report below is the enumeration, the classification and the examination of the hazards and risks encountered in building site of Zaloglu insaat company. Particularly while placing a lift in a completed huge building.

II.

The OHS hazards and risks at that place

The observation made on the site of construction revealed that the workers are exposed to five major categories of hazards and risks.

1. Material risks: In the construction industry like placing a lift, material risks are the major danger. These ones are: the falls of people or objects, unstable soil and work surfaces, the use of heavy machinery, handling or transport. Strains and sprains are the most common injuries among construction workers. There are also many chronic disabling disorders such as tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and back pain. All these result from poor posture, false movements, excessive strain, violent and repetitive movements. The falls from scaffolding or ladder are also common.

2. Physical risks: Physical risks exist in any construction project. They are related to noise, heat and cold, radiation, vibration and barometric pressure. The construction works are often performed in extreme temperatures, in the wind, rain or snow, in fog or night. Workers can be exposed to radiation, ionizing or not, and extreme pressures. Exposure to Ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Exposure to ionizing radiation is less common, but may exist in control of welds by X or gamma ray, or when using instruments such as flowmeters radioactive isotopes. Lasers are increasingly used and can lead to injury especially in the eyes if the beam is intercepted.

3. Chemical risks: Chemical pollution can be in liquid or semi-liquid (glues or adhesives, tar, etc.), or in powder form which is encountered in our case (such as dry cement). The skin contact with chemicals presented in these forms can be added to the possible inhalation of vapors and lead to the systemic poisoning or contact

dermatitis. Chemicals may also be ingested with food or water, or be inhaled by smoking. Several diseases have been associated with the construction industry like placing a lift: silicosis in sandblasters, bronchitis welders, allergy related to contact with cement for those who handle it, neurological disorders.

Heat stress results from the wearing of a sealed protective suit. Moreover, Raynaud's syndrome is common among workers who use equipment generating vibrations like hammers used for digging.

Finally, alcoholism and other diseases related to alcohol consumption are more common, among construction workers. Alcoholism is said to be consecutive to the stress resulting from a lack of control over job prospects, the workload or the social isolation resulting from missing or changing labor relations.

4. Biologicals risk: Biological risks are related to exposure to micro-organisms or toxic substances of biological origin.

Due to the constant fluctuation of the workforce on construction sites, each worker is in contact with many people and is, therefore, exposed to contagious diseases. Some wood dusts are carcinogenic and others (such as red cedar) cause allergies. Animal bites are rare but can occur when a construction project disturbs them or encroach on their territory.

5. Socials risk: Social risks are related to the social organization of the branch. The jobs are intermittent and constantly fluctuating, and workers are not proficient numerous factors over which they have no control, such as economic or weather conditions. Due to the constant renewal of the workforce and changes in schedule and workplace, and also the fact that they are often forced to live in labor camps, far from home and their families , workers are starved of a reliable and stable social structure. Certain characteristics of the construction industry, like the difficulty of the tasks, the poor control of working conditions and limited social support, stress are aggravating factors. These characteristics risks of the construction industry permanently affect all the workers in this sector.

III.

Classification of the hazards according to their risk level via a risk assessment method.

To measure and evaluate the level of exposure to occupational hazards in the construction industry, one must consider specific forms of exposure to these risks. In most industries, the hygiene measures and conventional exposure limits are based on weighted averages over eight hours. In construction, however, exposures are generally short-term, intermittent, varied but likely to occur; therefore, the hygiene measures and exposure limits are not as valid as in other sectors.

Likelihood(Probability)

Severity(Consequences)

5-Almost certain

Fatality

4-Probable

Major injury, resulting in disability

3-Possible

Injury Requires, Doctor’s or Hospital attendance

2-Possible(Under unfortunate circumstances)

Minor injury, First aid required

1-Rare

Minor injury, First aid not required



The assessment of risk exposure:

To assess the risks of a direct or indirect exposure (by the simple fact of being nearby), it is important to know the tasks performed and the composition of materials and products used in each case, as well as the characteristics of the equipment used. These data are generally available (safety data sheets of equipment or toxicology, for example), but are not always available locally. With the evolution of computing and communication technologies, it is now relatively easy to get them and make them available to interested parties.

IV.

