PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE PROJECT

Professional Practice Project: Assignment



Professional Practice Project

Introduction

In this paper we will be discussing the Suitability of the buildings for the proposed re-development and identification of any site related issues with solutions.

Managing Risks with Construction Work

Identify the hazards

When identifying hazards, particular attention should be paid to hazards arising from (Berkeley, 1991: 3):

the construction workplace itself, including its location, layout, condition and accessibility

any design relating to the construction work

working at heights

hazardous substances, including the handling, use, storage, and workplace transport or disposal of hazardous substances

the presence of asbestos

systems of work

plant, including the transport, installation, erection, commissioning, use, repair, maintenance, dismantling, storage or disposal of plant

manual handling, including the potential for occupational overuse injuries, and

the physical working environment, for example, the potential for electric shock, immersion or engulfment, fire or explosion, slips, trips and falls, people being struck by moving plant, objects or structures falling on people, exposure to noise, heat, cold, vibration, radiation, static electricity or a contaminated atmosphere, and the presence of a confined space.

A person conducting a business or undertaking should also ensure there are effective procedures in place to identify and record hazards:

before and during the installation, erection, commissioning or alteration of plant

before changes to systems of work are introduced or a significant change to the construction workplace, or a part of it, is implemented

before hazardous substances are introduced, and

when new or additional occupational safety and health information from an authoritative source becomes available - for example, national standards or codes of practice, guidance material produced by a regulatory authority, industry codes of practice or information from manufacturers, suppliers or designers.

Assess the Risks

Assessing the associated risks will assist in determining:

what regulated duties apply

how severe a risk is

whether any existing control measures are effective

what action should be taken to control the risk

whether action or control measures are necessary, and

How urgently the action needs to be taken.

Assessing the risk includes considering things like:

the severity of any injury or illness that could occur, for example is it a small isolated hazard that could result in a very minor injury or is it a significant hazard that could have wide ranging and severe affects, and

The likelihood or chances that someone will suffer an illness or injury, for example, consider the number of people exposed to the hazard.

Control the Risks

The ways of controlling risks are ranked from the highest level of protection and reliability to the lowest. This ranking is known as the hierarchy of risk control. You must always aim to eliminate a hazard, which is the most effective control. If this is not reasonably practicable, you must minimise the risk by:

Substitution

Isolation

Engineering controls

If risk remains, it must be minimised by implementing administrative controls, so far as is reasonably practicable. Any remaining risk must be minimised with suitable personal protective equipment. Administrative control measures and personal protective equipment rely on human behaviour and supervision, and when used on their own, tend to be least effective in minimising risks (Baker & Reid, ...