Safety Management in Steel Structure Fabrication and Erection

Safety accident rate in steel construction industry in Vietnam is very high. There are lots of causes that have been found out such as lack of workers’ awareness on safety, lack of safety training for workers to implement in the project, lack of PPE for workers, substandard construction equipment, lack of safety policy, safety plan, etc.  

The company TT Construction has set the safety management system and it has been implemented in the GREEN STAR projects. During the construction stage, some minor accidents and one major accident had happened. Bui Giang Nam wanted to analyze these accidents, and wanted to assess the project safety plan and the safety management system of the project in order to have information and experience for other future projects.

The specific objectives of his study were to:

1. Analyze the typical accident in the steel structure project

2. Assess the project safety plan and safety management system

3. Propose recommendations for improvements safety management system

Conclusion

Most of the constructions companies in Vietnam have given more emphasis on quality and productivity in terms of output. However, safety is one of the key measurements of good productivity which the people seldom realize.

Through analyzing some of the accidents happened in Green Start Project, the safety plan was lack of some articles. The characteristic of ironworks are different and more dangerous from other works in construction. TT Company should establish some procedures on safety plan in their future projects

Following the accident/incident theory, the management of TT Company did not establish a comprehensive safety policy. The responsibility and authority with regard to safety were not clearly defined. Safety procedures such as measurement, inspection, correction, and investigation were ignored or were given insufficient attention. Employees did not receive proper orientation. Employees were not given sufficient safety training or the persons were trained on hazards and safe work procedures but did not follow when performing the task.

Some problems on the Safety management system of TT Company:

-          Inadequate commitment of top management

-          Lack of Human resources for SMS

-          Lack of Incentive and Reward

There are some key elements that can be used as examples for other companies especially  construction companies in Vietnam such as written job description for each safety personnel on company and on site, provide safety training and record keeping which can be used as the document for safety measurement. Furthermore, there are written rules and regulations for each site personnel, and safety committees have to ensure the deployment of the safety plan, policy and programs.

 Recommendation

TT Company should have some adjustments with their safety management system such as follows:
1. Top manager should have commitment to supporting OH&S

2. Top manager should commit to support OH&S. Establishing a Safety Management Organization with defined responsibilities of management staff as overall co-ordination and implementation of the Policy and the Safety Management System in the project.

Besides financial supporting adequacy, top management staff have to realize their roles to play in safety.  They should appreciate the communication between them and the frontline workers, which could impress the workers and thus improve the workers’ risk-taking mindset.

3. Ensure that human resource is adequate for implementing and maintaining Safety Management System, TT company should recruit effective safety managers and safety supervisors for other projects in the future. The supervisor should provide the means to ensure that all workers are well-instructed and well-trained, ensure that workers doing dangerous work have adequate training, experience and other qualities to carry out the work safely.

4. Establish the incentive program in order to motivate workers to doing their jobs safely
a.) Behaviors required to achieve a safety reward should be specified and perceived as achievable by participants.
b.) Everyone who meets behavioral criteria should be rewarded.
c.) It is better for many participants to receive small rewards than for one person to receive a large reward.
d.) Rewards should be displayable and represent safety achievement (I.e., coffee mugs, t-shirts, hats or jackets with a safety message).
e.) Contests should not reward one group at the expense of others
f.) Groups should not be penalized (lose rewards) for failure by individuals.
g.) Progress towards achieving a safety reward should be systematically monitored and publicly posted.

TT Company should also conduct Job Hazard Analysis which includes hazard identification and risk assessment to anticipate the hazard on site, the harshness of the consequences and the probability to happen. Moreover, TT Company should also implement PPE program, accident investigation to reduce the probability of re-happening, emergency preparedness, safety promotion to induce the workers to work safely, evaluation of the subcontractor, health and welfare, security control, equipment inspection and waste material movement plan.

There are some key provisions of steel fabrication and erection when setting procedures for ironworks such as:

- Cold stress

- Heat stress

- Lead exposure

- Site Layout and Construction Sequence

- Site-Specific Erection PlanHoisting and Rigging

- Structural Steel Assembly

- Column Anchorage

- Beams and Columns

- Open-Web Steel Joists

- Systems-Engineered Metal Buildings

- Falling Object Protection

- Training

Besides establishing appropriate safety procedures related with steel fabrication and erection Safety Policies of TT Company should include:

1. The commitment of the top management to support OH&S. Ensure adequate support for implementing, maintaining and improving the SMS, to give Safety the highest priority and to inject safety consideration into every aspect of the Project.

2. To recognize that employees are the most important assets and to enrich their safety awareness by ways of Interactive Safety Training, Safety Promotion, Safety Meeting and Counseling.

3. To review regular, at least once a year, the Policy, the Safety Management System for its efficiency and effectiveness by way of Management Inspection and Review and Safety Audit conducted by Senior Management Staff.

4. To maintain a high standard of safety performance and to meet the satisfaction of the Client at all times and also a progressive improvement in the standard achieved by continuous monitoring and regular review.

Abstract

Safety in the fabrication and erection steel structure has always been a major issue. Wherever reliable records are available, steel construction is found to be one of the most dangerous on safety and health criteria, particularly in developing countries. Though much improvement in steel construction safety has been achieved, the erection steel structure still continues to lag behind most other activities with regard to safety. In developing countries, safety in fabrication and erection rules usually do not exist; if any exist, the regulatory authority is usually very weak in implementing such rules effectively. Further, work hazards at the construction workplace are either not perceived at all, or perceived to be less dangerous than what they actually are.

Most steel companies can give many good reasons why they want to implement management safety system. A well-designed safety management system can help to reduce injuries and illnesses and prevent risks and hazards. In addition, a good management system can increase efficiency, improve productivity and quality of services.

Through the assessment of some typical accident cases in steel construction of one project in LONG AN- The Green Star Factory, I want to assess the project safety plan and the safety management system of TT Company. Furthermore, I want to improve the existing safety management system of the company in order to prevent the accident happening in the future.