construction project safety management best practices handbook pdf

Construction Project Safety-Management Best-Practices Handbook www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com CONSTRUCTION PROJECT SAFETY MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES HANDBOOK Sathyanarayanan Rajendran and Mandi Kime www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments iii Chapter – Introduction Chapter – Overview of the Construction Industry and Safety Chapter – Project Team Selection 19 Chapter – Safety in Contracts 27 Chapter – Pre-Bid and Pre-Construction Meetings 45 Chapter – Project Safety Staffing 57 Chapter – Designing for Construction Worker Safety 69 Chapter – Use of Modern Technology in Construction Safety Management 81 Chapter – Project Safety Startup Guide 91 Chapter 10 – Construction Site Public Protection 107 Chapter 11 – Construction Site Employee Wellness Program 121 Chapter 12 – Development of Site Specific Safety Plan (SSSP) 127 Chapter 13 – Job Hazard Analysis & Pre-Task Planning 139 Chapter 14 – Safety Training 161 Chapter 15 – Workplace Substance Abuse Program 185 Chapter 16 – Accident Investigation 197 Chapter 17 – Construction Site Emergency Management 225 Chapter 18 – Employee Recognition Program 235 Chapter 19 – Return to Work Program Management 243 Chapter 20 – Construction Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDS) 261 Chapter 21 – Safety Inspections 271 Chapter 22 – Safety Performance Measurement 281 Chapter 23 – Construction Site Environmental Management 291 Chapter 24 – Project Commissioning and Turnover 311 Chapter 25 – Project Safety Records Management 315 i www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Funding and support for this project have been provided by the State of Washington, Department of Labor and Industries, Safety and Health Investment Projects (SHIP) grant (Grant No 2013ZH00237) This project would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the project team  Safety and Health Investment Projects (SHIP), Department of Labor and Industries, State of Washington  Associated General Contractors of Washington (AGC of WA) o Mandi Kime, Director of Safety; Coauthor and Grant Project Manager for AGC of WA o Andrew Ledbetter, Safety Specialist o Penny Schmitt, Administrative Support  Central Washington University o Dr Sathyanarayanan (Sathy) Rajendran, Ph.D CSP; Author and Grant Project Manager for CWU o Heather Harrell, Post-Award Manager, Grant Accounting o Julie Guggino, Director, Research and Sponsored Programs The project team would like to thank the construction safety subject matter experts for serving as chapter peer reviewers We acknowledge the input of the handbook development committee members for their valuable input and guidance throughout the development of this handbook This handbook would not be possible without their contributions, insight, and advice We wish to acknowledge the support we received from the contractors who shared their best practices in the form of pictures, forms, programs, and processes We also express our sincere thanks to the safety and health management and construction management students from Central Washington University who assisted with the data collection Handbook Development Committee Members • Drew Rosenfelt, LEED AP; PSF Mechanical, Inc • Jamie Stuart; Valley Electric Co • John L Burdick, PCL Construction Services, Inc • Jon Andersen, CSP, CHST, CET; Centennial Contractors Enterprises, Inc • Mandi Kime; Associated General Contractors of Washington • Mark Gauger; G.L.Y Construction • Pete Campbell; BNBuilders iii www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com Peer Reviewers • Cole Davis, NOVA Group Inc • Chris Grover, CSP, CRIS, RRE; CNA Insurance • Donna Emmert, CPDM; Zurich Services Corporation • Drew Rosenfelt, LEED AP; PSF Mechanical, Inc • Gavin Banks, Turner Construction Company • Jamie Stuart; Valley Electric Co • Jerry Shupe, CSP; Hensel Phelps Construction Co • John Gambatese, Ph.D., P.E., Oregon State University • John L Burdick, PCL Construction Services, Inc • Jon Andersen, CSP, CHST, CET; Centennial Contractors Enterprises, Inc • Keith Dyer, CSP; Walsh Pacific • Kerry Soileau; Ferguson Construction, Inc • Kimberley Gamble, CHST; Andersen Construction • Mandi Kime; Associated General Contractors of Washington • Mark Gauger; G.L.Y Construction • Melanie Preusser; Zurich Services Corporation • Mike Andler, CRIS; Central Washington University • Pete Campbell; BNBuilders • Rick Zellen, CSP, ARM, CRIS, STS-C; Zurich Services Corporation Construction Contractors • Andersen Construction Co., Inc • Andgar Corporation • Balfour Beatty Construction • BNBuilders • Exxel Pacific Inc • G.L.Y Construction • Gary Merlino Construction Company • Goodfellow Bros., Inc • Guy F Atkinson Construction, L.L.C • Hensel Phelps Construction Co • Hoffman Construction Company of Oregon • Hudson Bay Insulation • Korsmo Construction • Lydig Construction • Morley Builders • NOVA Group Inc • PCL Construction Services, Inc • PSF Mechanical, Inc • Sellen Construction • SNC-Lavalin • Turner Construction Company iv www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com INTRODUCTION Construction worker safety and health continues to be an important concern for the Washington construction industry The industry has consistently experienced higher injury and illness rates compared to other states In fact, the 2011 WA construction total recordable case rate per 100 full-time workers was the highest in the nation (8.7).1 Not only are construction injuries a significant cause of humanitarian concern, but the high cost associated with these injuries and deaths is also a motivation for an improved safety performance in the construction industry The “technical” causes of injuries and illnesses (e.g falls) in construction have long been recognized, and their persistence continues to