10 WORKPLACE SAFETY Workplace Safety BUS 642 October 10, 2016 Research Project: Safety in Dam Construction Zones Being that there are 36,000 dam projects listed in the world register of dams and having statistics associate 300 accidents to the said dams, the information was quite alarming to safety officials and the construction authorities. In previous years the safety precautions were on largely concentrated on the structures but as time went by accidents increased from the beginning of dam construction to date. There has proven to be need for better safety precaution to the human workforce at the sites. This entails looking at the specifics into the type of accidents that occur at the site. It also involves determining or predicting the type of accidents that are expected to happen at such sites. This will lead to a comprehensive study of safety precautions, risk assessment, first aid and other measures that will be required to curb the problem. This means looking at global safety cultural assessments and narrowing them down to dam construction related accident prevention and control. Research Questions This research will aim to identify the various causes of dam failure. Through an explorative research, the main core of the research will dwell to answer concerns on dam failure. Are dam failures caused by human influence? If so, what influence causes or leads to dam failure? How were the causes identified? In what ways have the government and related organizations made sure that the issues are addressed? In what ways have the government and other organizations ensured that the causes of dam failures are addressed and preventative measures taken as far as human influences are concerned? What roles does the natural environment present in the causes of dam failures? What measures of preparedness are taken to ensure that the dams can resist even the worst forces of nature? What are the causes of fatalities for people surrounding the dams? What are the causes of death and ailments to people working in the dams and what precautionary measures are taken to prevent such measures? What sort of surveys methods has been used to acquire the data (surveys, questionnaires, observation or sampling)? The study will limit to structural causes, human influences and nature (ICOLD, 2016). Background Research Distress in structures is the major cause of accidents during and after construction. Therefore, before, during and after constructions of structures especially huge structures like dams, skyscrapers, bridges and other massive structures, there is a team of engineers checking on the loading, environmental and human influences affecting the structures to prevent failure of structures. However, much emphasis was placed on human life and in other structures except dams due to the nature of their constructions. This resulted in massive accidents that led to deaths and injured many with the current statistics standing at over 300 ...

1. 10
WORKPLACE SAFETY
Workplace Safety
BUS 642
October 10, 2016
Research Project: Safety in Dam Construction Zones
Being that there are 36,000 dam projects listed in the world
register of dams and having statistics associate 300 accidents to
the said dams, the information was quite alarming to safety
officials and the construction authorities. In previous years the
safety precautions were on largely concentrated on the
structures but as time went by accidents increased from the
beginning of dam construction to date. There has proven to be
need for better safety precaution to the human workforce at the
sites. This entails looking at the specifics into the type of
accidents that occur at the site. It also involves determining or

2. predicting the type of accidents that are expected to happen at
such sites. This will lead to a comprehensive study of safety
precautions, risk assessment, first aid and other measures that
will be required to curb the problem. This means looking at
global safety cultural assessments and narrowing them down to
dam construction related accident prevention and control.
Research Questions
This research will aim to identify the various causes of dam
failure. Through an explorative research, the main core of the
research will dwell to answer concerns on dam failure. Are dam
failures caused by human influence? If so, what influence
causes or leads to dam failure? How were the causes identified?
In what ways have the government and related organizations
made sure that the issues are addressed? In what ways have the
government and other organizations ensured that the causes of
dam failures are addressed and preventative measures taken as
far as human influences are concerned? What roles does the
natural environment present in the causes of dam failures? What
measures of preparedness are taken to ensure that the dams can
resist even the worst forces of nature? What are the causes of
fatalities for people surrounding the dams? What are the causes
of death and ailments to people working in the dams and what
precautionary measures are taken to prevent such measures?
What sort of surveys methods has been used to acquire the data
(surveys, questionnaires, observation or sampling)? The study

