TOOL%20TO%20DESIGN%20FOR%20CONSTRUCTION%20WORKER%20SAFETY

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TOOL TO DESIGN FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKER SAFETY

• An Article Written by
• Gambatese, Hinze and Haas
• 1997

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OUTLINE

• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Research Methodology
• Results
• Conclusions
• Recommendations
• Q A

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INTRODUCTION

• Escalating costs of workers compensation
  insurance
• Rise in the number of liability (legal
  responsibility) suits
• Intensification (increase) of safety regulations
• Owners mandate addressing construction worker
  injuries
• Project design has no effect on safety at that
  time
• Designers lack of training to address worker
  safety
• No knowledge in recognizing safety hazards
• Design tool or aid to improve worker safety
• CII focused (express the need) on creating
  computer a database of safety ideas and a design
  tool that help designers for safer construction

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LITERATURE REVIEW

• The role of designers was addressed on 1990 study
  (Hinze and Wiegand) based on questionnaire
  results
• The study shows legal counsel has advised
  designers not to address safety in order to avoid
  any liabilities
• The study revealed that only design-build firms
  who address safety hazards
• Another study asked owners Do you review the
  safety performance records of contractors before
  permitting them to submit bids on your projects?
  the majority was affirmative (positive), where
  52 (1991) 54(1993) 57(1994) which shows owners
  are increasing in safety interest

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LITERATURE REVIEW, cont

• In 1993 and 1994, owner studies were asked about
  the designers role as shown

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

• Design suggestions
• All safety applicable suggestions to the design
  phase of any type and size of project were
  considered relevant
• No design suggestions were discarded based on
  cost, schedule, or other design or construction
  performance criteria
• Safety suggestions were taken from two resources
• Literature search
• Interviews and written questionnaires with
  different construction industry personnel

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, cont

• Research also included steps to develop new
  design
• suggestions by targeting three resources
• Companies safety design manuals
• Worker safety manuals and checklists
• Researchers and CII Design for Safety Research
  team members

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, cont

• Incorporating such knowledge into multimedia
  computer
• software design tool provides a number of
  advantages
• More efficient utilization of the tool by
  designers
• The ability to frequent update the database
• Easy management and control of the review process
• Ability to incorporate analytical functions like
  (risk assessment and decision analysis)

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, cont

• The following extensive requirements for the
  authoring tool were identified
• Graphic capabilities to help demonstrate key
  points
• Multimedia support
• Ability to support data structures for users
  records
• A user friendly, mouse driven windows environment
• Through independent industry evaluations of
  available authoring
• tools, Asymetrixs Multimedia Tool-Book was
  chosen for the
• development of the design tool

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RESULTS (Design Suggestions)

• 430 design suggestions were collected
• Subsequently organized and input into the design
  tool database

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RESULTS, cont

• Personnel in architectural and consulting
  engineering firms were found not as knowledgeable
  concerning safety design suggestions
• Construction industrys interest and willingness
• OSHA does not place any great responsibility for
  safety on designers

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RESULTS, cont

• Most design suggestions reveals addressing both
  the structural
• and architectural scopes of work

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RESULTS, cont

• Suggestions can also be sorted according to
  project components,
• construction hazards, and project systems that
  are affected.

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RESULTS, cont
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RESULTS, cont
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RESULTS, cont
Sample of recording safety suggestion Suggestion
Do not allow schedules with sustained
overtime Purpose Workers will not be alert if
overtime is maintained over a sustained
period. Suggestion Rote piping lines that carry
liquids below electrical cable trays. Purpose
Prevent the chance of electrical shock due to
leaking pipes Etc
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RESULTS (Design for Construction Safety ToolBox)

• Mandatory Features and Functions
• A variety of approaches for reviewing a project
• Identification of safety hazards
• Presentation of suggestions to eliminate or
  reduce the likelihood of occurrence of hazards
• Documentation and generation of the results into
  reports in usable format
• The ability for other design suggestions to be
  input and saved within the tool for future
  references

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RESULTS, cont
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RESULTS, cont
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RESULTS, cont
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RESULTS, cont
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RESULTS, cont
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RESULTS, cont
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RESULTS, cont
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RESULTS, cont
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RESULTS, cont
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RESULTS, cont
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CONCLUSIONS

• Owners interested on safe jobsites
• High cost of accidents and injuries
• Construction worker safety is expanding
• Although this expanding but designer still
  behind, except for those working on design-build
  firm
• Designers safety consideration will enhance
  project safety and reduce hazards and injuries.
• Majority of design suggestions came from
  interviews
• Workable software package is developed
• This tool can be also used during startup,
  maintenance, decommissioning phases.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Designers must be educated regarding construction
  worker safety
• Owners must insist on applying such tool for
  safer projects
• Future versions will be adding more suggestions
• This tool can be also used on university

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Q A

• Thank you