COVER FEATURE
INGENIEUR
Six Best Practices to Prevent Temporary Structure Failures During Construction
By Ir . Dr Mohd Fairuz Ab Rahman Ts . Mohd Fiqri Mohd Hanafi Ts . Nazruddin Mat Ali Construction Safety Division , Department of Occupational Safety and Health
The six best practices on safety and health during concrete work to prevent formwork and falsework collapse , are derived from legal requirements and lessons learned from accident forensic studies carried out by the authors .
Recently , there have been several fatal accidents involving temporary structures , in particular during concrete works being carried out , which resulted in formwork and falsework collapsing at construction sites . These accidents have garnered widespread attention , and members of the public have expressed their concerns regarding the safety and health of occupational activities at construction sites . In many investigations of collapsed formwork and falsework , the authors found that there was insufficient consideration given to the safety management of these structures . So , it is important for all parties involved in a construction project , especially engineers who may work as project managers or designers of falsework , to understand their duties and responsibilities when carrying out this construction activity . This understanding must be clear , to differentiate between the duties and responsibilities stated in the legal requirements and the scope of duties in the contract requirements .
What is Temporary Structure ?
Temporary structure or temporary work is commonly used in the construction industry to refer to an “ engineering solution ” used to support or protect an existing structure or permanent structure during construction , or to support a plant or equipment , or the vertical or slope side of an excavation , or to provide access . Most construction of permanent structures will use temporary structures . The BS 5975 Code of practice for temporary works procedures and the permissible stress design of falsework defined temporary structures as “ those parts of the structures that allow or enable the construction of , protect , support or provide access to , permanent structures and which might not remain in place at the completion of the structures ”.
Temporary structures include , but are not limited to the following :
1 . Earthworks – for example , ditches , dredging , temporary slopes and sheet piles ;
2 . Structures – for example , scaffolding , formwork , falsework , struts , façade retention , needling , shoring , edge protection , temporary bridges , site hoarding and signage , site fences , cofferdams ; and
24 VOL 88 OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2021