Essay: Risk Analysis At Construction Site - Guidelines & Historical Perspective." (70 Characters)

Guidelines by OSHA

Discuss about the Analysis Of Risk At Construction Site.

The 34 year old construction worker died at a construction site in Jamaica. As per the reports, two of the workers were lifting a large winder with a forklift. In the meantime, the forklift operator dropped the window and it fell on Pazmino. This is the reason for death of the worker. The government is working to improve the working conditions of the employees and at the same time, they are also planning to increase the fines so that the employers can be careful with the safety measures and this would ensure that the employers are serious about risk assessment and management strategies. The government had issued orders to stop the work in December 2017 as there was another accident due to breaking of floor and hence, it is a clear case of violation of law (Helbing 2016).

There are many risk management guidelines by OSHA and this is ignored by the employers. Few of the risks that need to be taken care by every worker at the construction site are as follows: -

• Safety net is a mandate. If a worker falls from a height then this safety net can save their life
• Pre-defined time and location for usage of forklift. This would ensure that accidents due to lose control of forklift can be avoided.
• All the workers at the construction site should wear helmet.
• Safety officer should be on rounds to ensure that all the safety guidelines are met by the workers and also the supervisor.
• The electrical equipments in the site should be supervised at regular intervals (Huang 2015).

People have plenty of fears in their mind and that is one of the reasons due to which they look for ways to avoid risk to the extent possible. Students who are trying to study the risks associated with a particular activity, understand that the fear of unknown among people is more than that of the real risk. If people are able to overcome the fear in their mind then they will be able to find a solution to the problem.

In the past, most of the problems were termed as witch hunts and no one was able to justify the same and hence, the intensity of the problem rather than that of reducing. In the earlier time, people believed in rushing to church to find solution to their problem rather than that of analyzing and finding the same. The religious leaders were not able to find a solution and at the same time, they cannot confess about the same to the people who are requesting for a solution and hence, the witchcrafts were blamed for conveniently blamed for all the problems.

With time, people understood that all the problems can be sort with the help of resource management They understood simple things like water are essential for life and at the same time, they need to be managed efficiently so that it doesn’t harm anybody. Similarly, they realized that the nature, which allows the tree to grow, also has pests with it and these are capable to stop the growth of the tree and this is when they started to look for ways by which they can control the pests and water. In the earlier time, there was loss of lives due to floods. With understanding of risk management, people started looking for risk management strategies that would ensure that the floods don’t claim people’s life. Similarly, people also started showing interest in sanitation and preventive measures that would help people to survive safely, at least to the extent possible (Cahan 2013).

Fine implementation for safety measures

Similarly, people were concerned about the health concerns and hence, they started making invested in research and development so that they don’t have to let go of their loved ones to diseases which may not be as dangerous as thought during earlier times. There are plenty of drugs available in the market today, but there are still few diseases which cannot be cured. Today, people understand the fact that even with consumption of drugs, there are risks associated. Like for example, consumption of drugs also leads to problems like allergies and a drug which may be considered to be suitable by many, may not be suitable to few. The researchers are putting in lot of time to ensure that the drug doesn’t injure anybody and at the same time, they also ensure that the drug is released in the market when required. If people are getting affected by any epidemic then the drug needs to be released then and not later. At the same time, the drug also needs to be tested appropriately so that the drug doesn’t affected anybody in general (Jiayue 2014).

Perception of risk is completely personal and there are possibilities that a risk perception which is relevant to one person may not be relevant to another. If an individual witnesses some abnormal activity and people state that it is a paranormal activity then few may believe and carry this with them for a lifetime. There are also possibilities that few people may explore the various other reasons rather than just accepting what they have witnessed. Two people may deal with risk differently. If an individual at a young age witnesses road accident and death due to the same then this would be stuck in his mind. With time, the safety of roads has improved and the vehicles are also introducing various safety features and hence, the individual should remove the fear and risk in his mind and explore the truth. This is one of the best ways to remove risk from one’s mind (Mehdi 2012).

