Safety Management System Guideline for Elevator Installation Site
Safety management should focuses on workers safety and it recommends safe practices for those proprietors or contractors to protect their employees engaging in elevator (lift) and escalator works which is incorporated fas per Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. The good practice and performance ensure an accident free workplace
- To minimize risk to employees
- Improve business performance
- Assist to establish a responsible image
The safety knowledge, standards and regulations concerning safe elevator installation procedures in today’s work environment should be priority not an option. In the elevator installation, the safety of the persons engaged in elevator installation work is the responsibility of the proprietors/ contractors, the supervisors and the persons working on elevators. All persons working on elevator installation activities are expected to take due care and pay attention to potential hazards, make proper use of safeguards and follow defined working procedures such that accidents and ill health can be avoided.
Safety at work with the internal and external relationships that involves in the multi-dimensional workplace which is the elevator installation site. The external relationship addressed involves engineers, owners, contractors. The internal relationship involves each workers, other disciplines. To achieve the best safety in the elevator installation the focus should be on the precautionary measures recommended for enhancing the safety of works involved in the elevator installation stages and also promotes safe practices for elevator installation works, with reference to core ingredients of an Occupational Health and Safety Management Specification.
Major Hazards on Elevator Installation
Scaffolds
- Fall hazard
- Scaffold collapse
- Struck in collapse
- Bodily injuries
- Life loss
Portable Electrical Hand Tools
- Electric shocks and burns
- Electrocution
- Cardiac arrest
Electricity on Sites
- Electric shocks
- Severe burns
- Fatal
- Cardiac arrest
Hand Tools
- Blows and cuts
- Eye injuries
- Sprains
- Electrical contact
Manual Handling
- Ergonomic problems
- Material damage
Noise
- Hearing loss
- Speech interference
- Lack of concentration
- Annoyance
Apart from hazards listed above the more exist in the installation site is based on the work environment, condition of the workplace, supplementary activities, worker behaviour and psychological hazards to exist due to work related stress or a stressful environment. A person in a hazardous state can be under the influence of alcohol, illness and lack of training.
ELEVATOR INSTALLATION SAFETY MANAGEMENT
The organisation must develeop safety policy to endeavour to maintain a safe and injury/illness free workplace. It supports the management commitment to safety and continues improvement of safety performance in all their undertakings. It shall also include the safety and wellbeing of employees, subcontractors, customers and end users as well as the prevention of damage to property and equipment.
The Organisation should include the installation manager, installation team, sub-contractor, safety executive and customer, where safety executive is directly linked to all the members of the team.
Hazard Identification: To perform a safe and injury/illness free workplace, hazards involved in each stages of work has been identified by means of Job Safety Analysis (JSA). JSA will be done positively with the help of Job Hazard Analysis Standard. This methods of hazard identification and risk control should be done before the commencement of any installation work and other relevant activities that comprises hazard of causing injury/illness. No effort to be made until the identified hazards are eliminated or controlled to make the workers and equipment safe at the workplace.
Legal & Other Requirements: Elevator installation team should keep an eye on the legal and other requirements[6][7] as per the state and local laws to maintain a legal register that comprises several areas of law that is especially relevant to the installation work. The state and local laws that reinforce work credibility and keep workers safe at workplace in the elevator installation are listed
- Building and Other Construction Workers Act
- Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act
- Motor Vehicles Act
- Contract Labour Act
- Workmen’s Compensation Act 1923
- Child Labour Act 1986
- Following Bureau of Standards
- Contractor Document
- Elevator & Escalators Rules & Acts
Roles and Responsibility: Defining roles and responsibilities and delegating authorities to facilitate safe and injury/illness free workplace are the most important function of the safety management. The H&S Organization authorities are trained to plan, organize, lead, and control all the happenings under his control. Responsibilities should be effectively communicated to all those working at all levels within the installation site.
Training and Awareness: Safety training to be given to all the workers involved in the installation project to make them competent. Identifying the hazardous jobs and provide the compulsory training to the workers involved to it. Safety and Health training also to be given to installation managers, engineers and other personnel aiming to improve the safety culture and performance in the installation site. Refresher training program to all employees, Toolbox talks every day, safety oath daily without fail to be followed. The training that is required for management team, workers include [8]
- Safety Orientation
- Incident/Accident Investigation & Reporting
- Hazard Identification & Risk Analysis
- Fire Fighting
- Power actuated hand tool operating
- Electrical/Mechanical Isolation
- Material Handling
- Electrical safety
- Emergency response & preparedness
Communication:- There should be internal communication among the various levels of workers, contractors and customers. Safety and Health measures to be communicated through poster campaigns in the local language. Changing Posters at least once in a month will maintain the impact
Participation and Consultation:- To make the workers participate and consult with the safety and health, their involvement in hazard identification and innovative ideas to control the risk are encouraged. The safety committee and tool box meetings are conducted for the succeeding help the worker participation and consultation.
