Dummies Guide To Construction Safety Hazards

Few would disagree that construction safety hazards is the most important issue in the American construction industry today. The very nature of the work effectively means that hazards will always be present and that action must be taken to control these.

The federal government has created the OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to ensure that good practice is enforced in the whole country.

It is up to contractors and companies to stay up to date with changes in legislation, regulations and standards so that they always in compliance. Despite this, accidents still occur and there are many reasons why they do. Below are the most common hazards one find on any construction site.

1. Falling Objects

On a construction site, there is always a chance that something will fall on someone. As a result, it is always recommended that all personnel wear hard hats, but sometimes it may not be enough to prevent serious injury from big and heavy objects. In most of these, human error is a fault and as a result, it’s important that personnel are always attentive.

2. Chemicals

Quite often, chemicals play a part in construction. The main problem is human exposure to these over a long period of time which can lead to serious illnesses and hold back a project due to a lack of personnel. Furthermore, chemicals tend to be flammable and have to be managed with great care.

3. Electricity

Electricity is one of those construction safety hazards that is understated because its not the first thing that pops into peoples minds when they think of hazards. You cannot forget that construction sites typically have power lines which must be managed correctly to avoid accidents. You can’t leave out the issue regarding power tools.

4. Excavations

Construction always involves sort of excavation and the danger is that there could be cave ins. Many workers can be left trapped underground and get asphyxiated. Another thing is that these holes tend to be big and falling into them can lead to serious injuries such as broken bones.

5. Heavy equipment

Cranes and forklifts are common sights on the construction site and have to be used with the greatest care for your fellow workers.

There are certainly a lot of construction safety hazards that you will have to deal with during a project which means that your work will be cut out.

New Olympic milestones set to create more specialist construction jobs

Skilled workers leaving electricians course in the south-east of England look set to benefit from a number of new positions as work gets underway on the second phase of the London 2012 Olympics development programme.

According to the Olympic Development authority, the first 20 steps of the overall project, summarised as ‘demolish, dig, design’, have now come to an end, with the third wave of work now set to get underway.

Among the next ten milestones due to be reached before the start of the Games are the creation of an energy station, primary substation and pumping station, with electricians and specialist engineering jobs due to be created getting these facilities fully operational.

In addition, a number of new positions are also likely to be created as work is carried out to ensure that all major transport improvements are either in progress or completed by the next deadline of July 2010.

ODA chairman John Armitt commented: “The milestones are challenging as we are working to a very tight schedule, but it is important that we are transparent and accountable for the significant public investment in the project. In this way the public can judge progress for themselves.’

At the same time, construction work of the new Newport station has started, with numerous jobs set to be created over the next couple of years through the 22 million project. Electrical Courses from:http://www.ableskills.co.uk/electrical-courses.htm

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Negligence To Blame For International Construction Accident

In a continued showing of gross negligence in international construction, official reports from India this week announced that cost cutting measures circumvented many construction standards and safety protocols in order to cut construction costs. The same construction site under the supervision of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) that experienced the worst accident in its history on July 12 suffered another setback to rescue operations when the rescue cranes collapsed, injuring 5 workers.

The official report, announced by Saugata Roy, minister of state in India’s Ministry of Urban Development, revealed that in order to save money on the project, the construction company contracted to perform the work was also given the task of designing parts of the bridge. This presents not only a conflict of skills, but a conflict of interest; the construction company has it in their best interest to save as much money as possible on materials and construction. The construction company in question, Gammon India Ltd, maintains that costs were not cut and that all safety standards were followed to the letter. The question of the legitimacy of this claim is up for debate, however. During the first phase of construction for the Delhi Metro, the design was performed by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and its consultants while construction was carried out by separate contractors. However, during the second phase the duties of construction and design were combined, creating a possibility for a serious construction site accident.

The initial construction site accident occurred on July 12, when a section of railbed bridge collapsed, killing 6 total workers and injuring approximately 15. This accident followed the October 2008 construction accident in which a crane placing concrete slabs collapsed killing two and injuring 30 others. Opinions differ on the true cause of these construction accidents; negligence and cost cutting measures have been officially announced, though there are some who say that these factors are part of a larger problem of rushing the work in the first place. In anticipation of the the 2010 Commonwealth Games, scheduled to be held in New Delhi beginning October 3rd, 2010, the government is pushing the metro project with haste. This will be the largest multi-sport event conducted to date in Delhi and India, and the municipal government wants to present a modern transit system to the world’s visitors as they arrive and travel throughout the city.

