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Design for Construction Safety Based on a presentation given withProf. John Gambatese atSafety in Design and Construction: A Lifecycle ApproachHarvard School of Public HealthFebruary 23-27, 2009and a presentation given at the 2009 North American Steel Construction Conference, Phoenix, AZ Mike Toole,PhD, PEBucknell University
Overview • Concept • Motivation • Examples • International and U.S. Initiatives • Barriers • Tools • Steel Examples • Trajectories • Moving forward in your organization
What is Designing for Construction Safety? • The process of addressing construction site safety and health in the design of a project • Designing for safety constructability
Prevention through Design • “Addressing occupational safety and health needs in the design process to prevent or minimize the work-related hazards and risks associated with the construction, manufacture, use, maintenance, and disposal of facilities, materials, and equipment.” (NIOSH)
What Safety by Design is NOT • Having designers take a role in construction safety DURING construction. • An endorsement of future legislation mandating that designers design for construction safety. • An endorsement of the principle that designers can or should be held partially responsible for construction accidents.
Typical Annual Construction Accidents in U.S. • Nearly 200,000 serious injuries • 1,000 deaths
Benefits of DfCS • Reduced site hazards • Fewer injuries and fatalities • Reduced workers compensation premiums • Increased productivity • Fewer delays due to accidents during construction allow continued focus on quality • Encourages designer-constructor collaboration
Hierarchy of Controls • Eliminate the hazard (Design for Safety) • Reduce the hazard • Isolate the hazard • Use engineering controls • Use administrative controls • Use PPE
Considering Safety During Design Offers the Most Payoff1 High ConceptualDesign Detailed Engineering Ability to Influence Safety Procurement Construction Start-up Low Project Schedule 1 Szymberski (1987)
Accidents Linked to Design1,2 • 22% of 226 injuries that occurred from 2000-2002 in Oregon, WA, and CA • 42% of 224 fatalities in U.S. between 1990-2003 • In Europe, a 1991 study concluded that 60% of fatal accidents resulted in part from decisions made before site work began 1 Behm, M., “Linking Construction Fatalities to the Design for Construction Safety Concept” (2005) 2 European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Ethical Reasons for DfCS • National Society of Professional Engineers Code of Ethics: • Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public. • American Society of Civil Engineers’ Code of Ethics • Engineers shall recognize that the lives, safety, health and welfare of the general public are dependent upon engineering decisions ….
DfCS and Sustainability Environmental Equity Sustainability Economic Equity Social Equity
Sustainability’s Social Equity Pillar • Do not our duties include minimizing all risks that we have control over? • Do not we have the same duties for construction workers as for the “public”? • Is it ethical to create designs that are not as safe as they could (practically) be?
Establish design for safety expectations • Include construction and operation perspective • Identify design for safety process and tools Design Kickoff Internal Review External Review Issue for Construction Design Trade contractor involvement • QA/QC • Cross-discipline review • Focused safety review • Owner review DfCS Process1 1 Hecker et al. (2005)
Examples: Prefabrication Bridge Trusses www.ultimateengineering.com Roof Trusses PEB test.jedinstvo.com www.niconengineering.com
Examples: Roofs Upper story windows and roof parapets Skylights
Head Knocker at Catwalk Examples: Clearances Fall Hazard at Catwalk
Plan of Record (POR): Trench below sub-fab level New Fab: Full basement and taller basement
DfCS Practices Around the Globe • Designers first required to design for construction safety in the United Kingdom in 1995 • Other European nations have similar requirements • Australia also leading in DfCS http://www.ascc.gov.au/ascc/HealthSafety/SafeDesign/Understanding
National Initiatives • NIOSH • NORA Construction Sector Council CHPtD Workgroup • Prevention Through Design initiative • Make Green Jobs Safe initiative • OSHA Construction Alliance Roundtable DfCS Workgroup • ASCE-CI PtDCommittee (inactive)
OSHA Construction Alliance DfCS Workgroup Members • Amer. Society of Civil Engineers-Construction Institute • American Society of Safety Engineers • Independent Electrical Contractors • ADSC: International Association of Foundation Drilling • Laborers Health and Safety Fund of North America • Mason Contractors Association of America • National Fire Protection Association • National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health • Sealant, Waterproofing and Restoration Institute • Washington Group International
Barriers • Like many good ideas, DfCS faces a number of barriers that will likely slow its adoption. • Potential solutions to these barriers involve long-term education and institutional changes.
Design for Safety Viability Study1 • Review of OSHA Standards for Construction • Identify the OSHA provisions that mention the involvement of a licensed professional engineer. • Identify designs that can be implemented to forego the need to implement temporary, on-site safety measures required by OSHA. • Interviews: • Architects and Engineers (19) • Safety Manager, Construction Attorney, Insurance Risk Manager 1 Prof. John Gambatese, Oregon State University and others, funded by CPWR Small Study No. 01-2-PS
Factors Affecting Implementation • Designer knowledge of the concept • Designer acceptance of the concept • Designer education and training • Designer motivation to implement the concept • Ease of implementation of the concept • Availability of implementation tools and resources • Competing design/project objectives • Design criteria/physical characteristics Impacted by Implementation of the Design for Safety Concept • Construction worker safety • Other construction characteristics (cost, quality, constructability, etc.) • Completed facility characteristics (design features, operator safety, operability, maintainability, etc.) • Design firm liability, profitability, etc. Impact on
Barrier: Designers' Fear of Liability • Barrier: Fear of undeserved liability for worker safety. • Potential solutions: • Clearly communicate we are NOT suggesting designers should be held responsible for construction accidents. • Develop revised model contract language • Propose legislation to facilitate DfCS without inappropriately shifting liability onto designers.
Barrier: Increased Designer Costs Associated with DfCS • Barrier: DfCS processes will increase both direct and overhead costs for designers. • Potential solution: • Educate owners that total project costs and total project life cycle costs will decrease
Barrier: Designers' Lack of Safety Expertise • Barrier: Few design professionals possess sufficient expertise in construction safety. • Potential solutions: • Add safety to design professionals’ curricula. • Develop and promote 10-hour and 30-hour OSHA courses for design professionals. • Develop and distribute DfCS tools
Design for Construction Safety Toolbox • Created by Construction Industry Institute (CII) • Interactive computer program • Used in the design phase to decrease the risk of incidents • Over 400 design suggestions
Constructability Tips for Steel Design • Detailing Guide for the Enhancement of Erection Safety published by the National Institute for Steel Detailing and the Steel Erectors Association of America
The Erector Friendly Column • Include holes in columns at 21” and 42” for guardrail cables and at higher locations for fall protection tie-offs • Locate column splices and connections at reasonable heights above floor • Provide seats for beam connections
Avoid hanging connections • Design connections to bear on columns
Know approximate dimensions of necessary tools to make connections
DfCS in Practice: Design Builders • Jacobs • Parsons • Fluor • Bechtel Photo credit: Washington Group
Bechtel’s Steel Design Process • Temporary access platforms • Lifting lugs • Shop installed vertical brace ladders • Bolt-on column ladders & work platforms