All Items on construction

All Items tagged with the subject construction

INT-OSHA initiative – working outdoors in hot weather

The U.S. Department of Labour’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has kicked off a national outreach initiative about the hazards of working outdoors in hot weather.
Every year, thousands of workers across the country suffer from serious heat-related illnesses. If not quickly addressed, heat exhaustion can become heat stroke, which has killed – on average – more than 30 workers annually since 2003. Labour-intensive activities in hot weather can raise body temperatures beyond the level that normally can be cooled by sweating.

UK, HSE, asbestos e-learning pack: Introduction to asbestos learning package

An interactive lesson for apprentices about asbestos and its dangers

This 45 minute interactive lesson with supporting activities and materials is aimed primarily at trades apprentices in the 16 - 19 age group, for delivery by college lecturers and other vocational education providers.

UK, HSE, Leadership and worker involvement on the Olympic Park

This research considers leadership and worker involvement practice across selected projects on the London 2012 Olympic Park.

NL- Standing, kneeling and squatting at work – health-based limit values

In the present report, at the request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, the Health Council of the Netherlands has investigated whether at the present time there are any new scientific insights concerning health-based or safety-based limit values for work performed while standing, kneeling or squatting.

Work's Worse for Women

This article presents information on high risks women face from job-related stress, musculoskeletal injuries, violence and other hazards. They note these risks will increase when women move in to jobs traditionally done my men, like construction, and presents some ways to deal with these.

How to create economic incentives in occupational safety and health: A practical guide

This Guide on Economic Incentives Schemes is intended to serve as a practical and user-friendly guide to help incentive providers to create or optimise their own economic incentive schemes. Incentives schemes should not only reward past results of good OSH management (such as low accident numbers), but should also reward specific prevention efforts that aim to reduce future accidents and ill-health. Therefore the expert group suggested the development of compilations of innovative and evidence-based preventive solutions, starting with the three sectors construction, health care and HORECA.

Innovative solutions to safety and health risks in the construction, healthcare and HORECA sectors

One conclusion from the EU-OSHA economic incentives project is that incentives schemes should not only reward past results of good OSH management (such as accident numbers in experience rating), but should also reward specific prevention efforts that aim to reduce future accidents and ill-health. Experts from the economic incentives project therefore suggested the development of compilations of innovative and evidence-based preventive solutions, starting with the three sectors construction, health care and HORECA (hotels, restaurants, catering). The preventive measures from these compilations are worth promoting in their own right, as well as being applied in economic incentives schemes. These preventive solutions can be used as a basis for incentive-providing organisations to develop their own incentive scheme, adapted to the specific situation in their sector and country.

NL-Hexaclorobenzene –toxicological assessment and occupational exposure limit

At request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, the Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Exposure Safety (DECOS), a Committee of the Health Council of The Netherlands, proposes health-based recommended occupational exposure limits (HBROEL) for chemical substances in the air at the workplace. These recommendations serve as a basis in setting legally binding occupational exposure limits by the minister.

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PROTOCOL IN A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY’S CENTRAL MACHINERY POOL

With the aim of minimising risks associated with handling and using machinery, as well as the corresponding repair and maintenance operations in its central machinery pool, construction group Dragados improved the training provided to its workers and developed and implemented a detailed and strict ...

ANTI-FALL SYSTEM IN THE TURNTABLE AREA OF TRUCK-MOUNTED CONCRETE PUMPS

Truck-mounted concrete pumps allow concrete to be delivered quickly to the building site and to be pumped to the very spot where it is needed. To ensure safe and economical operations, manufacturers fit their machines with a wide variety of safety devices. However, some serious industrial ...

SMARTCITY MALTA - MAINTENANCE REGIME OF ON-SITE MACHINERY, EQUIPMENT AND APPARATUS

On a large construction project, involving a number of organisations and requiring an extensive variety of work equipment, there was a need to protect the health and safety of all workers and to implement a consistent approach to the maintenance of equipment.

FR-Asbestos - OEL will be significantly reduced and a new measurement method introduced

Following assessments by INRS and AFSSET of the measurement methods and workplace exposures, the French government has decided to reduce workplace exposure levels to asbestos to a tenth (from 100 fibres/l to 10 fibres/l) by 2015. Using a new method to analyse asbestos levels, the report showed that dust levels were much higher for certain materials than previously presumed.

Non-binding guide to good practice for understanding and implementing Directive 92/57/EEC on the implementation of minimum safety and health requirements at temporary or mobile construction sites

The Directive 92/57/EEC on the implementation of minimum safety and health requirements at temporary or mobile construction sites lays down minimum OSH requirements for construction sites at which building or civil engineering works are carried out. Furthermore, it aims at preventing risks at construction sites by establishing a chain of responsibility linking all the parties involved.

