Construction hazards
A hazard is a situation that creates a threat to life, health, property, the environment, personal integrity, and so on. Hazards differ from risks, in that risks describe the potential for a situation such as a hazard to cause harm.
From a health and safety perspective, a hazard may be seen as a condition with the potential to cause physical impairment or health consequences in people (or any other type of life). In a project environment, a hazard is anything that may affect the success of project activities or the project as a whole. Similarly, companies, ventures, physical assets, the environment and society face hazards.
Most hazards are potential or latent but a hazardous situation becomes 'effective', it can cause an incident, an accident or a even a disaster.
Some of the most common hazards in construction include:
- Working with heavy plant and machinery.
- Working with tools and equipment.
- Working with live electricity.
- Working at height.
- Lifting operations.
- Demolition.
- The presence of hazardous substances such as asbestos.
- Exposure to chemicals.
- Structural collapse and falling debris.
- Material and manual handling.
- Hand arm vibration syndrome.
- Loud noise.
- Slips, trips and falls.
- Working long and physically-demanding shifts.
- Working in confined spaces.
- Sharp objects.
- Hot work.
- Fire.
- Water.
Some common prevention techniques which can often adopted to reduce the risk of hazards include:
- Use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Regular waste disposal.
- Provision of modern tools and equipment.
- Staff and visitor training.
- Ties, chutes and netting to prevent falling debris.
- Signage warning of hazards.
- Proper assignation of operatives.
- Keeping sites secure.
- Zoning of activities.
- Emergency procedures.
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