Documentation:- Develop and maintain the documents to meet the safety and health standards at the workplace. Some of the documents should be mandatory that includes
- Safety and Health Policy
- Legal register
- Procedures established for Job Safety Analysis
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Job procedure
- Accident / Incident report formats
- Contractor document
The mentioned documents are controlled by the responsible persons and maintained up to date. It should be kept readily accessible whenever it is asked for inspection.
Emergency Preparedness and Response:- An Emergency Response Plan for all work sites as required will be submitted as part of the plan to avoid the loss of life in the emergency conditions. Arrangements to be made for emergency medical treatment and evacuation of the victim in the event of an accident or dangerous incident. The Responsible persons with the telephone numbers and addresses for quick communication will be adequately publicized and conspicuously displayed in the workplace. The Emergency equipment’s are provided in adequate quantity and tested at specified intervals.
Internal Audits:- Internal Audit to be performed by the person Competent in functioning safety audit. Project Manager and Safety Management Team should take the duty of the internal audit. The audit copy of the Audit report must be sent to management and discussed for the actions to be taken.
CONTROL MEASURES TO OVERCOME THE MAJOR HAZARDS ANALYSIS
Scaffold Safety
Scaffolding system is defined as the planning for the design, erection and the inspection of the use and the dismantling of any scaffolding following the safety code for scaffolds and ladders [IS:3696(Part I)-1987] . The scaffolding design criteria consider the strength; stability; rigidity of the supporting structure and the safety of persons engaged in the erection, alteration and dismantling of the scaffold. It must be designed for the most adverse combination of dead loads, live loads, impact loads and environmental loads that can reasonably be expected during the service life of scaffolding.
Electrical Safety
It has been stated that roughly 50% of electrical incidents involve workers whose primary function is not electrical in nature. It also encouraged all to address electrical safety for all workers and not just workers whose job responsibilities involve working on or near energized electrical circuits.
The top three scenarios of fatal injury from electrical hazards are contact with overhead electric lines, contact with wiring, transformers, or other electrical components, and contact with electric current of machine, tool, appliance, or light fixture. These scenarios involve different exposures to electrical hazards, different types of workers, different work activities, and different hazard control measures. Electrical Safety in the workplace currently focuses on the application of a hierarchy of hazard controls used in safety management to minimize or eliminate exposure to hazards and to eliminate or reduce risk of injury as low as reasonably practicable. It is a widely accepted methodology with applications ranging from highly hazardous processes with potential for catastrophic consequences to life, property and the environment to prevent injuries when using portable hand tools.
Material Handling
Lots of material is to be handled and re-handled for project activities. Material handling equipment forklift should be of proper capacity and well maintained, inspected and recorded. The correct signalling practices and rigging methods can avoid many accidents, which are otherwise caused due to bad slinging practices and rigging methods. Things to be done while handling materials are as follows
- Need clear supervision
- Do preventive maintenance
- Regularly care out third part inspection
- Secured work area
- Avoid using mobile phone at working area
- Avoid consuming alcohol
- Training to operator and supervisor
Noise
Noise is a factor that affects the human being in the workplace. Prolonged exposure to noise levels result in irreversible damage to human health. Categories of hearing impairment are listed below which should be considered
Category
Mild : DB : for adult :25-40, for children :15-40
Moderate : DB : 41-55
Moderately severe : DB : 56-70
Severe : DB : 71-90
Profound : DB : 90 or greater
The human can maintain concentration to perform the given task even they are exposed to elevated levels of unwanted noise for a short period of time.
Too ensure the safety and health of workers and it recommends safe practices for those Organisation, Proprietors or Contractors to protect their employees engaging in lift and escalator works (i.e. installation, commissioning, alteration, examination, inspection, testing, servicing/maintenance, repairing and dismantling work on lifts). It also strongly suggest that developing and implementing the good management practices recommended for enhancing work safety of site personnel working near or inside a lift shaft during lift installation stage to be followed to overcome the major hazards associated with the installation activities.
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