People normally connect the idea of risk with the benefit that they may gain if they overcome the barrier. Risk is something that may or may not happen. If an individual is asked to stay next to a nuclear plant then he may not accept the same, because there are possibilities that the nuclear plant may blast at any point of time. On the other end, if an individual is provided employment at the nuclear plant and also lucrative salary then the individual may be willing to take that risk. Similarly, smoking, driving a car and drinking is also a risk but people do that on daily basis because they derive pleasure out of smoking and drinking. On the other end, people are forced to drive so that they can reach their destination quickly than that of others. Similarly, people are involved in gambling which is a very big risk, but people believe that they can undertake the risk because the loss, compared to the benefit which they might derive is higher (Pretorious 2015).

People's perception of risk

Tolerance of risk is also one of the factors that decide whether an individual would take up that risk or not. For example, consumption of junk food and food coloring is also a risk but people are willing to take that risk because the risk is minimum and at the same time, the risk will not be visible immediately. Similarly, an individual who is interested in bungee jumping may not see any risks in it as they may believe that all the safety instruments are in place. People who travel with friends and are willing to explore it for their friends would be scared to try this risky sport and they may not be willing to tolerate the risk associated to it.

To conclude, it can be said that risk is a state of mind which differs from individual based on the experiences that they had. If the perception of risk is engraved in one’s mind then it is difficult to get rid of the same for a long period of time (Wang 2013).

10 things create an influence on people’s perception of risk in bungee jumping of Vera Mol. The details for the same are as follows: -

• Imposition – This risk was imposed by the boy on himself as it was his decision to undertaking bungee jumping.
• Voluntariness – This risk was voluntary in nature as no one pushed Vera Mol to undertake Bungee jumping.
• Equitability – This risk was equitable as the bungee jumper didn’t gain anything out of his state (Makarova 2014).
• State of knowledge – The state of knowledge was very poor for Vera Mol and that is one of the reasons for his death.
• Proximity – The proximity to death is very high as people who opt for Bungee jumping are well aware of the risk associated with it.
• Time – The frequency of death due to Bungee Jumping is very high as this occurs all the time, in different corners of the world.
• Extreme Value – The extreme value associated with Bungee jumping is fun and excitement (Morris 2013).
• Dread – This would have created an impact on the mind of the people who were planning to do bungee jumping in the same location.
• Unknown – The unknown is always there in bungee jumping but people opt for it, with lots of positivity.
• Number affected – The number of people affected is very less as compared to the number of people who have completed it successfully (Muller 2014).

This electrical safety measures are put in place to ensure that the Government of Queensland can protect people and livestock from electrical shocks, hazards and fire accidents that can occur due to the installation of electrical equipments in the workplace. The Electrical safety act is put in place in 2002, and below are guidelines which needs to be adhered by safety officers at the installation site.

• It is the responsibility of the safety officer to check the quality of the electrical product and also the safety associated with it. There shouldn’t be any compromise in the quality of the product.
• All the people and livestock working in the site should be safe.
• The responsibility of the safety officer doesn’t end with installation. It is his responsibility to conduct safety check at regular intervals. This will ensure that the plants and the workers in the plant are safe (Grinshpun 2014).
• There are pre-defined guidelines in Queensland, which needs to be adhered by all the organizations there. At the time of installation, the safety officer needs to represent this diagram to the government officials, seek approvals, implement any changes if required and only then this can be implemented in the site.
• All the workers who would be working in the plant area should be trained to use the machinery and also other electrical connections in the workplace. This will ensure that the employees are safe.
• Safety measures should be undertaken in advance so that all kinds of accident can be avoided in the workplace (Pierce 2015).
• All the employees who would be dealing with electrical equipments should be educated about the usage and also the problems associated with non-adherence of guidelines. This would ensure that the employees are safe. Similarly, it is very important to conduct drills so that in case of emergency, the employees can act fast.
• An electrician should be available on the site at all point of time and if the area is large then the organizations are recommended to have multiple electricians. This will ensure that the site is safe. If any risky situation arises, the electricians would identify the problem before it gets severe and at the same time, small minor concerns over electricity can also be sorted with electrician in place (Parker 2015).

If there is any safety accident due to electrical ignorance then the company has all the rights to take any legal action against the safety officer. In many cases, the safety officer is held responsible for the accident while the organization is safe. Apart from the electrician and safety officer, it is the responsibility of every individual in the work area to be safe and at the same time, if they come across anything risky then this needs to be intimated to the safety officer. If an employee is working on electrical equipment on daily basis and if they find anything to be abnormal then it is the responsibility of the worker to bring this to the notice of the safety officer. This will ensure that the workplace is safe and free from electrical accidents.

