Ensafe Guidelines for Preparing Construction Safety Plans_usa

8/7/2019 Ensafe Guidelines for Preparing Construction Safety Plans_usa

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Guidelines for preparing Safety andHealth Management Program for

Construction Projects(Construction Safety Management Plan)

(CSMP)

1 Introduction

This document offers guidance to principal contractors and subcontractors with regards to thepreparation of Safety and Health Programs for construction projects.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) sets a national minimum standardfor safety, but allows local jurisdictions to adopt standards which are at least as stringent.Under common law, as an employer, you are obligated to provide your employees with a safeplace to work. As a businessperson, you must provide customers, vendors and other peoplewho visit your company site with safe passage. As an owner or occupant of any property, youmust maintain it in a condition safe for everyone who comes onto your property.

A Construction Safety Management Plan (OSHA Safety Plan) is a written document thatdescribes the process for identifying the physical and health hazards that could harm workers,procedures to prevent accidents, and steps to take when accidents occur. The written safetyplan is your blueprint for keeping workers safe. Many organizations compile their activity-specific safety plans into a single safety manual

Prior to the commencement of work, Principal Contractors are required to prepare aConstruction Safety Management Plan (CSMP) detailing the safety and health systems andprocedures that will apply during the construction phase of the project.

Implementing a well structured CSMP will result in reduced injury-related costs; these savingswhen properly administered will exceed the cost of implementing a safety and health program

in the workplace.

The plan provides a focus for managing and coordinating safety and health on the site. Theamount of detail in the CSMP should depend on the nature and extent of the project and onthe contract arrangements for the construction work. The plan must be specific and relevantto the particular project.

Your Construction Safety Management Plan must identify hazards associated with the workon the site, along with the hazard control measures that will be implemented to ensure thatpeople are adequately protected from risk of injury or illness. The CSMP must be available onsite for inspection by all people at that place of work or about to commence work.

The Construction Safety Management Plan must be signed and dated by a senior

management representative of your organisation. The Plan must be maintained and kept upto date during the course of the work

2 Construction Safety Plan Elements

The elements of an effective program should include the following:

2.1 Works Description


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A brief description of the scope of work associated with the contract should be documented.The description should be sufficiently detailed to provide persons unfamiliar with the contractan overview of the type of work being carried out and under what conditions.

The scope of work should include as a minimum requirement the following details:

Summary of major activities/works to be performed, including demolition and siteclearance.

List of tasks or specialist procedures that may require detailed safety and health workprocedures and training.

List areas of contract requiring special consideration from a safety and healthperspective eg: presence of public, traffic management, work restrictions (work-times,confined spaces) and exposure to hazards (noise, dust, elevated heights)

2.2 Project Management Structure and Statement ofResponsibilities

The CSMP should outline the project management structure, responsibilities, standards andcontrol systems applicable to the contract to ensure safety and health (SH) requirements areadequately addressed.

The following information should be included:

Company safety and health policy;

Emergency contact persons and numbers;

Position and/or name of SH Coordinator;

A statement of responsibilities of the project delivery team names and/or positions of

those with specific safety and health responsibilities

The statement of responsibilities must define who will be responsible for:

identifying hazards and assessing the risks associated with the work, anddocumenting the risk control measures to be taken

managing compliance with SH, workplace injury management and workerscompensation legislation, regulations, standards and codes, Safe Work MethodStatements and the Site Safety Rules

assessing and monitoring the capability of your service providers in the supply chain,and verifying that they meet SH requirements.

making sure that the Site Safety Rules are displayed and available on the work siteand provided to people who work on, or visit, the work site

providing your service providers in the contract chain with your Construction SafetyManagement Plan and any updates

managing SH communication and consultation provisions in accordance with theregulatory and other requirements

conducting site-specific induction, specific work activity safety training and refreshertraining

making sure that before starting work on site, all personnel attend an SH inductiontraining course covering general construction work as well as the particular site andspecific work activity

preparing, maintaining and making available the register of hazardous substances

managing workplace injury management processes to suit procedures

maintaining first aid stocks and providing first aid

managing illness/injury and emergency processes to suit procedures

keeping SH records


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2.3 Risk Assessment (Worksite hazard analysis)

The Risk Assessment is an integral part of the Construction Safety Plan and considers thefollowing:

identifies hazards associated with contract tasks and activities

determines the level of risk

establishes appropriate risk control measures

Each major or significant task or activity associated with the contract shall be assessed interms of the associated hazards. When all hazards have been identified the most likelyoutcome as a result of an incident shall be determined.

Risks may be classified according to the following table:

Consequences &/or

Impact

What type of impact do

you expect could result

from exposure to this

hazard?

Likelihood: What is the likelihood of this occurring?

Very Likely

(VL)

The event could

happen at any

time

Likely (L)

The event could

happen sometime

Unlikely (UL)

The event could

occur but very

rarely

Very unlikely

(VL)

May happen but

probably never

will

K

Kill or cause permanent

disability or ill health

1 1 2 3

S

Long term illness or

serious injury

1 2 3 4

M

Medical attention and

several days off work

2 3 4 5

F

First aid needed 3 4 4 6

1 High risk; immediate action is required 3&4 Medium risk; risk control measures arerequired

2 Significant risk; important to dosomething about this hazard as soonas possible

5&6 Low risk; manage by routineprocedures

A primary goal shall be to eliminate high, significant and medium risks associated with the

works and should be a major focus of the Risk Assessment. Contractors should detail riskcontrol measures that adequately address all identified high and medium risks.

