Safety Engineering unit 5

1. UNIT 5: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING FOR PREVENTION AND
CONTROL OF CONTAMINANT DISCHARGE FROM PROCESS OPERATION IN
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES
SENSITIZATION TO DIFFERENT PROCESS OPERATION IN DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES
Most construction managers and owners know that incorporating Lean construction principles has
numerous tangible benefits, including reducing waste, improving safety and increasing overall quality.
According to some studies, Lean construction projects are three times more likely to be completed
earlier and two times more likely to be delivered under budget.
Along with elimination of waste and respect for people, the idea of continuous improvement is a
central tenet of Lean construction. Embracing a culture of continuous improvement has been shown
to significantly enhance project efficiency and positively impact metrics such as time, cost, quality and
safety.
IDENTIFICATION OF SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION AND HAZARDS
Contamination Sources
Exposure pathways start with a contamination source. Health assessors need to identify these sources,
characterize the environmental media they might affect, and examine both contaminant and physical
public health hazards that might exist at the site.
Identifying Contamination Sources
Some sites have just one contamination source, but many sites have numerous sources. Each source
represents a location—a point or area—where contaminants were, are, or could be released into the
environment.
Knowing the site’s contamination sources is critical for determining whether all environmental media
(e.g., soil, surface water) that could possibly receive releases of contaminants from these sources have
been adequately investigated. For example, if the contamination source is a leaking gasoline underground
storage tank, reviewing levels of contamination in soil, soil gas, and groundwater, at a minimum, will be
necessary to accurately determine potential population exposures.

2. Sometimes, however, you may identify contamination, but not be able to identify its original source. In
such cases, you might conclude that a contamination source existed at some point in the site’s history,
though the original release details might not be known. In other instances, the detected contamination
could be naturally occurring or from another nearby location (source) — and in these cases, the
contaminated materials could be considered a source for determining pathways.
Example of Contamination Sources
• Airfield and fire training areas
• Buried waste
• Detonation areas
• Disposal pits or trenches
• Drums and containers with chemical substances
• Emission stacks and vents
• Impoundments
• Lagoons
• Landfills
• Open burning areas
• Pipes/culverts
• Smokestacks
• Spills of chemicals
• Storage tanks
• Waste piles
• Waste ponds
To identify possible contamination sources, health assessors can review site descriptions and data
(see Data Needs for the PHA process) from site investigation and environmental reports. In most cases,
information on contamination sources is well-documented, largely because environmental investigations
often are designed to conduct sampling at known or suspected source areas and in potentially affected
media. Studying site plans and maps can provide additional perspective on the exact locations of
contamination sources.
Important: Health assessors should evaluate all contaminants in environmental data, even if they may
not be associated with the site itself. However, note in your evaluation that the contamination may not be
associated with the site.
It is important to understand how sources of contamination could have changed over the years. Such
insights can be gleaned from evaluating the following:
• Site history. Interview site contacts and local residents (after learning ATSDR’s community
engagement process), study site plans and maps, and review site investigation reports to find out
whether contaminants have been intentionally or unintentionally disposed of or released at a
location during past or current site activities. If the information is available, find out when
contaminant releases occurred and how long they persisted.

