Introduction
The existing legal frameworks require a work safety and health plan for any construction project in the country. Compliance with the OSHA regulations is a fundamental aspect of the success of a construction project and site. These provisions allow the management of the site to identify, prevent, and mitigate any physical and health risk that can harm workers, and take necessary steps when accidents occur (Toole, p.204). A written safety plan is a blueprint for ensuring the safety of the workers. In this essay, the article develops a safety plan that can be implemented by a safety manager at a construction site for the safety of the employees. The plan outlines safety protocols for all employees, right from the principal contractor to subcontractors, and their roles and responsibilities in ensuring that there is safety at the site (Construction, p.2). The protocols and all necessary measures are consistent which the OSHA provisions that requires an organization to identify the policy or goals statement, list of responsible persons and their responsibilities, hazard identification and controls and safe practices, emergency and accident response, employee training and communication, and record keeping (Ismail, Samad & Zakaria p. 419).
Management safety and health policy
Millennium Construction believes that no task is more important than the employee’s health and safety. Therefore, if a task represents potential safety or health risk, efforts must be made to ensure that a safe way of executing the task is identified. Secondly, the organization ensures that every procedure must be a safe procedure. Shortcuts in safe procedures by any person regardless of their designation cannot be tolerated. The management has a responsibility to take necessary precautions, comply with OSHA provisions and standards, and assure the safety and health of its workers. The rallying call is that if a job cannot be executed safely, then it cannot be done. The organization believes that the creation of a positive safety and health culture through the participation of the employees is important in effective policy and procedure implementation at every step of work.
Objectives of Safety and Health Policy
Millennium Construction Company intends to achieve employee safety and health through the following ways. It will designate qualified safety personnel to coordinate the program. The safety manager has the responsibility to plan for safety before each task or new job is done using a written safety analysis manual developed by the safety committee. The safety manager and the committee will make regular job site safety inspections and carry out health monitoring. The organization will follow safety procedures and rules, provide relevant continuous safety and health training, and enforce safety rules and apply necessary discipline measures to achieve quality safety and health standards.
Safety Manager
The safety manager or the coordinator must ensure that he has a better understanding of potential hazards and how to eliminate or prevent them, conduct a job safety analysis, and ensure that there is compliance to the OSHA construction safety and health standards. The manager should conduct regular job safety and health inspections and establish safety and health procedures. Moreover, the manager should conduct regular safety and health training for all employees and conduct Tool Box Safety Talks. The manager is also responsible for documentation of training, inspections, injuries and illnesses, and other safety records management. It is the responsibility of the manager to ensure that accident investigations are carried out and implementation of corrective strategies done. Furthermore, he or she must involve all employees in the implementation of all plans relating to safety and health practices at the construction site. Finally, he or she is expected to compile and submit statistical reports that compare the frequency rate and severity of accidents against previous occurrences.
Principal Contractor and other contractors
The responsibilities of the principal contractor include the identification and observation of all legal OSHA requirements, planning of safe work and ensuring that all work is carried out in manner that reduces risks to employees, and ensure that workers have undertaken OSHA and MIOSHA training as required. The principal contractor needs to ensure that communication and consultation with workers are effective and can resolve any dispute that arises among the workers. He or she should investigate hazard reports and ensure that corrective measures and undertaken. They must assist in rehabilitation and return to work strategies. The principal contractor along with other contractors on site must ensure that they have the correct tools and equipment and they are in serviceable condition for the job needed. They must also fulfill all the duties that shall be assigned to them by the safety and health manager.
Workers
All employees in the project must take reasonable care of their safety and health. They must conduct their duties in a manner that does not affect others, and need to comply with all the instruction in the best way they can. Finally, they need to comply with reasonable notified policies and procedures.
Hazard identification and controls and safe practices
The essence of this plan is to identify systematically hazards and assess risks before the project begins by using the hierarchy of control model. Using the model the plan eliminates, substitutes, isolates, and puts in place engineering controls to manage risks. Furthermore, administrative controls and personal protective equipment are used to ensure that risks are reduced, prevented, and managed in the most effective way to the safety and health of the employees. Additionally, the organization has developed Safe Work method Statements to control risks that are associated with high-risk construction. Where necessary, the organization uses a risk management assessment form to control general construction risks. Importantly, the organization identifies risks before placing orders or buying chemicals, when introducing a new task and in case new information is received concerning tasks, procedures, equipment or chemicals. Furthermore, the plan ensures that all hazards identified in the project are reported immediately to the safety manager through the principal contractor.
Emergency and accident response
Emergency preparedness is enhanced by showing workers and contractors the emergency points during their induction period. The display of emergency procedures in the site office and other visible points is also done and checking and marking of fire extinguishers at the start of the project carried out promptly. The emergency procedures require that in the event of a fire or evacuation, employees must stop work immediately, offer assistance to anyone on site, call the emergency service line 911 or other displayed contacts, and inform the principal contractor. Finally, all should assemble at the designated points for further directions. Incident occurrences must be reported to the principal contractor and there should be no interference with the scene. First aid must be administered as required and the organization has availed all the equipment to facilitate the process. Induction, training. and communication
It is the duty of the principal contractor to induct and train all employees as stipulated so that they meet all the requirements set by OSHA. Additionally, communication with employees through toolbox meetings and informal sessions must be conducted on regular basis, at least on a daily basis.
Record Keeping
The organization shall ensure that all responsible personnel submits daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly reports to the safety manager to ensure that comparisons and analyses are done concerning the safety and health management practices and procedures at the site.
Works Cited
Construction, McGraw Hill. "Safety management in the construction industry: Identifying
risks and reducing accidents to improve site productivity and project ROI." SmartMarket Report (2013).
Ismail, Zubaidah, Samad Doostdar, and Zakaria Harun. "Factors influencing the
implementation of a safety management system for construction sites." Safety Science 50.3 (2012): 418-423.
Toole, T. Michael. "Construction site safety roles." Journal of Construction Engineering and
Management 128.3 (2002): 203-210.
