Figure 5: Ability to influence safety and health in a project. 11
harm to people at work or to those affected by the
work activities – people who live around sites or
who receive services from contractors.
The general principles of prevention, or in
its simplest form the hierarchy of controls, as
shown in Figure 6, is only there for reference. It
is important to understand that what we actually
have today is a much wider range of organisations
with a broader variety of risks to be managed. But
this means that we as professionals providing
advice, guidance and services have to think hard
about how to apply those control measures to
new risks, new businesses, and new situations.
One size does not fit all and the best and most
comprehensive control measures can very often
be the enemy of not only the good but also what
works.
During the construction phase, the main
contractor usually has limited options to control
hazards. The opportunity to avoid and reduce risks
diminishes as the project progresses from the
design phase to the construction phase – when
the designs have been finalised and are set for
11
construction. As depicted in Figure 5, the ability to
influence safety and health risks in construction is
greatest at the planning and design stages of the
project lifecycle.
Unless the contractor is also involved during
the design phase, as in the design and build
contractual arrangement, the contractor’s
option to manage risks is often limited to the
provisions of employee protection. Managing
safety and health risks in a construction
project should not only start at the onset of the
construction phase (when the main contractor
has control), but must commence at the pre-
construction phase (when the client and
designer assume control). A paradigm shift
is needed to move the safety consideration in
a project from afterthought to aforethought,
especially in the design of:
a. work methods and organisation of work;
b. tools and equipment;
c. processes;
d. products; and
e. work premises and facilities.
Adapted from Nocera (2013). The PMP Certification Exam Study Guide. CRC Press.
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