frustrate construction safety and health practitioners Improvement in project safety management practices is needed to lower the level of risk and improve worker safety and health performance There is a great deal of knowledge of specific successful management practices, from pioneering safe companies, which can be used to enhance construction safety and health of the overall industry To prevent injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, many construction contractors have implemented successful strategies (“best practices”), which are “above and beyond” regulatory compliance that have helped them improve worker safety and health performance Even though the construction industry shares a common goal of creating an injury and incident free work environment on its jobsites, there is no common medium to share these best practices that will benefit other contractors and the industry as a whole These best practices, if shared, can benefit the industry to fulfill its goals of creating an injuryfree work environment on construction sites Instead of re-inventing the wheel, contractors, who are interested in improving their safety performance, can implement proven best practices during different project phases (e.g Design or Construction) within their projects, thereby improving their project safety and health performance 1.1 PURPOSE The purpose of the Construction Project Safety Management Best Practices Handbook is to provide comprehensive coverage of best practices from contractors of all phases of a construction project from project planning, design, project start-up, construction, commissioning, and closeout, in separate chapters The handbook also provides various templates of safety planning forms and checklists (e.g Pre-construction safety meeting checklist) They can be easily replicated by medium or smaller companies who otherwise cannot afford to create these tools from scratch Each chapter has an “additional resources” section at the end for those who wish to explore more deeply into the topic area The handbook’s scope is limited to safety management, administration, and programs in construction The handbook’s primary focus is on project safety administration/management programs State Occupational Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities, available at http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshstate.htm#WA (accessed October 2013) BLS (2013) www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com 1.2 SCOPE The handbook is written to meet the needs of project owners, and small and medium-sized contractors as a ready reference guide for project site safety management It will also be helpful as a safety management training manual for entry-level safety, and construction professionals University and college instructors can use this handbook as a construction safety management course textbook for students who are pursuing safety management or construction management degrees 1.3 REGULATORY JURISDICTION All regulatory requirements referenced in this handbook are based on Washington Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) regulations However, the handbook contains several safety management best practices from various contractors in the form of safety forms, checklists, programs, etc., as exhibits in most chapters These best practice tools are only included as an example, and the readers should be aware that these contractors may reference safety regulations depending on their regulatory jurisdictions It is the reader’s responsibility to ensure that they adapt the best practices provided in this handbook for their jurisdiction and comply with all applicable local, state, and federal regulations affecting their workplace In addition, please note the materials available in this handbook are intended to provide general information about the subject matter covered They are not meant to provide legal advice Readers should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com Exhibit 23-2 Example Environmental Spill Report (Used by Permission from PCL Construction Services Inc.) 310 www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com 24 PROJECT COMMISSIONING AND TURNOVER 24.1 PURPOSE Commissioning, closeout, and turnover is the last phase of the construction project life cycle Commissioning is done to ensure the building systems, equipment, and the overall facility functions correctly Many construction workers may be assisting with the system startups while some engaged in final clean-up for turnover, and the rest fixing final punch list items This overlap between the construction and commissioning phase can introduce unique safety challenges to the contractors The safety of all personnel and the protection of newly installed equipment and systems from damage should be an important consideration during this final phase Contractors should ensure that the exposures during this stage are addressed in the Site Specific Safety Plan (SSSP) Below, is a non-exhaustive list of items that the project team should consider during commissioning, closeout, and the final turnover process 24.2 PROTECTION OF FINISHED PRODUCTS Most owners expect their final product to be high quality with zero defects and are pushing for zero punch list items Why should a contractor focus quality in an SSSP? Anecdotal evidence suggests contractors who produce the highest construction quality are also some of the safest contractors Defective construction work can result in:  Rework that results in workers performing work in tight or confined places, working on or near live systems, increasing their risks of injuries  Products and equipment that could later fail and cause severe injuries and/or property damage  Increased construction cost and delays Hence, contractors should develop a plan to emphasize quality and a way to protect finished product such as:  Preventing roof