3. will limit to structural causes, human influences and nature
(ICOLD, 2016).
Background Research
Distress in structures is the major cause of accidents during and
after construction. Therefore, before, during and after
constructions of structures especially huge structures like dams,
skyscrapers, bridges and other massive structures, there is a
team of engineers checking on the loading, environmental and
human influences affecting the structures to prevent failure of
structures. However, much emphasis was placed on human life
and in other structures except dams due to the nature of their
constructions. This resulted in massive accidents that led to
deaths and injured many with the current statistics standing at
over 300 accidents for just 36,000 dams globally. The most
concerns in dams were the overall monetary losses that would
occur in the event the structures failed. Thus many funds and
concern went into rehabilitation and repairs of the dams during
and after constructions centering around the damaging effects
on the structures (ASDSO, 2016).
While the Panama Canal is one of the greatest engineering
achievements in the history of engineering marking a hundred
years in 2014, it claimed the largest death toll recorded in the
history if dam constructions. It was referred to as the greatest
human sacrifice. There was a reported death toll of 30,609 lives
with the first 25,000 dying of fever and malaria in 1884 during
the French management and the rest 5,609 dying during the U.S.
management due to diseases and construction accidents in 1904.
Most of the men were natives with only 305 people being U.S.
citizens (ASDSO, 2016).
Hundreds of damages have occurred in the history of the United
States of America (U.S.A) and the following damages were
catastrophic ranging from property and environmental damages.
All these resulted in massive deaths. With the increase in the
use of technology and creation of more dams, the rise for risks
caused by the same increases rapidly. From January 2005 to
June 2013, an estimated 173 dams have failed and caused an

4. estimated 587 incidents which without interventions from
various risk management and control organizations would have
resulted in a huge number of incidents. The largest dam failure
was the New Orleans Levees failure that was caused by the
hurricane Katrina. Previous failures had occurred at the same
place but hadn’t caused intensive damage as the Katrina-related
failure.
Other catastrophes that have resulted due to dam failure include
the 7:20 am, May 16, 1874, Mill River Dam failure in
Williamsburg Massachusetts. It failed and caused a death toll of
138 lives which was recorded as the worst accident at the time.
Later one in 1989, May 31st the same scenario occurs in
Pennsylvania where the South Fork Dam failed and claimed
more than 2200 lives nine miles upstream, which is five times
the population of five residents in Johnstown. This was the
worst recorded dam failure yet. There has been a reporting of
many more failures in Arizona, Tennessee, Oregon, North
Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and other places across
the states. In 1928, the state Francis dam failed claiming the
landmark History of failed dams in California and other states
as well. This created concern in the United States and other
global countries as well as at the time, there had no safety rules
or laws governing the setting up or construction and
maintenance of the dams. This, therefore, resulted in further
incidents like February 26, 1972, Buffalo Creek Valley, West
Virginia dam failing that claimed 125 lives and resulted in over
$400million in damages. It also destroyed over 500 homes
(ASDSO, 2016).
In the same year, June 9, the Rapid City, South Dakota dam
failure claimed (estimated 33-237) lives, destroyed over 1335
homes and caused losses recorded to over $60 million dollars.
There was the 1976 Teton, Idaho, the 1977 Laurel Run,
Pennsylvania , and 1977 Toccoa falls, Georgia dam failures that
claimed 11, 40 and 39 people and $1 billion, $5.3million and
$2.5million dollars in damages. After the Toccoa incident,
President Jimmy Carter issued a directive to the Army Corps of

5. Engineers to inspect the nation’s non-federal high hazard dams.
It was referred to as the ‘Phase I Inspection program’ that
started in 1978 and came to a halt in 1981. The findings from
the inspection brought about the safety programs in most states
and led to the creation of the National Dam Safety Programs.
The program approved all legislations except Alabama which
has yet to pass the dam safety legislation. All these precaution
strategic moves resulted in the creation of ASDSO Dam failures
and incidents committee (DFIC) that aim to create awareness
into dam failures and incidents with an objective of reducing
the accidents that come about as result of the failures. It
enacted the Nation Dam Safety Awareness Day on May 27,
2016, on the 40th anniversary of the Teton Dam Failure
(ASDSO, 2016).
Causes of Dam Failure
While it has been identified that the major causes of accidents,
damages in property and deaths in dams is a dam failure, what
has yet to be identified is what causes the said failures. The
major causes of dam failure include overtopping or what is
commonly referred to as flood. Due to lack of adequate spillway
for most dams, most construction firms often result to
overtopping. This commonly causes failure that may result in
loss of life and damages downstream.as both measures are
factors that cause dam failure, companies are looking into ways
to safely overtop a dam. Another cause of dam failure is
foundation defects and slope instability. Slope stability refers to
the capability of soil covered slopes that can withstand and
undergo movement. This is measured through shear stress and
strength. Factors that affect the slope include environmental
factors that cause movement through loading, lateral pressure,
and interparticle forces. Shear strength can be decreased
through weathering and change in pore water pressure and
organic material. If a slope weakness occurs on a slope, it can
be aggravated by factors like weathering and organic material.
This will cause dam failure. Such problems are solved using
slope instability radar technology among others (TheContructor,