When determining risk control strategies, the hierarchy of controls summarised below shouldbe considered:

Hierarchy of Controls

1. Eliminate the hazardGet rid of the hazard out of the workplace eg. repair damaged electrical plugs or cables.

If it is not practicable, then

2. Substitute the hazard


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With something of a lesser risk; eg: use non-caustic chemicals instead of acid wash forfinishing off tiling work.


3. Section off the hazard

Isolate the hazard; eg: barricade and cover floor opening.


4. Use engineering controls

eg: installing an exhaust ventilation system to extract dangerous fumes or dust.


5. Use administrative controls

eg: training, safe work method statements, regular inspection of electrical hand tools.


6. Use personal protective clothing andequipment

eg: fall arrest equipment, sun hat, safety boots, goggles, overalls.

until you have a better method of control

Where safe work procedures or instructions are developed they must clearly spell out thework sequence, highlighting the procedures required to adequately control each high andmedium risk identified in the risk assessment. All employees involved in the activity shallreceive appropriate training in the safe work procedures.

The Risk Assessment shall be completed on a Risk Assessment Form evaluating the fullscope of work associated with the contract. Additional risk assessments may be undertakenduring the course of the contract as required (i.e. work undertaken by subcontractors).

2.4 Induction and Safety Training

HS legislation requires all employers to ensure that their employees have the skills andtraining required to carry out their work in a safe manner. Principal Contractors are required todocument their safety training program ensuring that they have appropriately skilledemployees, suitable training programs and adequate supervision for the contract works.

The Plan must define how you will:

identify the SH training needs of management, supervisors and other personnel for

the contract

conduct specific work activity and work site safety training, and refresher training inSH for everyone working on the work site

make sure that all personnel attend adequate site-specific induction, work activity and

refresher safety training

make sure SH committee personnel and SH representatives attend consultation

training

keep appropriate records of SH training

2.5 Incident Management


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All incidents associated with the contract involving personal injury, medical treatment orproperty damage should be recorded, investigated and reported to your client and in somecases may be required to report to the Office of the Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor.

The Plan must define:

who will be available (both during and outside normal working hours) to prevent,

prepare for, respond to and recover from illness/injury and incidents

your procedures for contacting these people, and any changes to these nominationsand procedures, as they are kept up to date, are communicated and displayedpromptly on the work site

keeping appropriate records

details of how notifiable incidents shall be notified to Office of the Occupational Safety

and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor.

2.6 Site Safety Rules

Site Safety Rules must be prepared, implemented and displayed on notice boards and othersuitable locations on the work site, and be provided to all personnel on, and visitors to, thework site.

As a minimum Site Safety Rules must cover and include the following:

Induction and safety training

Before starting work on site, all personnel must attend adequate site-specific training

and induction training for the particular work activity being undertaken

All personnel on the work site must attend appropriate refresher training and be

involved in regular discussion of work site SH matters

All visitors when on the work site must be accompanied by a person who has

received the above training

Personal protective equipment

All personnel and visitors must wear appropriate personal protective equipment(PPE) when on the work site

Site access and security

All entry to, movement on, passage adjacent to, and exit from the work site ofpersons, vehicles and equipment will be controlled in accordance with requiredprocedures

Illness/injury and emergency procedures

All first aid facilities and illness/injury and emergency procedures will be clearlyidentified and used, including reporting illness/injury and incidents

Protection of all workers and the public

Effective barricades, fencing and overhead protection will be used where applicable

Elevated work

All work at heights will be done in accordance with the relevant legislation,regulations, standards, codes and procedures

Electrical work, overhead wiring, installations and equipment

All electrical work, plant and equipment must comply with SH and electrical safetylegislation, regulations, standards, codes and procedures, including inspection andtagging of leads and power tools


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The presence and location of all electrical cables will be identified beforecommencing adjacent work

Demolition, excavation, scaffolding, formwork and other structural frames

All demolition, excavation, scaffolding, formwork, and work with other structuralframes will be done in accordance with the relevant legislation, regulations,standards, codes and procedures

Hazardous materials and dangerous goods

A register of hazardous substances must be kept and maintained for all hazardoussubstances brought onto the work site

All hazardous substances and dangerous goods must be used, handled and stored in

accordance with requirements

Safe working

All requirements identified will be followed, including fire prevention and

housekeeping procedures.

The consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs is prohibited on the work site.

2.7 Safe Work Method Statement

All work activities assessed as having high SH risks require the preparation andimplementation of Safe Work Method Statements. When preparing such statements, it isimportant to consult with and involve the personnel who will be doing the work.

