Quality Control and Safety Concerns in Construction

Quality control and Construction Safety represent increasingly important concerns for project managers.

Weak quality control leads to defects or failures in constructed facilities, thus result in very large costs. Even with minor defects, re-construction may be required and facility operations impaired. Increased costs and delays are the result. In the worst case, failures may cause personal injuries or fatalities. Accidents during the construction process can similarly result in personal injuries and large costs. Indirect costs of insurance, inspection and regulation are increasing rapidly due to these increased direct costs. Good project managers try to ensure that the job is done right the first time and that no major accidents occur on the project.

As with cost control, the most important decisions regarding the quality of a completed facility are made during the design and planning stages rather than during construction. It is during these preliminary stages that component configurations, material specifications and functional performance are decided. Quality control during construction consists largely of insuring conformance to these original design and planning decisions.

While conformance to existing design decisions is the primary focus of quality control, there are exceptions to this rule. First, unforeseen circumstances, incorrect design decisions or changes desired by an owner in the facility function may require re-evaluation of design decisions during the course of construction. While these changes may be motivated by the concern for quality, they represent occasions for re-design with all the attendant objectives and constraints. As a second case, some designs rely upon informed and appropriate decision making during the construction process itself. For example, some tunneling methods make decisions about the amount of shoring required at different locations based upon observation of soil conditions during the tunneling process. Since such decisions are based on better information concerning actual site conditions, the facility design may be more cost effective as a result.

With the attention to conformance as the measure of quality during the construction process, the specification of quality requirements in the design and contract documentation becomes extremely important. Quality requirements should be clear and verifiable, so that all parties in the project can understand the requirements for conformance. Much of the discussion in this chapter relates to the development and the implications of different quality requirements for construction as well as the issues associated with insuring conformance.

Safety during the construction project is also influenced in large part by decisions made during the planning and design process. Some designs or construction plans are inherently difficult and dangerous to implement, whereas other, comparable plans may considerably reduce the possibility of accidents. For example, clear separation of traffic from construction zones during roadway rehabilitation can greatly reduce the possibility of accidental collisions. Beyond these design decisions, safety largely depends upon education, vigilance and cooperation during the construction process. Workers should be constantly alert to the possibilities of accidents and avoid taken unnecessary risks.

Construction Site Injury and Protecting yourself

Construction site accidents and injuries are often a common part of the workplace because of the dangerous equipment, chaos and deadline-driven environment that surrounds this industry. The following statistics were released from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics on workplace safety and injury statistics:

* One of every five workplace fatalities is a construction worker.

In 2001, there was just over 1,200 fatal injuries in the construction industry, although this number excludes deaths on September 11. Also in 2001, there were 481,400 nonfatal injuries and illnesses in construction. Incidence rates for nonfatal injuries and illnesses were 7.9 per 100 full-time workers in construction, and 5.7 per 100 full-time equivalent workers in all private industry in 2001.

* Because only about 10% of construction companies employ more than 20 workers, the great majority have no formal job safety regulations or programs in place.

The “lost-workday” rate for construction workers in 1992 was five.7 out of every 100 workers (full time). This lost-workday rate was the highest of any major economic sector.

* Nationwide, about 15% of workers’ compensation costs are attributable to injuries in the construction industry.

Nearly all significant injuries in the construction industry result in workers’ compensation rights. Those limited rights, however may be supplemented by legal actions against others who have responsibility for various activities on the jobsite, including construction managers, general contractors, subcontractors, equipment manufacturers, etc. These rights depend upon the application of various complex laws and the individual circumstances of the accident.

For example, in most construction projects, many different contractors are involved. Full damages can be recovered if any contractor other than the direct employer is responsible for the injuries from an accident. Likewise, if a defective tool, machine, or other product causes injury, an injured worker can be fully compensated.

OSHA is a Federal organization that offers workers information on occupational safety and health, and construction workers should know how to contact OSHA if an unsafe work environment exists. If a workplace hazard exists and action is not taken quickly, an employee should contact an OSHA area office or state office via a written complaint. If the OSHA or state office determines that there are reasonable grounds for believing that a violation or danger exists, the office will conduct an inspection.

A workers’ representative has a right to accompany an OSHA compliance officer during the inspection. A union representative, if one is available, chooses the representative otherwise employees will choose the representative. Under no circumstances may the employer choose the workers’ representative. A detailed inspection by an inspector can occur of either the entire work area or of a limited area of a workplace operation. At the end of the inspection, the OSHA inspector will meet with the employer and the employee representatives to discuss the abatement of any hazards that may have been found. These need to be corrected or serious penalties and legal liabilities may arise.