However, despite all the pressure and money funneled into the project, progress is not being made as fast as the city would like. With setbacks such as these fatal construction accidents and the looming possibility of several construction accident lawsuits, completion of construction is on a tight time line. It is almost certain that there will be legal action against Gammon India Ltd., as family members have likely contacted a construction accident lawyer. Indeed, Gammon India Ltd. been involved in legal proceedings in the past, though it is unclear what the future holds for the company.

Self Climbing Formwork System In Construction

Self Climbing formwork is a specialized formwork for vertical structures of concrete which rises with the building. This kind of form work is relatively costlier than other formworks but is highly versatile. It is found to be an effectual solution for rapid construction of towers or skyscrapers having identical floor plan.

Climbing formwork systems consists of the formwork and a working platform for the purpose of cleaning and fixing of the formwork, steel fixing and casting. This formwork can only be supported on the concrete earlier hence it does not have any dependability on support system or access from any parts of the permanent work or building. Crane-independent forming, striking and climbing, the work process is optimized on the construction site and makes them independent of each other are some of the major advantages, using automatic or full Self climbing system. Using automatic climbing formwork the operational sequences are maintained and even can be accelerated, irrespective of the weather conditions.
Climbing formwork systems with varying degrees of sophistication and comply with most stringent safety standards.

Full self climbing formwork systems are typically used on high rise structures having more than 12 floor levels however Simple climbing formwork is generally used on low rise towers having five storey or more. A combination of crane-handled and self climbing system platforms is feasible on lower structures.

Shaft Platform consists of steel sections with built in automatic gravity pawls. Besides, all parts are reusable. The formwork is placed onto the non-trip shaft platform, which itself is made of decking plus beams tightened to the steel sections with flange clamps.

When climbing is required on the inner shaft formwork, it is spindled together and hoisted up one section with the shaft platform in a single crane cycle. The gravity pawl automatically positions itself into the box outs in the wall, which are designed for this purpose.

Especially for shafts, simple striking solution within the Tri-Tec wall system. When combined with Tri-Tec Striking Corners, the complete shaft formwork can be moved as a single unit. To comply with accident prevention regulations, the Striking Corners, together with the wall panels, are loosened from the concrete by means of manually-operated cranking spindles. Striking can also happen automatically when lifted by crane at the corner eye hooks because all four corners come off simultaneously.

Each side of the corner retracts by 30 mm, either through manual spindling or automatically by crane. This reduction allows enough clearance to move the shaft formwork aside and on to the next cycle.

By using the striking corner panels in place of regular ones, shuttering time and hence cost are reduced dramatically, much more so when combined with the shaft platform itself.

Consider slope stability analysis to have secure Construction Project

When it comes to new construction projects, it is always necessary to consider slope stability software, in order to make sure that construction project is properly leveled and is not at risk of falling or collapsing down over the current geographical location. No matter what kind of construction project it is, the slope stability analysis software is a very important medium that is tailored to help ensure that the construction is capable of standing the test of time and the prevailing environment of that geographical location, where the construction has been established.

It is not always possible to construct a new design on a flat surface, so when a flat surface is not available, it is important to seek out slope stability analysis software. This specialized software takes into consideration of all sorts of different features and elements, which are required to determine whether the existing facility can be worked on or a different location is required to continue the construction project. This software program is quite manageable and easy to operate, as many geotechnical engineers can use this software to conduct a slope stability analysis on their project.

One of the different features slope stability analysis software is its ability to look over the slope of project, as it analyses the angle of the slope, its stability over the earth. If the construction project is determined prone to slides or is not firm, the location for shifting and all sorts of different elements, all of which are vital in determine the exact kind of stability and features are determined by this slope stability analysis for someone who wants to build and construct a new building in the area.

No matter what someone is intending to do with a given region, whether they want to construct a new building, install a new service station or perform other feature, but it is important to know the conditions of the ground before going ahead with the installation or construction process. Often, it is not legal or possible for someone or a company to continue with a given construction, without having an extensive analysis of the ground, in this case the slope stability software analysis is an important service to look into. This software is often less expensive than bringing in an expert professional, as it efficiently help determine that, the ground is truly safe to build upon or not and what exactly needs to be done in order to facilitate a new construction. No matter what someone is looking for or what they need, this slope stability analysis software can help them with any kind of case. Therefore, it is reliable to consider slope stability software for preventing the occurrence of mishaps and accidents during the construction phase.