3. • Operating period. Find out when the site operated. This information will help you determine when
certain contaminant sources may have existed, a crucial insight for determining durations of
possible exposures to released contaminants.
• Source controls or remedial actions. Identify when specific cleanup activities or remedial actions
began at a site to learn how environmental releases have been mitigated and if future exposures are
possible. Also investigate whether any control measures were put in place, such as landfill liners,
leachate collection systems, scrubbers, wastewater treatment systems, and baghouses.
• Other contributing sources. Consider if contaminants identified at the site could be released from
other nearby sources, such as similar local industries. Other sources can provide useful perspective,
particularly for air contamination. For instance, an emissions test might find that landfill vents
release 10 pounds of benzene to the air in a year — but if the site is in an urban area, motor vehicles,
gasoline stations, and other sources could be much higher contributors of benzene air emissions.
Ultimately, you will use information on contamination sources for perspective on the types and durations
of possible exposures. Keep in mind that you will need to clearly document the following:
• The type and extent of source contamination and to what environmental media contaminants were
released.
• Whether contamination sources have been adequately characterized.
• Whether source areas have been remediated.
• How the available information affects the ability to characterize exposures.
PLANNING FOR CONTROL AND PREVENTION, IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH PROPER MEASURES
Pollution is an issue that the construction industry cannot ignore. The main types of pollution
you need to be aware of are air, water and noise. If you don’t put precautionary measures in place
to manage harmful waste, it can directly affect site employees and people living nearby. This
includes causing irreversible damage to their health, with a concerning link between pollutants
and cancer.
Air Pollution
Air pollution refers to man-made emissions that are released into the atmosphere. Poor air
quality is a global health hazard, with the combined effects of ambient air pollution and
household air pollution associated with approximately 6.7 million premature deaths annually
(World Health Organization). Further, air pollution contributes significantly to the warming of
the planet, and therefore to climate change.
As construction activities are a large contributor to air pollution, organisations within the sector
have a shared responsibility to limit the amount they produce. Therefore, you’ll need to have an
awareness of the emissions your work activities create and take precautions to limit the harmful
impact.
Common construction activities that contribute to air pollution include:
• Use of plant and vehicles on site. This depends on the site activities but can include
machinery such as breakers, bulldozers, dumpers and excavators. Plant and machinery
that is used at construction sites is not regulated by the government to the degree that
other vehicles are. Due to the scale of many construction projects, equipment is often
running and polluting for a long time. As a lot of this heavy machinery, and other vehicles

4. on site, operate on diesel engines, they release
pollutants into the air. This includes the gases carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and
hydrocarbons.
• Land clearing and demolition. As land often has to be
cleared and made suitable for construction to take
place, this process must be done in a way that ensures
the impact on the environment is as minimal as
possible. As well as with the construction of buildings,
high levels of dust are generated when land is disrupted and existing buildings
demolished.
• Chemicals. It is likely that you will use hazardous chemicals on construction sites. This
may include paints, glues, oils, thinners and plastics, which all produce noxious vapours.
PM10
These large quantities of construction dust from cement, concrete, silica and wood are
collectively classified as PM10. PM10 is particle matter less than or equal to 10 micrometres in
diameter that is invisible to the naked eye. The diesel engine exhausts of plant and other vehicles
is also a large contributor to PM10 emitted at construction sites. Specifically, this is referred to as
diesel particle matter (DPM) and contains sulphates and silicates that add to the pollutants in the
atmosphere.
Consequences of Air Pollution
Employees
Research into PM10 has shown that it can penetrate deep into the lungs of those who inhale
polluted air. For employees working regularly on construction sites, there is an increased risk of
them developing health complications as a result. Poor air quality due to pollution can cause the
following health problems:
• Coughs, wheezing and shortness of breath.
• Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
• Lung cancer.
• Strokes.
• Exacerbation of asthma.
Indeed, 56% of the occupational cancers in men are within the construction industry. This
includes mesothelioma, a type of cancer that develops on the lining of the lungs and chest and
which the only known cause of is asbestos exposure. Frequent exposure to dusts and fibres, such
as silica and asbestos, as well as the fumes and gases emitted by vehicles and machinery explains
why lung cancer is particularly common amongst construction workers. Indeed, those working
in the construction industry are potentially exposed to between 15 and 20 carcinogens as a
result of common work activities.
Local Residents

5. People living nearby to construction sites may also
experience the effects of air pollution. Although local
residents will not be in such close proximity to the
pollutants as workers, they may experience the effects of
poor air quality long after the project has been completed.
PM10 and other air pollutants are spread by wind to the
surrounding area and can then settle. Here, residents often
unknowingly breathe them in and may then develop a
cough or shortness of breath as a short-term consequence.
Environmental
As well as the consequences to human health, you need to be aware of the impact air pollution
has on the environment. Construction sites are responsible for 14.5% of PM2.5 (particle matter
that is 2.5 micrometres in diameter) and 8% of PM10 emissions. The majority of this comes from
construction machinery and generators that run on diesel, with 1% representing dust from site
activities such as demolition. Both plants and animals struggle to thrive as a result of this
contamination, causing a loss of biodiversity and disrupting the food chain. If you want to learn
more, why not take a look at our Environmental Awareness Course.
Water Pollution
Water pollution happens when toxic substances end up in water
bodies such as rivers, lakes and oceans. This pollution may be
visible, either on the surface or deposited on the bed, or invisible
to the human eye, such as chemicals that dissolve in water.
Construction activities often involve the use of toxic chemicals
and pollutants that can end up in the water table if not managed
well.
Common construction sources that contribute to air pollution include:
• Diesel and oil.
• Cement.
• Glues.
• Paints.
• Other toxic chemicals.
All of these contaminants have the potential to end up in water as a result of runoff from
construction work. Pollutants can enter the water system in a number of ways, such as through
drains, seeping into soil, or runoff directly into rivers or lakes.
Consequences of Water Pollution
People
Pollutants from construction sites can soak into the groundwater. It is much harder to treat
groundwater than it is surface water and so, as a source of human drinking water, there is a risk
that some chemicals may end up being consumed. Chemical pollutants such as arsenic and