6. 2015).
Another cause is piping. Other causes include deterioration or
erosion, settlement or instability, spillway, structural, animal
activity, ice, riser or pipe, sabotage or vandalism and other
unknown factors, biggest contributors are overtopping and
seepage. Erosion of downstream toe causes spillways and tail
water that can result in dam failure. Seepage normally occurs at
a certain measured predetermined quantity. If it exceeds the
quantity through force of flow, it can cause dam failure. If the
water passes through poor soils forming larger holes each time,
it can cause drainage of dams as the channels grow bigger. If
the piping occurs at the foundation, it causes erosion and leads
to decrease of water in the dam and flooding in the surrounding
areas. Other causes like nature's influence through earthquakes
causes cracks in the walls causing leakage and piping failure. It
causes failure if the dam through overtopping. It also causes
more settlement than required, it causes sliding of natural hills
and shear slides of the dam (TheContructor, 2015).
Hypothesis
The aim of the study is to establish if the relationship between
the dam failure and the safety culture assessments. Culture may
be referred to as the elements resulting from intentional and
unintentional consequences, which cause an effect. Having that
the situation in dam construction in the past was quite alarming
being that there no safety culture assessment, the creation of
one of the Army Agency brought calm to a situation that would
have resulted into a state emergency and created fears into the
world of construction and engineering. Safety assessment
cultures are perceptions that have an influence on behavioral
choices at work and away. After an assessment, and after
various finding are compiled and assessed, the information
provides a site's safety culture that is identified, prioritized and
addressed. If the safety culture is adopted and implemented per
the guidelines, then the number of dam failures and dam failure
related damages can be reduced. Does the absence of the safety
culture assessment affect and contribute to the accidents that

7. occur in dam sites? For any site to be run properly, there must
be several guidelines that people operate by. Safety culture
assessment provides safety guideline that secures people and the
environment from injuries.
Research Design
The research design is based on random sampling methods
which are inclusive of questionnaires. Through questionnaires,
it would be very easy to determine on the past failures in terms
of safety precautions and measurement that led to most dam
failures and damages in terms of resources and monetary funds.
Other means include observation. By visiting ongoing dam
construction sites, looking into already constructed dams and
looking into dam plans for constructions on the way,
precautionary points can be noted from risky overtopping,
improper management of dams resulting in piping errors and
spillage among others. Lastly, looking into experimentation,
assessment into loading factors, lateral earth pressure and settle
and stability can be measured before and after the construction
of a dam to assess if a dam is prone to fail and help prepare for
future precautionary measures (Blakstard, 2016).
Sampling Plan
Being that research can exist in many frames from qualitative
and quantitative, the study is based on a descriptive research
method. Through the research, a case study or case studies on a
similar phenomenon that occurred in past time are done.
Researching deeply into the data that was recorded or observed
will shed light on various causes that may have caused the
various accidents. It will examine what factors influenced the
occurrence of the accidents, damage in properties, losses in
money and failures of the dam. Through observation of nature’s
cause, the dependency on the dam failure and other
predicaments can be determined. Through a survey that include
visits to the site, questionnaires, observations and other means,

8. the real cause of dam failure can be determined. Engineering
field laboratory tests can determine like mineral constitutes
which can pose health dangers to miners and people surrounding
the dam. They can also help to determine of the foundation
material is weak or strong and thus measure risks that can lead
to dam failure by the foundation. Twin studies into the
construction of dams can also help prevent future damages
caused by dam failures through proper safety cultural
assessments (ScienceBuddies, 2016).
References
ASDSO. (2016). Dam Failures and Incidents. Association of
State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), 1.
Blakstard, O. (2016). Research Designs. Explorable, 1.
ICOLD. (2016). Dams’ safety is at the very origin of the
foundation of ICOLD. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSIONS ON
LARGE DAMS (ICOLD), 1.
ScienceBuddies. (2016). Hypothesis. Science Buddies, 1.
TheContructor. (2015). FAILURE OF EARTHFILL DAMS:
Some causes of failure of earth fill dams. The Constructor: Civil
engineering Home, 1.
1
WORKPLACE SAFETY
Workplace Safety