damage with proper roof access and work protocol  Protect floors and walls by limiting equipment such as scissor lifts that can cause damage or by putting down plywood or plastic  Clean all surfaces so construction dust cannot impede sensitive functions of the vital equipment  Emphasize quality during site orientation 311 www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com 24.3 PROTECTION OF OWNER’S LIVE SYSTEMS On many projects, especially industrial facilities, the owner will require the contractor to turn over individual equipment or part of the facility to its control before substantial completion At this time, construction workers are performing work on or near potentially live systems This is common in renovation or retrofit work inside existing facilities How contractors prevent or minimize impacts to owner’s operating facility, services, operations, and personnel? One method is to implement a process called SimOps {Review of Simultaneous Operations} Simply put, this is a process of hazard analysis identifying a risk when one or more and separate operations are operating or exist in one geographical area within a facility or site The hazard analysis will identify hazardous scenarios, consequences, hazard controls and responsibilities to ensure operations are conducted and achieved in accordance with the risk factors as low as reasonably practicable Each facility presents its unique risks; the contractor should work closely with the client to ensure proper coordination and communication between them to minimize exposure to live energy A LockOut-Tag-Out (LOTO) plan shall be in place and followed to ensure no one is exposed to any live energy including steam, sewer, mechanical, high pressure, electrical, etc Contractors should develop and implement industry best practices such as “Construction Incident Prevention Plan (CIPP)” or “Facility Incident Prevention Plan (FIPP)” for any work that might pose a potential risk to the owner’s personnel and systems The CIPP/FIPPs is a communications tool that ensures that all appropriate information has been presented to the owner, and necessary approval has been obtained from the facility’s system owners It helps prevent or minimize incidents and business interruptions See Exhibit 24-1 for a sample FIPP form Some examples include:  Interim Life Safety Measures & Infection Control during Construction in hospitals  Any work (e.g., excavation) near or around utilities that feed a live operating facility  Crane work over occupied owner areas  LOTO plan establishing the competent person  Any work involving utilities (e.g., electrical) which feeds a live operating facility  Concrete coring or saw cutting  Odor producing activities 24.4 OVERLAPPING SAFETY PROGRAMS Typically the owner will implement a separate facility safety program in place after either full or part of the facility is turned over Some of the following questions should be considered at this point:  How will the contractor and the owner manage overlapping safety programs?  Will owner’s staff and commissioning contractors (contracted with the owner) working in contractor controlled areas go through contractor orientation?  What about owner’s staff or building occupants working on or near a system that is still under the contractor’s control?  How will the programs such as hot work permits, energized hot work permits, confined space permits, lockout / tag out permits be managed? 312 www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com  Will the construction personnel be required to go through owner’s facility orientation?  What about the PPE requirements in the owner and contractor controlled areas? 24.5 CONCURRENT WORKFORCE Commissioning and other owner personnel must make themselves familiar with contractor safety procedures when working within contractor controlled areas, and the contractors should be familiar with the owner managed areas The project team’s primary goal should be to assess and control the potential risks to the facility’s employees from contractors’ activities, and to the contractors’ employees from the facility activities 24.6 WARRANTY WORK A typical warranty period lasts approximately 12-months from project turnover, and the same safety procedures must be followed when construction workers show up to conduct warranty work The hazards of the warranty work can be similar to those during construction, commissioning, and turnover 313 www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com Exhibit 24-1: Example Facility Incident Prevention Plan Template Date submitted: Company: Requester: Phone: Supervisor: Phone: Safety contact: Phone: Owner contact: Phone: Location of work (include drawings with grid lines and levels): Start date: Start time: Scope of work: Finish date: Finish time: List all facility systems potentially impacted by the scope of work (Electrical, fire alarms, natural gas, etc.): Detailed Job Hazard Analysis performed and attached? All special permits required have been obtained? All impacted system owners notified and received approval to proceed? All issues regarding overlapping safety programs resolved? OWNER APPROVAL System Name: Owner Name Sign System Name: Owner Name Sign Approved Date From: To: 314 www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com o Yes o No o Yes o No o Yes o No o Yes o No Date Date 25 PROJECT SAFETY RECORDS MANAGEMENT 25.1 PURPOSE Every construction company should establish a written record retention policy that should be applied consistently to the records of their projects Safety records should be an integral component of this policy Failure to maintain records required by law could subject a firm to penalties and fines, or other legal consequences Some companies might be concerned that site records might be used against them when responding to lawsuits However, proper record retention practices can also protect