6. mercury can cause serious health issues, including cancer, if ingested through contaminated
water supplies.
Environmental
Water contaminated by pollutants produced by the construction industry poses a serious danger
to the environment. Once pollution has entered the water system, it can harm or kill fish and
animals living in it or drinking from it. This can disrupt the entire ecosystem of animals, plants,
bacteria and fungi, causing many species to suffer as a result.
Noise Pollution
Noise pollution is likely to be the type of pollution that’s effects are experienced immediately.
The equipment you use may be particularly loud, meaning it is often heard by members of the
public who live nearby. As a result, this can cause local residents to experience varying levels of
stress, sleep disturbance or high blood pressure.
You must also consider the effects of noise pollution on the construction workers themselves.
Additionally, if employees use equipment that is particularly loud, they may even
experience hearing loss.
In terms of an environmental impact, noise pollution can disturb the natural cycles of animals as
well as reducing the size of the habitat they can use.
Pollution Prevention Strategies
Managing how much pollution you create as a company and as an individual is incredibly
important. As well as controlling the negative impacts on site workers, local residents and the
environment, enforcing pollution prevention strategies can have a significant positive impact on
your business. By working sustainably and considering how you can limit the impact of your
construction activities, perception of your company is going to be positive and you can establish
yourself as a forerunner in comparison to your competitors.
Under the Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) (England) Regulations 2015,
businesses are made financially liable for any damage they cause to land, air, water and
biodiversity in England. The regulations reinforce what is known as the ‘polluter pays’ principle.
This is in place to hold businesses responsible for the pollution they create by encouraging them
to limit their environmental impact with financial incentives. Companies also risk being fined for
breaking environmental laws. Some of these so-called ‘enforcement undertakings’ are an
alternative to prosecutions, with the money going towards projects helping wildlife. Therefore,
if your construction activities do create a lot of pollution, especially when it is avoidable or
manageable, you risk being given a significant fine.

7. To try and reduce your pollution contribution we have created a list of suggestions that you could
put in place:
Air Pollution
• Never burn waste materials. Doing so will cause smoke, releasing poisonous gases such
as carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. In the UK, you risk being fined for burning
materials on site under the Clean Air Act 1993.
• Adopt hybrid technology in place of diggers and excavators with diesel engines. For
example, Volvo is currently trialling a prototype hybrid excavator that runs on electric
power generated from the down-swing of its boom arm.
• Use low sulphur diesel to power equipment and vehicles.
• Improve your existing equipment by using particulate filters and catalyst converters.
• Use water sprays or sprinklers to control some types of dust and stop it spreading. This
will be particularly beneficial during tasks such as the filling of skips or breaking down of
concrete.
• Use an on-tool extraction to control some types of dust. This is a type of exhaust that fits
onto some tools and removes dust as it is being produced.
• Source local materials to avoid the need for them to be transported hundreds of miles.
• Use renewable or sustainable materials, such as timber from sustainably managed
forests.
• Wear appropriate PPE, such as the correct type of respiratory protective equipment
(RPE) depending on the task.
Water Pollution
• Monitor and improve your management and disposal of site waste. Make sure all
waste is correctly dealt with to stop it from spreading.
• Keep materials such as sand or cement secure. Materials must be located where there
isn’t a risk of them being washed into waterways or drains.
• Cover up all drains to prevent waste from ending up in the water.
• Keep the road and footpath to the site clean at all times. This will prevent silt and other
pollutants from running off into any bodies of water.
• Properly collect and treat any wastewater that you produce.
Noise Pollution
• Use quiet power tools and equipment to manage noise pollution. Where possible, use
modern construction equipment that has been designed specifically to produce less noise.
• Schedule work during sociable hours rather than when residents are likely to be
sleeping. For example, between 8 to 6pm on weekdays. You could also notify local
residents of the working hours and keep them updated on the project.
• Put acoustic (movable noise) barriers in place to manage the levels of noise pollution.
• Ensure plant and equipment is properly maintained and operated.
• Switch off plant when it’s not in use.
• Ensure employees wear the correct PPE when required to reduce the risk of hearing
loss due to excessive noise.