Influences on perception of risk

The four common law tests of negligence can be argued in the law of court by a defending lawyer and is discussed below.

Test of causation – As per the test of causation, the defending lawyer can state that BHP had taken all the necessary steps to ensure that the dam is safe and it was built as per the guidelines issued by the government, but this incident was completely unacceptable. BHP met all the quality standards that were set by the government, but this collapse happened due to some reason which is yet to be understood. A team of experts is working on the site to get more information on the accident (Rolfe 2013).

Foresee-ability – The defending lawyer can use this clause to his benefit while fighting for BHP in the court. BHP didn’t foresee the crucial situation which was coming ahead. If the officials at BHP would have seen this situation coming up then they would have ensured that this is loss is avoided at any cost. The officials wouldn’t have stopped the collapse but they would have ensured that the people around vacated so that the injury and loss would have been avoided. The construction was in sync with the approvals received from the law and all the quality materials were used to ensure that there is no compromise in quality (Borch 2013).

Controllability – Controllability was not possible as it would have been difficult for the organization to stop the fall of huge dam, but if this would have been foreseen then the impact on the people around, would have been reduced to a great extent. The organization ensured that the technical feasibility and the other requirements are well taken before the start of the project. BHP also analyzed the safety of the project before implementation and hence, this was implemented. If controllability would have been possible then the organization wouldn’t have been concerned about the funds used as they are using it now as well (Rolstadas 2014).

Reasonableness – There isn’t any reason against the accident which took place. There was no possibility of foresee-ability and controllability and hence, this accident incurred. If BHP would have foreseen the worst coming then they would have safeguard the people from losses and also the death that incurred. On the other end, if controllability would have been possible, BHP would have taken the necessary efforts irrespective of the cost involved in it as they were more concerned about the safety of people. The design and quality implemented is in sync with the government regulatory and hence, this was expected the least.

Considering the above 4 tests states that BHP wasn’t aware of the upcoming problem and hence, they didn’t act upon and take necessary steps. If necessary steps would have been taken then people around would have been saved from this traumatic incident which has claimed the life and homes of many (Shelley 2015).

It is very important for the organizations involved in Samarco Dam Failure to be aware of the risks that might rise in the near future. BHP and other organizations can implement the below decision making process for better clarity.

Risk determination – It is very important for the management to understand the risks associated with the dam. At this point of time, the risk assessment team can understand the reasons due to which this failure happened. They also analyze the other risks which might come in the near future. Analyzing the problems at other dams will also allow them to understand the unforeseen risks, which may occur in the near future.

Risk estimation – The level of identified risk needs to be understood by the safety team. If the risk doesn’t create much impact on the environment and society then it can be ignored, but if the risk is large then it is the responsibility of the management to avoid actions that may lead to risk. If a similar thing would happen in the near future due to the lack of capability of the land to hold the dam construction, then the construction shouldn’t be restarted at any cost as this risk acceptance is extremely low (Sorooshian 2013).

The organizations are willing to implement various safety instruments to make the dam safe. If the organization decides to implement various safety instruments then they will have to spare minimum of $60 million on yearly basis. Few of the ways in which these expenses would come are as follows: -

• The organization will have to buy safety instructions so that the risk can be measured. This will ensure that safety measures are taken at the right time. If the upcoming risk would have been identified now then there are possibilities that loss of lives would have been avoided as this intimation would have been shared with the people at the right time.
• The organizations will have to spare huge money for the insurance policy’s premium. The insurance companies are aware of the loss that has currently happened and hence, they would charge a hefty price to the organizations. This hefty price is fine as compared to the charges that the organization is paying at this point of time (Ziek 2015).

If the organizations are willing to spend on the upcoming risk then they can witness the below benefits.

• People in the nearby society would trust the organizations and they may give a second chance to them. In case of lack of safety measures, the Samarco dam reconstruction cannot be started back at any cost.
• The management can talk about these initiatives to the stakeholders and this will ensure that the people develop a trust on the organization.
• Finally, the employees would be more productivity as they would believe that they are working at the safe place. The employees will also pass on the same positive message to others as well (Zulch 2014).

References

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