them from lawsuits brought against them, by helping prove that they did their due diligence to protect their workers and the members of the public Note: Construction companies should consult their attorneys, and review all local, state, and federal government record retention requirements before finalizing their safety record retention procedures This chapter offers site safety records retention guidance for construction firms The guidance provided in this section is not a legal advice 25.2 RECORDS RETENTION POLICY When developing a record retention policy, the following questions should be considered What records should be retained? How long the records should be retained? Should the record retention requirements be included in the construction contracts? In what form should the records be stored? How will the records generated by each project archived? Who will be in charge to oversee the archiving process? Where will it be stored? Is the company storage facility secure? How will the records be disposed of at the end of required retention time? 25.3 TYPES OF RECORDS At a minimum, the project safety records should include the following materials (depending upon the terms of the contract other project safety records may be necessary) Remember any of these records could be read in courts in a lawsuit situation, so contractors have to make sure the records are accurate and credible with only “facts.” 25.3.1 Employee Records These records will help when responding to lawsuits relating to workplace injuries and discrimination/ harassment lawsuits 315 www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com o o o o o o o New employee orientation checklist Drug and alcohol testing-related forms Employee training records Employee injury records Employee disciplinary records Employment records (timesheet / payroll records) Exposure records – Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) required workplace health exposure records and medical records, retained for the duration required by DOSH o Medical records – if employees underwent any medical treatment at the onsite medical facility (e.g., nurse station) 25.3.2 Government-Records Many government regulatory agencies require employers to maintain certain records for a specified period For example, OSHA’s Recordkeeping regulation requires employers to prepare and maintain records of serious occupational injuries and illnesses, using the OSHA 300 Log Similarly, DOSH requires employers to maintain medical evaluation records for the duration of employment plus thirty years Hence, construction employers should review all regulatory requirements they are subject and comply with their recordkeeping and retention requirements o o o o o o DOSH/WAC codes (version during the project duration) OSHA 300 Log and OSHA 300A summary page DOSH consultation reports if any DOSH inspection records DOSH citations and notices Other government agency inspection records and any resultant citations 25.3.3 Accident Investigation Package Accident-related records for all injuries, incidents, and illnesses, involving employees, visitors, and the public The package should include incident reports, witness statements, pictures, handwritten notes used by the investigators, recommendations, and any follow-up on the recommendations All evidence (paper, photos, pictures, and physical) collected as part of the investigation process should be properly archived 25.3.4 Safety Meetings All safety meeting related records such as agenda, meeting minutes, and sign-up sheets A few examples of safety meetings include: o Project overall mass-safety meetings o Safety personnel meetings o Toolbox meetings 25.3.5 Safety Inspections Records related to site safety inspections performed by insurance consultants, project owners, subcontractors; equipment related inspections, tool inspections (ladders, slings, fall protection, etc.), en316 www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com vironmental inspections and reports, etc Ensure all safety hazards and issues identified during these inspections were fixed and documented accordingly 25.3.6 Meeting Minutes Most site meetings discuss safety issues/updates as the first agenda item Hence, it is critical to store all meeting minutes including: o Subcontractor weekly coordination meetings o Daily foremen meetings o Pre-bid meetings o Pre-award meetings o Pre-construction meetings o Any other meetings where safety was discussed 25.3.7 Safety Planning Related Documents General Contractor’s Site Specific Safety Plan (SSSP) & all documents generated as a result of the SSSP requirements For example, the SSSP might require hot work permits, confined space permits, crane critical lift plans, etc All these documents should be retained o SSSPs of all Subcontractors and its tiers o All project Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) o All project Pre-task Plan (PTP) o Air / noise monitoring results o Hazardous waste manifests o Hazard communication program / SDS for each job 25.3.8 Project Safety Correspondence All safety related correspondence (E-mails, memos, letters, notes of telephone conversations, etc.) between the general contractor and owner, general contractor and architect/engineer (A/E), general contractor and subcontractors, etc 25.3.9 Contract Documents o Safety pre-qualification documents o Contract drawings o Contract Specifications o Contracts between owner and general contractor o Contracts between the general contractor and subcontractors o Documentation of any changes to your contract 25.3.10 Daily Work Record (DWR) / Job Diaries A DWR documents the contractor name, work description, work location, equipment involved, crafts names and hours worked, visitor information, any construction related issues, safety meetings attended or inspections participated, accidents on the project and any other information pertinent