9. BUS 642
September 03, 2016
Article: Safety Culture Assessment and its Relationship with
Accidents in a Dam Construction Project.
The article aims to address the safety culture assessments
of a specific workplace. The article looks at how accidents that
occur in the dam site relate with the safety culture assessments.
Safety culture assessment requires an organization or an
enterprise identifying all the hindrances that prevent workers of
an organization from having good performances in the
workplace. Safety culture assessment measures the dam
workers’ perceptions about how effective the safety culture of
the dam project management group. The safety culture
assessment acts as a report for the dam project management on
the major and minor safety issues that warrant their attention.
The safety culture assessment also looks to find all the
hindrances that exist in the dam project and ways to improve
any safety issues.
Safety culture assessment provides a benchmark for safety
measures project sites use and how efficient and effective they
are. The assessment offers a platform for comparison between
one project site and another. The safety assessment culture
provides a way which employees or workers use to voice their
concerns, state problems and commend the project management
on issues concerning the safety at the workplace or project site.
Project sites are prone to accidents. The dam project

10. management ignores the safety culture. When the management
does not take keen consideration on improving employee safety
coupled with ignorance of safety culture, the number of
accidents at the project sites and workplace increase. Safety
culture assessment uses four tools. The four safety assessment
tools include; safety culture survey, safety management systems
evaluation, structured interviews and leadership evaluation and
development for safety assessment tools.
Article Research Question
What is the cause of the accidents that occur within the dam
construction sites? The article seeks to find out the reasons
behind the accidents that occur within the dam construction
sites.
Background Research
A complete safety culture assessment could reveal the causes of
accidents at the construction site of the dam. A complete safety
culture assessment uses all four tools to do a complete
assessment.
Safety Culture Survey
The safety culture survey looks at several factors that account
for safety at the workplace. The safety culture survey assesses
how the project management supports safety regulations, how
fellow workers support for safety, personal responsibility for
safety and the safety systems in place (Taylor, 2012).
Safety Management Systems Evaluation
The safety management systems evaluation looks at ten
different systems safety management uses. Safety management
systems involve evaluation of the leadership’s commitment to
safety, the discipline, rewards, and recognition. Safety
management systems also look at observation, feedback, safety
communication, safety accountability, audits, inspections,
safety policies, procedures, safety committees, incident
reporting and subsequent investigations (Taylor, 2012).
Structured Interviews
Interviews are carried out with questions that relate to safety

11. policies and issues at the project site (Taylor, 2012).
Leadership Evaluation and Development for Safety Assessment
(LEADS)
The LEADS assessment tool measures the critical leadership
skills that safety requires. The tool looks at how effectively
leaders of the project consider safety (Taylor, 2012).
A complete assessment reveals the various causes of accidents
at the dam.
The Article’s Hypothesis
The hypothesis of the article is that there is a direct co-relation
between accidents occurring at the dam construction sites and
the safety culture. The article seeks to prove that poor safety
culture directly leads to accidents occurring in the dam
construction sites. The alternative hypothesis would, therefore,
be there is no relationship between safety culture and the
accidents that occur at the dam construction site (Daryshi,
2015).
Ethical Concerns
The ethical concerns in the study are concerned with the tools
used in the safety assessment. In the interviews concerning
safety issues, workers could be trained to answer questions to
avoid making the leaders of the project look bad. Avoiding the
true answers compromises the study. Another ethical concern is
that there are not enough qualified project managers to ensure
safety culture assessment is implemented properly. It is
important to educate the project managers on safety policies and
safety culture (Hanizzam Awang, 2016).
Preliminary Research Design
For the research data is collected using observation of the
workplace safety measures put in place, interviews with the
workers and project managers and submission of questionnaires
to the employees and project leaders. All questionnaires and
interviews will have questions that relate to safety concerns,
policies and issues at the dam construction site.
Data Sampling for Research
The data sampling is done by using at least two workers from

12. every level of the dam construction site. Data sampling ensures
there is a wide range of data which improves the quality and
accuracy of results.
References
Darvishi, E. (2015). Safety Culture Assessment and its
Relationship with Accidents in a Dam Construction Project.
Retrieved from:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl
=en&user=pZRV8lUA
AAJ&citation_for_view=pZRV8lUAAAAJ:ufrVoPGSRksC
Hanizzam Awang, M. A. (2016). Construction Methods And
Technology. Penerbit USM.
Taylor, D. J. (2012). Safety Culture: Assessing and Changing
the Behaviour of Organisations. Gower Publishing.
WORKPLACE SAFETY 1
WORKPLACE SAFETY 6
Workplace Safety
BUS 642
September 26, 2016