Your Safe Work Method Statements must:

be on your organisations letterhead and show the name and registered officeaddress of the organisation

be signed and dated by a senior management representative of your organisation

Your Safe Work Method Statements must at least include the following:

a description of the work to be undertaken

the step-by-step sequence of activities and tasks involved in doing the work

the potential hazards and risks associated with each step of the work

the safety controls that will be put in place to minimise the risks

all precautions to be taken to protect safety and health

all safety and health instructions to be given to persons involved with the work

identification of the parts of SH, workplace injury management and workers

compensation legislation, regulations, codes, standards and procedures applicable tothe work, and where these documents are kept

the names and qualifications of those who will: supervise the work and inspect and

approve work area conditions, work methods, protective measures, plant, equipmentand power tools for use

a description of what training is given to people involved with the work

the names of those who will be, or have been, trained for the work activities described

in the

Statements, and the names and qualifications of the people responsible for trainingthem

identification of the resources, plant and equipment that is most likely to be used on

the work site, such as ladders, scaffolds, grinders, electrical leads, welding machines,fire extinguisher, tools and materials


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details of any work permits and licenses required to complete the work and wherethey are kept

details of the inspection and maintenance checks that will be, or have been, carriedout on the plant and equipment listed for use.

2.8 Site Safety Inspections

Site safety inspections play an important role in the identification of hazards at the workplaceand in the development of control measures. The Site Safety Plan should outline theprocedures and methods by which contract workplaces will be inspected on a regular basis.

The following information should be provided:

Details of how site safety inspections will be undertaken during the contract,considering checklists to be used, frequency of inspections, team members andactioning of inspection findings

Details of hazard reporting procedures for the contract, including hazard report forms.

2.9 Safety and health Consultation

Consultation with employees provides an important mechanism whereby safety and healthissues can be dealt with in a manner that promotes ownership and prompt resolution.

The following information should be documented:

Details of how the contractor consults with employees to enable them to contribute tothe making of decisions affecting their health, safety and welfare at work.

Details of the membership and operation of the Safety Committee if any

3 The construction safety management plan a livedocument

The CSMP is a live document and as such should be regularly reviewed and updated asworks progress on site.

Where during the construction phase, the principal Contractor or other contractors ordesigners identify additional hazards and risks they should be noted and control measuresadopted and documented as an update in the CSMP.

During the duration of the project the Principal Contractor shall:

Arrange for regular site safety inspections and audits to be carried out by competent

persons to review the safety and health aspects of work in progress throughout theconstruction phase.

Continually review and develop the CSMP, identifying and implementing anynecessary changes from any risk assessments, hazards identified safety inspectionsand audits.


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4 Preparing your Construction Safety ManagementPlan

You have few options available to get your Construction phase plan they are:

You prepare your own plan with the expertise and resources available in your

organisation (preferred option)

You outsource and hire a consultant to draft for you (least preferred option)

You get a template from providers on the internet and you tailored to specifics of your

project (economical and best option). Tailoring the template by YOU and your team

gives you ownership and understanding of the plan and confidence to implement it.

The choice is yours, the bottom line is to have a plan that:

Is easy to implement,

Written in plain English so everyone understand it, and

Compliant to the federal OSHA act and/or state legislations

If you dont have the expertise or resources to write a planfrom scratch, you can get a Construction Safety ManagementPlan with all those attributes on the internet athttp://www.myconstructionsafetyplan.com

Using this guidelines and information available in the Occupational Health and SafetyAdministration website www.osha.com you would be able to prepare your own safety

and health program. You dont need to reinvent the wheel, there is a wealth of

information on the website and in particular we recommend looking the links below:

http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/construction/index_cons

truction.html (compliance assistance quick start for the construction industry)

http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/construction/constructio

n_library.html (the site contains Quick cards, fact sheets, pocket guides, booklets,

publications, posters that cover a variety of topics for all trades; there is also some

documentation in Spanish)

http://www.osha.gov/Publications/Homebuilders/Homebuilders.html (selected

construction regulation for the home building industry)

http://www.osha.gov/Publications/smallbusiness/small-business.pdf(handbook to

help small business employers meet the legal requirements imposed by the

Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act), and achieve an in-compliance

status before an OSHA inspection

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction/shprogram.html (list of topics

relevant to developing and maintaining a safety program, along with some regulatory

citations applicable to each topic)
http://www.constructionsafetyplan.co.uk/http://www.constructionsafetyplan.co.uk/http://www.myconstructionsafetyplan.com/http://www.osha.com/http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/construction/index_construction.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/construction/index_construction.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/construction/construction_library.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/construction/construction_library.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/Publications/Homebuilders/Homebuilders.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/Publications/smallbusiness/small-business.pdfhttp://www.osha.gov/Publications/smallbusiness/small-business.pdfhttp://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction/shprogram.htmlhttp://www.constructionsafetyplan.co.uk/http://www.constructionsafetyplan.co.uk/http://www.myconstructionsafetyplan.com/http://www.osha.com/http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/construction/index_construction.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/construction/index_construction.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/construction/construction_library.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/quickstarts/construction/construction_library.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/Publications/Homebuilders/Homebuilders.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/Publications/smallbusiness/small-business.pdfhttp://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction/shprogram.html


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Ensafe Guidelines for Preparing Construction Safety Plans_usa

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