The non-binding guide for understanding and implementing Directive 92/57/EEC provides further information on the Directive and provides good practice suggestions and examples. This guide aims at assisting all parties involved in construction: clients, designers, coordinators, project supervisors, contractors, workers, suppliers and others. It is broken down as follows:

• Chapter 1 general principles of prevention
• Chapter 2: OSH requirements - duties and roles of stakeholders and the required documentation
• Chapter 3 typical hazards and risks during construction work
• Chapter 4: risk management throughout the duration of construction projects (from project preparation to post-construction stage)
• Chapter 5: summary of the duties of each stakeholder during the construction project

A practical guide on best practice to prevent or minimise asbestos risks

The practical guide provides information on the identification of asbestos and asbestos products and raises awareness of the asbestos presence. It describes good practice on asbestos removal (e.g. dust suppression, enclosure and protective equipment) and the handling asbestos-cement products and waste. Furthermore, the guideline encourages the use of protective equipment and clothing, taking into account human factors.

This guideline is made for employers (e.g. regarding technical, organisational and personal safety and health protection), employees (e.g. regarding information about protective measures, workers’ training, OSH motivation) and labour inspectors (e.g. regarding key aspects during inspection visits).

The Senior Labour Inspectors Committee (SLIC) prepared this guideline together with the European Social Partners (trade union and employers representatives) and the Advisory Committee for Safety and Health at Work (ACSH) in 2006.

Note: The manuscript was completed well before the release of Directive 2009/148/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work, thus it does not serve as a direct guideline for the latest legislation.

EU - Endotoxins - Nordic expert group and Dutch DECOS publish criteria document

An agreement has been signed by the Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Safety (DECOS) of the Health Council of the Netherlands and the Nordic Expert Group for Criteria Documentation of Health Risks from Chemicals (NEG). The purpose of the agreement is to write joint scientific criteria documents, which could be used by the national regulatory authorities in both the Netherlands and in the Nordic countries.

Summary - New risks and trends in the safety and health of women at work

In 2009 and 2010, the Agency commissioned an update to its previous research on gender issues at work , which found that inequality both inside and outside the workplace can have an effect on the health and safety of women at work. This summary provides a policy perspective and is meant to contribute to the task outlined by the European strategy on health and safety at work for EU-OSHA’s European Risk Observatory, “examining the specific challenges in terms of health and safety posed by the more extensive integration of women in the labour market”. It provides a statistical overview of the trends in employment and working conditions, hazard exposure and work-related accidents and health problems for women at work. It explores selected issues (combined exposures, occupational cancer, access to rehabilitation, women and informal work, and “emerging” female professions such as home care and domestic work). The research highlights the type of work carried out by women, issues faced by younger and older women, the growth of the service sector, violence and harassment, and increasingly diversified working time patterns as major risk factors.

Foresight of New and Emerging Risks to Occupational Safety and Health Associated with New Technologies in Green Jobs by 2020 - PHASE II – KEY TECHNOLOGIES

The report of Phase 2 of the “Foresight of new and emerging risks associated with new technologies in green jobs by 2020” identifies a shortlist of key technologies likely to be found in green jobs and have an impact on OSH by 2020. The list includes green technologies in the construction, transport, manufacturing, waste treatment and wind energy sectors; nanotechnologies; bioenergy and biotechnology; electricity transmission and storage; and domestic applications of emerging energy technologies. In Phase 3, a series of workshops is exploring the potential emerging OSH risks from these technologies in order to develop future scenarios helping decision makers to anticipate these risks.

UK: Increase in the number of workers killed at work

New official statistics published today show the number of workers killed in Britain last year has increased.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released provisional data for the year April 2010 to March 2011, which shows the number of workers killed was 171 an increase on the previous year, when 147 died - the lowest number on record.

The rate of fatal injury is now 0.6 per 100,000 workers, up from 0.5 per 100,000 workers the previous year.

Read more

DA - Danish Manual – “Working environment for building and construction” now available in four languages

Danish Manual – “Working environment for building and construction” now available in four languages

E-fact 54: Safe maintenance of portable tools in construction

Poorly maintained portable tools in construction (either hand tools or powered tools) present significant health and safety risks to the workers using them. Constant care and adequate maintenance and storage are essential for the safe use of portable tools at construction sites. In practice, this involves daily visual inspections aimed at detecting signs of possible fault. Proper service and maintenance helps eliminating / minimising the hazards and risks related to the use of portable tools, but maintenance of portable tools also bears some specific risks and it has to be done safely. This e-facts provides information on hazards and risks associated with portable tools on construction sites and how to manage those risks.