to the work All contractors performing work on the job site should complete a DWR The DWRs has provided valuable evidence during contractual disputes and legal actions 317 www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com 25.4 RECORD RETENTION DURATION The minimum retention period for project-related safety records will be governed by: o Regulatory requirements specified by government agencies such as DOSH, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT) recordkeeping requirements, and also by other applicable legal (law) requirements o Terms of the contractual requirements o The Statute of Repose/Statute of Limitations in the state where the project was completed For example in Washington State, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit is three years, and it is two years in Oregon The firm should consider these factors when deciding how long to store their records 25.5 RECORD RETENTION IN CONTRACTS All contracts generated as part of the project (contracts between the owner and general contractor, and contracts between general contractor and subcontractors) should clearly state the documents to be archived/retained as part of the project 25.6 STORAGE Construction projects generate both electronic and paper records Some companies are incorporating modern technologies such as smartphone apps to perform safety inspections, site exposure assessments and conduct pre-task planning meetings They also use learning management systems to manage training and store related records However, construction projects still generate lots of paper records, and contractors should plan on storing both paper and electronic records Separate policies should be developed to addresses both these formats 25.7 ARCHIVE Every project typically has an office manager who is designated as the keeper of the records At the end of the project, the office manager should work with all major disciplines within the project such as payroll, cost, schedule, contract, safety, etc., to archive records generated in each area Usually, each discipline should be coded, and records are stored in boxes and transported to a remote storage facility For example, safety might be coded as “1” and safety-related documents might be archived in boxes 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, etc See example project safety filing system provided in Exhibit 25-1 It is critical to protect the paper records from risks such as water damage, fire damage, vandalism or theft Some firms have built or rented a storage warehouse with a rack system, and use large archive boxes to store paper documents These buildings are secured and are protected against fire and water damages All project-related electronic records should be stored online in a secure manner in multiple locations The company’s Information Technology (IT) professionals should able to assist with the safe and secure (password protection) storage of electronic records All electronic mails (E-mail) should be saved either in hard copy or downloaded as a computer file In addition, some companies convert paper records into electronic format using scanning, so they are stored forever 318 www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com Individual employee records are governed by privacy laws such as HIPPA These include OSHA 300 logs, drug and alcohol testing records, and medical records These records should not be accessible to unauthorized personnel 25.8 DISPOSAL A large high-rise building project, depending on specific requirements, might generate thousands of documents These documents take up a lot of storage space Hence, it is critical to determine the life of each document and come up with ways to dispose of them at the end-of-life Before destroying any project-related documents, it is advisable to seek legal counsel 319 www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com Exhibit 25-1: Example Safety and Health Filing System (Used by permission from BNBuilders) Administration A Warning / Dismissal Notices • Project Health & Safety Committee Meeting Minutes • Health & Safety Correspondence • Incident Reports Log • Corporate Health & Safety Committee Memos • Operating Group Safety Committee Memos • Visitor Sign-In Sheets BNBuilders Manuals B Zero Injury Training Manual • Mobile Crane Training Manual • Crisis Management Manual • Site Specific Safety Manual • Hazard Communications Manual • SDS’s • Safety Supplies Catalog • Substance Abuse Policy Booklets • Project Incentive Program • Safety Orientation Booklet • Disruption Avoidance Plans (If Applicable) Subcontractor Manuals C Subcontractor Site Specific Safety Manual D Subcontractor SDS’s • Workers Comp / Insurance • DWC Form (Blank) • W/C Reporting Forms (Blank) • First Incident Reports (Blank) • Incident Investigation Forms (Blank) • Completed Incident Reports (Shall include completed copies of all forms noted above and subsequent documents relating to the incident.) E DOSH • OSHA 300 Logs • Consultation Visits • Inspections / Citations • Construction / Excavation / Scaffold Permits • Tower Crane Submittal and Permit to Operate • Man/Material Hoist Permit and Inspections Records 320 www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com F Training • Orientation Records • Safety Meetings • Subcontractor Safety Meetings • Employee Training Records • Re-Training Records G Loss Control • Jobsite Audits • Insurance Co Audits • PAHA’s • Pre-Task Planning Cards • Pre-Construction Meeting Minutes • Scaffold Inspections (If Applicable) • Confined Space Permits (If Applicable) • Excavation Inspections (If Applicable) • Equipment and Scaffold Waivers H Medical • Medical Provider / Clinic Information • Chain of Custody Forms • Prescription Eyewear Program • Respirator Physical • Respirator Fit Test Records 321 www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com www.EngineeringEBooksPdf.com