13. Workplace Safety
In all organizations, there is a certain culture that is formulated
which is aimed at enabling the employees to manage to operate
in the most effective way, and at the same time to protect them
from any form of physical or mental harm that might be brought
about by their activities in the workplace. This article aims at
examining how the many accidents that occur in the dam
construction project relate to the safety culture established in
the project. Safety culture assessment measures the dam
workers’ perceptions about how effective the safety culture of
the dam project management group. The safety culture
assessment acts as a report for the dam project management on
the major and minor safety issues that warrant their attention.
The safety culture assessment also looks to find all the
hindrances that exist in the dam project and ways to improve
any safety issues.
Safety culture assessment provides a benchmark for safety
measures project sites use and how efficient and effective they
are. The assessment offers a platform for comparison between
one project site and another. The safety assessment culture
provides a way which employees or workers use to voice their
concerns, state problems and commend the project management
on issues concerning the safety at the workplace or project site.
Project sites are prone to accidents. The dam project
management ignores the safety culture. When the management
does not take keen consideration on improving employee safety
coupled with ignorance of safety culture, the number of
accidents at the project sites and workplace increase. Safety
culture assessment uses four tools. The four-safety assessment

14. tools include; safety culture survey, safety management systems
evaluation, structured interviews and leadership evaluation and
development for safety assessment tools.
Article research question
What is the cause of the accidents that occur within the dam
construction sites? The article seeks to find out the reasons
behind the accidents that occur within the dam construction
sites.
Background Research
A complete safety culture assessment could reveal the causes of
accidents at the construction site of the dam. A complete safety
culture assessment uses all four tools to do a complete
assessment.
The Article’s Hypothesis
The hypothesis of the article is that there is a direct co-relation
between accidents occurring at the dam construction sites and
the safety culture. The article seeks to prove that poor safety
culture directly leads to accidents occurring in the dam
construction sites. The alternative hypothesis would, therefore,
be there is no relationship between safety culture and the
accidents that occur at the dam construction site (Daryshi,
2015).
Research Design
For the research data is collected using observation of the
workplace safety measures put in place, interviews with the
workers and project managers and submission of questionnaires
to the employees and project leaders. All questionnaires and
interviews will have questions that relate to safety concerns,
policies and issues at the dam construction site.
Data Sampling for Research
The data sampling will be done by using at least two workers
from every level of the dam construction site. I this process, the
main aim is to obtain information from various random
individuals operating within the project concerning safety
culture that is established. To obtain this information, the data
sampling will utilize the use of surveys and questionnaires

15. where research participants will provide answers to those
questions.
Types of Secondary Data used to Test the Hypothesis and Why
Currently, safety is an issue that affects almost all
workplace environments, and thus, for this reason, many
individuals have provided research studies and other forms of
potential sources where I can obtain information to help prove
my hypothesis. As stated earlier, my hypothesis claims that the
many accidents that have taken place in the workplace directly
relate to the safety culture established within that workplace.
The research studies that can contribute as secondary sources in
helping me prove the hypothesis are the ones that explain about
safety issues in the workplace and then analyze that workplace
with information that can help me understand the safety culture
within it. Such information is significantly important and useful
because, with it, I can compare the occurrence of accidents
within the workplace and relate that data with the safety culture
of the organization where these safety issues occurred. This will
provide me with the understanding of how often accidents that
relate to safety cultures occur, and how often those that do not
occur. The information will thus contribute significantly to my
determination of whether the safety culture relates with accident
occurrence in the workplace (Hughes, & Ferrett, 2011).
Measurement and Measurement Scales
A survey with measurement scales would be significantly
appropriate in testing my hypothesis. To begin with, the
hypothesis needs to assess whether any relationship that occurs
within the workplace has any relationship with the safety
culture within it. With this understanding, two main
assessments should be done. The first form of assessment is
determining the ability of the safety culture to prevent the
occurrence of accidents within the workplace. The second
assessment is determining the causes of the accidents within the
workplace. After attaining these measurements in random
workplace environments, I will thus be able to determine
whether the workplace accidents occurrence is different for

16. those with a culture that has high accident prevention capability
and those with low prevention capability. Obtaining such
information from a survey will enable me to acquire a stand in
my hypothesis.
References
Darvishi, E. (2015). Safety Culture Assessment and its
Relationship with Accidents in a Dam.
Construction Project.
Hughes, P. & Ferrett, E. (2011). Introduction to health and
safety at work. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.