Also in this section

INT-OSHA initiative – working outdoors in hot weather

The U.S. Department of Labour’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has kicked off a national outreach initiative about the hazards of working outdoors in hot weather.
Every year, thousands of workers across the country suffer from serious heat-related illnesses. If not quickly addressed, heat exhaustion can become heat stroke, which has killed – on average – more than 30 workers annually since 2003. Labour-intensive activities in hot weather can raise body temperatures beyond the level that normally can be cooled by sweating.

UK, HSE, asbestos e-learning pack: Introduction to asbestos learning package

An interactive lesson for apprentices about asbestos and its dangers

This 45 minute interactive lesson with supporting activities and materials is aimed primarily at trades apprentices in the 16 - 19 age group, for delivery by college lecturers and other vocational education providers.

UK, HSE, Leadership and worker involvement on the Olympic Park

This research considers leadership and worker involvement practice across selected projects on the London 2012 Olympic Park.

NL- Standing, kneeling and squatting at work – health-based limit values

In the present report, at the request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, the Health Council of the Netherlands has investigated whether at the present time there are any new scientific insights concerning health-based or safety-based limit values for work performed while standing, kneeling or squatting.

Work's Worse for Women

This article presents information on high risks women face from job-related stress, musculoskeletal injuries, violence and other hazards. They note these risks will increase when women move in to jobs traditionally done my men, like construction, and presents some ways to deal with these.

How to create economic incentives in occupational safety and health: A practical guide

This Guide on Economic Incentives Schemes is intended to serve as a practical and user-friendly guide to help incentive providers to create or optimise their own economic incentive schemes. Incentives schemes should not only reward past results of good OSH management (such as low accident numbers), but should also reward specific prevention efforts that aim to reduce future accidents and ill-health. Therefore the expert group suggested the development of compilations of innovative and evidence-based preventive solutions, starting with the three sectors construction, health care and HORECA.

Innovative solutions to safety and health risks in the construction, healthcare and HORECA sectors

One conclusion from the EU-OSHA economic incentives project is that incentives schemes should not only reward past results of good OSH management (such as accident numbers in experience rating), but should also reward specific prevention efforts that aim to reduce future accidents and ill-health. Experts from the economic incentives project therefore suggested the development of compilations of innovative and evidence-based preventive solutions, starting with the three sectors construction, health care and HORECA (hotels, restaurants, catering). The preventive measures from these compilations are worth promoting in their own right, as well as being applied in economic incentives schemes. These preventive solutions can be used as a basis for incentive-providing organisations to develop their own incentive scheme, adapted to the specific situation in their sector and country.

NL-Hexaclorobenzene –toxicological assessment and occupational exposure limit

At request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, the Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Exposure Safety (DECOS), a Committee of the Health Council of The Netherlands, proposes health-based recommended occupational exposure limits (HBROEL) for chemical substances in the air at the workplace. These recommendations serve as a basis in setting legally binding occupational exposure limits by the minister.

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PROTOCOL IN A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY’S CENTRAL MACHINERY POOL

With the aim of minimising risks associated with handling and using machinery, as well as the corresponding repair and maintenance operations in its central machinery pool, construction group Dragados improved the training provided to its workers and developed and implemented a detailed and strict ...

ANTI-FALL SYSTEM IN THE TURNTABLE AREA OF TRUCK-MOUNTED CONCRETE PUMPS

Truck-mounted concrete pumps allow concrete to be delivered quickly to the building site and to be pumped to the very spot where it is needed. To ensure safe and economical operations, manufacturers fit their machines with a wide variety of safety devices. However, some serious industrial ...

SMARTCITY MALTA - MAINTENANCE REGIME OF ON-SITE MACHINERY, EQUIPMENT AND APPARATUS

On a large construction project, involving a number of organisations and requiring an extensive variety of work equipment, there was a need to protect the health and safety of all workers and to implement a consistent approach to the maintenance of equipment.

FR-Asbestos - OEL will be significantly reduced and a new measurement method introduced

Following assessments by INRS and AFSSET of the measurement methods and workplace exposures, the French government has decided to reduce workplace exposure levels to asbestos to a tenth (from 100 fibres/l to 10 fibres/l) by 2015. Using a new method to analyse asbestos levels, the report showed that dust levels were much higher for certain materials than previously presumed.

Non-binding guide to good practice for understanding and implementing Directive 92/57/EEC on the implementation of minimum safety and health requirements at temporary or mobile construction sites

The Directive 92/57/EEC on the implementation of minimum safety and health requirements at temporary or mobile construction sites lays down minimum OSH requirements for construction sites at which building or civil engineering works are carried out. Furthermore, it aims at preventing risks at construction sites by establishing a chain of responsibility linking all the parties involved.

