Professional Research and Communications

Write essay on '' The role of construction manager in incident prevention.''
USE SCHOLARLY ARTICLE NOT MORE THAN 10 YEARS

USE Chicago author-date (16th edition) referencing

 

Introduction

WU (2017, 121) stated that the role of the construction manager is crucial in the accident prevention, as not only he has to constantly monitor the poor state of the infrastructure, but he also has to ensure steps towards the safety performance of his construction site. The role of the construction manager is to take steps towards the organizational conditions which can work as a cause behaviour along with ensuring steps towards the effectiveness of accident prevention systems on the ongoing or existing construction sites. There should be appropriate measures for the construction project managers to maintain a safe environment which is more desirable and dependable. The role of the construction manager is to lead by showing safe habits are adhered to. A construction manager needs to abide by the safety procedures, programs, and guidelines as outlined by the various institutions, in order to ensure his personnel is also able to follow the same protocols at the same timeline or direction.
The success of any construction safety program is dependent and directly linked to the extent of the supervisor who is consistently taking measurable steps and participating in it.  For example, at the construction site, the manager has ensured that the driller has abided by the important procedures of the accident prevention program to prevent accidents and driller can perform his job function as a part of the job routine. Sanchez (2017, 61) mentioned that all these procedures are important to follow as the manager has to deal with the activities before the accidents might occur or happen. 

The role of the construction manager is to ensure safety performance for all his employees and to abide by the Occupational health and safety (OHS) guidelines.  For the construction sites, the goals of the OHS need to adhere, which ensures that the employees who are working in such high-risk environment are able to reduce or minimize the accidents or incidents and can protect the employees from any injury or illness or deaths. The OHS focuses on the employee's well-being at the construction site.

 

Construction Manager responsibility in an Accident prevention

As per the Rowlinson (2015, 215), suggested that the construction manager role is important and needs to abide by certain steps and protocols to ensure safety steps are taken for the site. The construction manager has to continuously monitor the construction process development, ensure risk-free environment along with the application of the policies, procedures and timely intervention during breaches or misconducts on the behalf of other employees. Watterson (2007, 12) mentioned that the supervisor has to consider following steps to ensure their responsibility and accountability in the safe maintenance and prevention of accident incidents-: 
Analysing the risk assessments in terms of various jobs which can be applied and performed by the staff members
Introspecting the supervision and adherence to the development of Job Safety Analysis (JSA)
Ensuring rules and procedures are as per the JSA standards
Timely intervention and management in the tasks and conditions
Making the operating rules easy to apply and understand irrespective of the jobs or process
Concisely instructing the employees, both new and existing
 
Zhou (2016, 41) mentioned that it is important for the timely monitoring the process and inspecting the work area along with judging the ethical practices towards substandard conditions

Timely investigation of accidents to know the cause of case and taking future remedial actions
 
All these highlighted eight activities pointers are important steps to abide by. This can ensure the supervisor is able to take necessary actions, participate in the process and site with full interest, and enthusiasm.  As per the American Society of Safety Engineers (2007) the job role of the construction manager is to ensure precautionary steps in preventing unsafe conditions which can only be done by the help & actions of employees. All these procedures are important to follow as the manager has to deal with the activities before the accidents might occur or happen. The role of the construction manager is to take appropriate steps & measures by which employees ensure proper work methods to be followed by the employees, in case of any breach or changes, the manager should take necessary steps. All this are part of the daily routine of the construction manager and constitute to his work schedule. The job role of the construction manager is not only to take job assignments but also take steps towards planning, clear instructions, timely intervention, any delays or lags are to be tackled on time, ensuring there is no increased cost of operation. Supervisor of the construction site should understand his job roles and take full responsibility and accountability. His job role is defined by the management and he should ensure to abide by the job outlined. His job role is part of the daily routine along with accommodating any emergency steps. His enthusiasm and positivity can only make a healthy and safe environment for the workers to work and abide by the work protocols. All this would cultivate safe working habits by the workers and the management. It is often noted that most of the accident cases are not of the spectacular nature, but can happen at any time during the frequent and common occurrences in our daily operations of any construction site.  Zewtsloot (2017, 21) mentioned that the nature of the job does not deviate from the necessary application as outlined in the task. If the instructions are properly followed and adhered to it would lead to minimum incidents of accidents. In the cases of the poor safety habits and the proper instructions or rules not followed, the incidents are borne to happen.  Walker (2015, 355) stated that the role of the construction manager is to lead by showing that the safe habits are adhered to. A construction manager needs to abide by the safety procedures, programs, and guidelines as outlined by the various institutions, in order to ensure his personnel is also able to follow the same protocols in the same timeline or direction. Zhou (2012, 94) mentioned that any incidents of tolerance of safety violations can be treated as unsafe behaviour. There should be appropriate measures for the construction project managers to maintain a safe environment which is more enviable and dependable.

It has been observed; that the soft and rational approach of the workers towards the assigned work, is directly linked to the middle and the top management, how they are able to views the safety standards and protocols. If the employees know them, seniors are strict in the discipline and abiding by the safety guidelines, the workers would ensure they are also able to abide by the guidelines without any misses. They would also demonstrate a caring attitude towards the safety health and protocols as they are able to see the higher management is abiding by. Häkkinen (2015, 17)  mentioned that the construction manager and the employees have to build a trust relationship, care and develop a positive attitude towards their working style, this can ensure that the safety standards are abided by and there are no rules of safety violations or any disconnect in understanding of the instructions. The success of any construction safety program is dependent and directly linked to the extent of the supervisor who is consistently taking measurable steps and participating in it.  

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Conclusion 

It has been noted that the construction sites have higher incidents of accidents due to the lack of the prevention hazards, the workers not abiding by the protocols and the lack of timely intervention of the managers in comparison to the other manufacturing sites. There is as such no treatment room or prevention of such measures. The alert systems during the time of emergency is also missing. Any signs of the earnings or labels are not properly abided by. These are small measures but timely records of actions and methods, which can help the construction managers and the workers to abide by the safety guidelines without any misses (Toole, 2016, 80). Often the accidents happen due to the sheer carelessness, negligence on the part of the worker's attitude or the supervisors lack control of management techniques. The role of the construction manager is to take steps towards the organizational conditions which can work as cause behaviour along with ensuring steps towards the effectiveness of accident prevention systems on the ongoing or existing construction sites. All this results in fatal incidents that can damage the construction sites and result in accidents and injury to the workers. Keeping all this in mind, the crane authorities have ensured a safety inspection, assessment of the plans to adhere to the safety of the workers for the management and for the people to abide by. Guo (2015, 125) stated that, it is the duty of the construction manager to ensure the safety methods are abide by and procures certification rules for the process and the site. Fraser (2017, 21) mentioned that the project manager should also ensure a timely up to date certification to abide by and in case of any changes; it should be outlined to all the workers and communicated to the management effectively. Any outdated processes or operations should be diligently watched upon and continuously monitored. Desmond (2017, 345) stated that the role of the construction manager is to take appropriate steps & measures through which employees ensure proper work methods to be followed by them, in case of any breach or changes, the manager should take necessary steps.

 

References

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