8. The construction industry must recognise the
responsibility it has to monitor and limit the amount of
pollution it collectively creates. One of the simplest
measures you can take is to be conscious of how much
waste and pollutants your work activities create and the
consequences they have. Whether you are an employer
or employee in the sector, there are strategies that
reduce the amount of pollution produced that you can
enforce and encourage others to do the same.
PLANNING FOR CONTROL AND PREVENTION
Reduce Air Pollution At Construction Site – 5 Ways
Here are some of the ways we can protect the environment during construction:
1. Minimizing Waste
The process of construction leads to the production of vast quantities of wastage; sadly, there is no way
to reduce that. But, increasing the efficiency of operation, choosing technologies that help in waste
reduction, and optimizing supplies and materials of construction do help. Also, proper segregation and
filtration of construction products needs to be done so that poisonous wastewater does not pollute
waterbody or waste unnecessarily does not pile in landfills.
2. Explore Recycling Options
Exploring industrial recycling options needs to be aimed explicitly. Builders should strictly follow the
EPA’s Industrial Recycling Program; this program focuses on recycling construction and the debris
demolition and helps in saving resources to a great extent.
3. Use Environment-Friendly Tools/Products/Materials
Builders should use environmentally friendly tools, products, and materials which are designed to
minimize waste and energy consumption on construction sites.
4. Go For Green Solutions
Look for materials and products that are more environmentally friendly and designed for sustainability
and a greener future – With Green solutions covering wall, roof and façade, Wienerberger offers Green
building solutions across the whole construction envelope.
5. Protect Ecological Resources
Any construction work should aim to protect the animals and marine life in a particular area. The end goal
should be towards completing the project within the timeline, resulting from eco-friendly processes –
ultimately take the path that has the least amount of environmental impact.
For any construction project, the goal should be to protect the work, the eventual goal should be towards
saving the environment and protecting our prized nature and its eternal assets. The construction industry
should recognize the responsibility it has to actively monitor and limit the amount of pollution it produces.
One of the simplest measures is to be conscious of how much waste and pollutants your construction
activities create and the consequences they have on our people and the environment.

9. Reduce Types of Pollution
Use of Ecofriendly Materials
Construction contractors should give a try to use eco-friendly materials to reduce pollution and dust. If
there is reduce in use of cement and steel then this will hugely impact in emission rates. Materials, for
example, locally and reasonably forested wood, bamboo, are feasible alternatives. A more extended
solution is reusing materials like steel, recyclable wood and metal.
Use of AI
The convenience of on-location connectivity makes it simpler than any other data intelligence to reduce
construction site pollution. Sensors on machine are also able to help in reducing particle emission,
including light and noise pollution.
Latest Machinery
Earlier times construction site equipment can cause huge quantity of site emission and pollution. There
is a new technology called hybrid which can help construction companies to cut out their natural effect.
Power systems and hybrid equipment can bring down fuel utilization and discharges, in this way bringing
down the environmental effect.
Top Quality Materials
The selection of building materials has the power to lessen dust and air pollution from construction and
junk material. Using of good quality materials like cement, steel, sand, TMT, bricks will always be a good
choice. The professional manufacturer will provide you best quality TMT bar which has less carbon &
sulphur thus it cause less pollution to the environment and make the structures less breakable and more
shock resistant.
SAFETY AUDITS
Types of Safety Audits in the Construction Industry
The three types of safety audits in the construction industry as follows:
1. Compliance audits
Compliance audits cover the most basic safety compliance checks in an organization. These audits help
you track whether the safety measures comply with the land’s law and safety regulations.
The compliance audit ensures that the job site is free of risks and is safe from any crisis. It also provides
an effective strategy in place in case of an emergency.
Failure to comply with these audits can result in hefty fines and a tarnished reputation.
2. Program audits
Program audits cover the programming aspect of the job, ensuring that your operations are safe and
secure by evaluating your processes. These audits can also find gaps in your internal processes.
In simpler words, program audits track and check that your operations are running smoothly and all tasks
are being carried out while maintaining security.
This can include various methods such as logging incidents, investigating incidents, determining the
cause, and improving the existing policies so that the incident doesn’t repeat itself.
3. Management system audits

