Session 3: Everyone has a role to play
Title: “Contractor Safety on Construction Sites “

Abstract:

Safety on construction sites is more difficult to achieve than in manufacturing plants because of the inherent nature of construction:  construction means building something new and therefore the site will change each day.  The physical form changes, the accesses move, different activities start, different suppliers come on site and the climate differs.  As a consequence the hazard map has to be re-established nearly daily and so do the mitigating measures.

Overlapping this complex setup is that several companies are always working side by side in differing contractual agreements.  This arrangement leads to seven operational challenges,  starting with the fact that each contractor is a different entity with a different chain of command.  Secondly several languages are spoken already at medium sites, performed – thirdly – by frequently changing personnel.  The fourth challenge results from very different activities, which fifthly can co-exist in the case of a plant expansion with “normal” operating processes.  Beginning a process step requires a different focus from concluding an activity.  And finally there is always the cost issue:  subcontracting should be less expensive than doing it inhouse – but how does the contractor earn money?

The proposed solutions have been successfully implemented in a plant construction in Sanand, India. They are, however, not India-specific and can serve as “good practice” everywhere.  The key words are:  jointly, daily, practically, consistently, visually which are outflows of 6 of the 7 Golden Rules:  jointly planning and  (Golden Rule 3) daily identification of hazards (Golden Rule 2), daily  practical training (GR 7), maintaining a strict entry control) (GR 4) and supervising in pairs (GR 1).