The health and safety within construction sites has been under scrutiny in the news again this week. It was announced over the weekend that work on a stadium in Brazil, ready for the football tournament next year had halted due to health and safety concerns.
Brazil are playing hosts to the worlds largest footballing competition in the summer of 2014. In preparation, new stadiums are being built along with improved transportation. However, on Saturday evening (Brazilian time) a construction worker fell to his death from the roof of the stadium marking the third fatality working on this project, in less than a month. A few hours after this, another worker died of a heart attack whilst working outside the venue after which a local union has threatened a strike due to inadequate working conditions. This comes after reports that employees are forced to work too long hours, seven days a week.
There have already been complaints regarding the stadium in Manaus due to hot and humid conditions. The city itself has a 'jungle' temperature and is considered to be the 'jungle city'. People have complained that the conditions are too hot and humid, and there is also an increased travel distance when compared with other stadiums. The incidents are currently being investigated.
Site safety holds the up-most importance within the construction industry. Every employee has the right to go to and be safe at work. This is why there are so many regulations and exams involved if an individual wishes to become a Site Supervisor
(SSSTS) or Manager (
SMSTS). Of course accidents are always going to be happen but if the correct procedures are followed then these accidents are minimal.
Before any work is undertaken, you need to make sure you have carried out a detailed risk assessment on-site so you can work out what could deemed be a potential risk. By carrying out detailed risk assessments, you can ensure your employees are informed of any potential risks before they occur. You will also have identified what you need to do should the worst happen. This can save a lot of time in an emergency.
All equipment should be inspected to ensure it is working correctly. This is particularly important when using cranes and other instruments which can be considered to be dangerous. People's lives are usually 'in the hands' of this type of equipment so it's important that it's up to date and has been tested.