10. Management system audits, also known as the overall audit, keep track of the compliance and program
audits. If the above two audits may have a mishap or misread, management system audits to ensure that
their practices are carried out efficiently and that any safety compliances are entirely adequate and risk-
free.
Management system audit simply checks whether the safety compliances are on par with the company’s
practices.
Now that you have a basic idea of the construction industry’s three types of the compliance audit, it’s time
you know their importance.
Importance of Safety Audits in the Construction Industry
Safety auditing is a vital measure that organizations must take to ensure that the organization is meeting
the required health and safety compliances.
Some risks construction workers might face are:
• Falls from heights,
• Improper use of dangerous equipment,
• Electric shock,
• Trench collapse, etc.
It’s a given that the above factors are critical and even life-threatening. This is why safety audits at the
construction site are a must.
A construction safety audit reviews the safety measures at the job site. This includes the safety of the site,
as well as actions that are taken to prevent injury.
Carrying out regular audits is crucial for any organization, but most importantly for the
construction industry. Safety auditing consists of:
• Assessment of the health and safety of an organization
• Pinpointing areas of improvement
• Analyzing on-site conditions
• Assessing safety measures
Some examples of the above steps within the construction industry include:
• Containment of hazardous substances
• Proper storage of hazardous waste
• Ensuring that an effective emergency strategy is in place
• Ensuring that first aid is available at all times
• Fall protection measures
• Planning out of evacuation routes in case of a crisis
• Ensuring the availability of appropriate lighting as well as appropriate storage of all materials
• No exposed electrical wires
• Ensuring that essential signs are visible and in place
Employees become more aware of environmental laws and carry out processes accordingly when safety
compliance steps are taken.
The organization also benefits by increasing the construction workers’ operational
efficiency while reducing labor and overhead costs.

11. But carrying out manual safety checks can be a tedious process and might not give exact results. Especially
in the construction industry, having exact results is crucial to ensure no one’s life is at stake.
What if we told you that now your organization can carry out easy and safe audit inspections too?
Pulse is an advanced safety compliance and auditing tool that, in simple words, adds simplicity to safety
compliance.
With digital checklists, easy to carry out processes on a mobile app, super-intuitive UI, lightning-fast
integration with various tech stacks, and excellent user support, safety compliance is at the tip of your
fingers.
Connect today for more information on how Pulse can streamline your safety compliance and auditing!
noncompliance reports,
The quality issues observed in
construction practices are addressed in a
report called the non-conformance report
or the non-conformity report (NCR). An
NCR explains the deviation of a specific
construction work or task from the
required standards and specifications.
An NCR is a part of quality control
processes in construction. It explains in
detail the problem, its occurrence, and the
preventive measures for the future.
Figure-1: A Typical Format for NCR for
Quality Control
It is a document that states any resolution
made with the customer. It also records the corrections made to the activities.
This article explains some of the vital information for developing NCR reports along with their elements
and features
NCR Report Elements
The necessary information required for an NCR report includes:
1. The reason for developing the NCR report

12. 2. Why the work or activity went wrong
3. Preventive measures
4. Explain the corrective action taken
5. All key players involved in the NCR report
6. The work specifications that are affected
Details of Non-Conformance Report
A non-conformance report can be issued during different scenarios in the construction phase. Some of the
typical situations when an NCR is issued are mentioned below:
1. Work that was not constructed as per the standard construction drawings
2. Works that do not follow the required tolerances as per the standard project specifications
3. When actions are performed as per non-approved methods or standards
4. When the approved testing and inspection is not performed
5. When the test results do not meet the recommended standards
6. When the construction material used is not accepted as a substitute
7. When the constructed design is not realistic
8. When the project team identifies quality defects
9. When the approved procedure was not followed
Turnaround time for post audit compliance and implementation through proper measures.