The non-binding guide for understanding and implementing Directive 92/57/EEC provides further information on the Directive and provides good practice suggestions and examples. This guide aims at assisting all parties involved in construction: clients, designers, coordinators, project supervisors, contractors, workers, suppliers and others. It is broken down as follows:

• Chapter 1 general principles of prevention
• Chapter 2: OSH requirements - duties and roles of stakeholders and the required documentation
• Chapter 3 typical hazards and risks during construction work
• Chapter 4: risk management throughout the duration of construction projects (from project preparation to post-construction stage)
• Chapter 5: summary of the duties of each stakeholder during the construction project

A practical guide on best practice to prevent or minimise asbestos risks

The practical guide provides information on the identification of asbestos and asbestos products and raises awareness of the asbestos presence. It describes good practice on asbestos removal (e.g. dust suppression, enclosure and protective equipment) and the handling asbestos-cement products and waste. Furthermore, the guideline encourages the use of protective equipment and clothing, taking into account human factors.

This guideline is made for employers (e.g. regarding technical, organisational and personal safety and health protection), employees (e.g. regarding information about protective measures, workers’ training, OSH motivation) and labour inspectors (e.g. regarding key aspects during inspection visits).

The Senior Labour Inspectors Committee (SLIC) prepared this guideline together with the European Social Partners (trade union and employers representatives) and the Advisory Committee for Safety and Health at Work (ACSH) in 2006.

Note: The manuscript was completed well before the release of Directive 2009/148/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work, thus it does not serve as a direct guideline for the latest legislation.

EU - Endotoxins - Nordic expert group and Dutch DECOS publish criteria document

An agreement has been signed by the Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Safety (DECOS) of the Health Council of the Netherlands and the Nordic Expert Group for Criteria Documentation of Health Risks from Chemicals (NEG). The purpose of the agreement is to write joint scientific criteria documents, which could be used by the national regulatory authorities in both the Netherlands and in the Nordic countries.

Summary - New risks and trends in the safety and health of women at work

In 2009 and 2010, the Agency commissioned an update to its previous research on gender issues at work , which found that inequality both inside and outside the workplace can have an effect on the health and safety of women at work. This summary provides a policy perspective and is meant to contribute to the task outlined by the European strategy on health and safety at work for EU-OSHA’s European Risk Observatory, “examining the specific challenges in terms of health and safety posed by the more extensive integration of women in the labour market”. It provides a statistical overview of the trends in employment and working conditions, hazard exposure and work-related accidents and health problems for women at work. It explores selected issues (combined exposures, occupational cancer, access to rehabilitation, women and informal work, and “emerging” female professions such as home care and domestic work). The research highlights the type of work carried out by women, issues faced by younger and older women, the growth of the service sector, violence and harassment, and increasingly diversified working time patterns as major risk factors.

Foresight of New and Emerging Risks to Occupational Safety and Health Associated with New Technologies in Green Jobs by 2020 - PHASE II – KEY TECHNOLOGIES

The report of Phase 2 of the “Foresight of new and emerging risks associated with new technologies in green jobs by 2020” identifies a shortlist of key technologies likely to be found in green jobs and have an impact on OSH by 2020. The list includes green technologies in the construction, transport, manufacturing, waste treatment and wind energy sectors; nanotechnologies; bioenergy and biotechnology; electricity transmission and storage; and domestic applications of emerging energy technologies. In Phase 3, a series of workshops is exploring the potential emerging OSH risks from these technologies in order to develop future scenarios helping decision makers to anticipate these risks.

UK: Increase in the number of workers killed at work

New official statistics published today show the number of workers killed in Britain last year has increased.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released provisional data for the year April 2010 to March 2011, which shows the number of workers killed was 171 an increase on the previous year, when 147 died - the lowest number on record.

The rate of fatal injury is now 0.6 per 100,000 workers, up from 0.5 per 100,000 workers the previous year.

Read more

DA - Danish Manual – “Working environment for building and construction” now available in four languages

Danish Manual – “Working environment for building and construction” now available in four languages

E-fact 54: Safe maintenance of portable tools in construction

Poorly maintained portable tools in construction (either hand tools or powered tools) present significant health and safety risks to the workers using them. Constant care and adequate maintenance and storage are essential for the safe use of portable tools at construction sites. In practice, this involves daily visual inspections aimed at detecting signs of possible fault. Proper service and maintenance helps eliminating / minimising the hazards and risks related to the use of portable tools, but maintenance of portable tools also bears some specific risks and it has to be done safely. This e-facts provides information on hazards and risks associated with portable tools on construction sites and how to manage those risks.