The preventive measures for high risk hazards 1. The control of occupational hazards:

The risk exposure varies with the intensity and the frequency, the execution time of the task. To control the risk, one should firstly reduce the exposure by acting on the intensity, duration or frequency of the task. The risk exposure is most often intermittent. Administrative measures that rely on reducing the frequency or duration of exposure are less easy to make in building than in other sectors. Therefore, the most effective way to reduce exposure is to reduce the intensity of risk.

2. Reducing the intensity of exposure: To reduce the intensity of the exposure, it is necessary to identify and analyze the source of risk, the environment in which it occurs and the workers who are exposed to it. We can implement three general types of measures to reduce the intensity of occupational hazards. These are, in descending order of effectiveness: The engineering controls implemented at the source of the risk; The environmental control measures to eliminate the risk of that environment; Providing personal protection to exposed workers. 

The engineering controls:

Any risk is always a source. The most effective way to protect workers is to act on the first source by taking appropriate preventive measures. Thus, it may be used instead of a most dangerous substance a less hazardous. For example pneumatic hammers may be with impact hammers that generate less noise

and vibration. Thanks to technological advances, it is often possible to prevent some musculoskeletal disorders and alleviate other health problems.



The environmental control measures:

These measures are intended to remove environmental hazardous substance if there exists in suspension in the air, or to isolate the source if it is a physical hazard. It has also been used on many sites, the mobile dust collectors mounted on trucks. The main sources of heat load are high ambient temperatures and heavy physical work. One can avoid the harmful effects of heat stress by reducing the workload, providing potable water, leaving breaks in the shade and, if possible, by working at night. 

Personal protection:

If engineering controls are insufficient, workers should use personal protective equipment. For more effectiveness, it is necessary that the staff knows how to use it and adapts perfectly to the use.

Regular inspections and maintenance should be made for the equipment. People who are close to a source of risk must be faithfully protected or will be strictly prohibited to access the danger zone.

3. Accident prevention Construction companies with the best results in the field of security are the ones which have most of time defined and written down a prevention policy that applies to the entire company. This document refers to specific practices guidelines that define the risks and how to control them. The responsibilities are clearly defined and performance standards are established. Compliance with these standards is monitored and violations lead to a severe punishment, while meeting or exceeding the standards is sometimes rewarded. An accounting system figure the cost of each accident and the savings made from prevention. The sites are periodically inspected and the inspection results are recorded. The materials are tested to ensure whether they work properly. Besides the risk of accidents, the risks of injury to health related to suspended particles in the air (silica, asbestos, glass fibers, oil macro-particles), gases and fumes (carbon monoxide, other engine exhaust gases, solvent vapors, etc.), physical hazards (noise, heat, high pressure, etc.) and other factors such as stress must not be forgotten.

It is necessary to prepare personnel for emergencies. This preparation including on the definition of responsibilities, first aid interventions and rescue, medical care on site, communications with the outside (ambulances, families), the eventual choice of a hospital, recovery or maintaining security at the scene of the accident, looking for witnesses and documenting the circumstances of the accident. The casualties should be investigated and reported. It is indeed important to establish their causes in order to prevent the similar accidents from happening again .The knowledge of the number of hours performed at work will allow to calculate accident rates (eg the number of accidents per million 'working hours).Workers and supervisors should receive appropriate instruction and training on safety and health.

V.

The risk assessment for the hazard after preventive measure is applied

When preventive measures are taken, less risk are met in the workplace. Construction companies which applied the OHS legislations are mostly safe from all risks and hazards.

Likelihood(Probability)

Severity(Consequences)

5-Low

Fatality

4-More low

Major injury, resulting in disability

3- Rare

Injury Requires, Doctor’s or Hospital attendance

2-) Rare

Minor injury, First aid required

1-Impossible

Minor injury, First aid not required

VI.

Conclusion: The work remains a necessity, despite the dangers and risks encountered in the implementation of

most of our daily and professional work. Therefore it is important to ensure the occupational health and safety in the workplaces in order to protect workers and to yield a good productivity. Each workplace

should have its own OHS experts in order to ensure the security and health of every employee.

The observation made on this site shows a very high rate of risk occurrence but a reduction of one third of these risks is noticed when the OHS regulation is applied. To reduce or completely eliminate the risks and hazards of workplaces, each company must formally apply the rules imposed by the OHS legislations. As

there are some companies which cannot afford, the employment of OHS experts should be under the government responsibility.