The document discusses the importance of safety management systems (SMS) in construction projects, outlining their components, benefits, issues, and challenges. Key elements for effective SMS include management commitment, accountability, employee involvement, and risk management. It emphasizes the need for strong safety practices to foster a culture of safety, improve health and safety performance, and comply with regulations.

1. KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY
DHULIKHEL KAVRE
SAFETY MANAGEMENT: ISSUES, BENEFITS AND
CHALLENGES
Presenters:
Sujan Ghimire
Department of Geomatics Engineering
KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY
9/12/2023 1
Department of Geomatics Engineering

2. 9/12/2023 Department of Geomatics Engineering 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
1
COMPONENTS
2
KEY ELEMENTS
3
BENEFITS
4
ISSUES
5
CHALLENGES
6
CONCLUSION
7

3. INTRODUCTION
Safety management is the way of managing the project activities to prevent risk of safety issues
accessing injuries and accidents in the construction as well as the project itself.
System to manage safety elements in the workplace
Includes plans, policies, objectives and responsibilities of any organization to manage safety risk
A number of safety measures and analyses have to be considered during the entire life cycle of a
project.
The implementation and effectiveness of these safety measures have to be assessed and controlled
by proper safety management procedures and safety policy.
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4. COMPONENTS OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM
1. Safety policy and objectives
An effective SMS must have a robust policy and layout clear objectives.
Safety accountability and responsibilities should be clearly defined.
Key safety personnel should be appointed to manage various elements of the SMS.
2. Safety risk management
Identify the hazards
Analyse the risks
Conduct a risk assessment and
Control the risks
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5. CONTD…
3. Safety assurance
Monitors risk controls during operations.
Include safety audits and incident reporting systems.
Enables the implementation of preventative and corrective actions to eliminate or reduce
workplace risks.
4. Safety promotion
Support the successful integration of a SMS in an organization.
Activities include training and knowledge sharing, as well as clear safety
communications.
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6. KEY ELEMENTS OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM
1. Management Commitment
Every statement said and every choice made, as well as every action taken, reflects the
manager's attitude toward safety and health.
An effective safety policy represents the organizational commitment
2. Accountability
Links the performance of responsibilities to effective consequences.
Helps your employees understand that you're committed to achieving and maintaining a
safe, healthful workplace.
3. Employee Involvement
Effective safety and health programs involve employees
Best ways to involve employees is through a safety committee
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7. CONTD….
4. Hazard Identification and Control
A system to identify any existing or potential dangers in the workplace
Following through to eliminate or control them.
Components of hazard identification and control
5. Incident/Accident Analysis
Difficult to prevent all work place incidents and accidents
Most incidents or accidents occur are result of safety management system design and/or
performance failures
6. Education and training
Education and training for knowing potential work place risk and limit exposure toward
risks
Education emphasizes the value of safe techniques and procedures
Training enhances the abilities needed for safe work
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8. BENEFITS OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM
1. Improved health and safety performance
Can clearly identify risks, manage hazards, and report any issues
Clear link with improved health and safety performance.
2. Reduced cost associated with incidents
Help to reduce the likelihood of incidents and accidents occurring
Lower organization's costs of dealing with them.
3. Increase business efficiency and improve staff morale
Reducing: the amount of downtime, insurance premium, cost of replacing damaged
property, overall time and cost of investigating incidents/accidents
Improving team morale leading to increased staff retention;
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9. CONTD….
4. Improved cost management
Insurers may offer reduced premiums safety risks are effectively controlled
Help to reduce accidents in the workplace and minimize the compensation cost
5. Increased regulatory compliance
Effective SMS can help to ensure that organization is complying with all legal
requirements
Maintains safe daily operations
Avoids reputational damage and financial penalty.
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10. ISSUES OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
1. Lack of safety decision making structure and accountability
No right people making safety decision
The higher up approach should be taken into consideration for such decisions.
2. Lack of meaningful risk assessment process:
Meaningful risk assessment involves identification of qualitative and quantitative
identification of risks based on the goals of the project.
Lack of right skills to develop the meaningful risk assessment process.
3. Lack of an open risk-ware culture
Project managers are willing to maintain transparency
But lag effective risk and safety management
As they are missing open dialogs about concerned risks and safety.
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11. CONTD…
4. Knowledge and awareness lacking among the workers
Untrained and unskilled people in management
Labor lack the knowledge of safety
5. Lack of employer's and management commitments:
Lack of commitment on the part of team members can sink an entire project
Having a project tool that allows responsibilities to be assigned and tracked is key to
fostering accountability
Regular check-ins within the team also fosters accountability
6. Lack of Database and research on occupational health and safety:
Project Database and research on occupational health and safety is one of the most
important requirements
For the successful completion of the project
Lack of it creates uncertain incidents during field work
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12. CHALLENGES OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM
1. Workplace Ethics and Integrity Issues
Poor business and workplace ethics can be hazardous to job security
Staying clear of those who ask to compromise with integrity
In some cases, these issues need to be reported to the supervisor, human resources, or
legal representatives
2. New to the work place:
Making mistakes and fitting in are very obvious challenges
Eliminated by figuring out how to be part of a new work culture
Good attitude, manners, and work habits will show that you are a professional.
3. Inadequate risk management
Having the foresight to identify potential ‘what if’ scenarios
Having a contingency plan in place is critical.
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13. CONCLUSION
Provides oversight of safety practices, ensures that a site is in compliance with relevant regulations
and laws, and saves lives by fostering a strong safety culture
Encompasses not only formal safety terms, but also the safety of ultimately gaining confidence in
every mind, safety for everyone, dedication in every heart, improvement in every activity, and a
smile on every face, all of which result in project efficiency.
In the project, we should fully understand the common safety problems, and take effective
measures to solve these problems, to ensure that the production activities can be carried out safely
and steadily, while ensuring the quality and promoting the sustainable development of project
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14. REFERENCES
• Aksorn, T., & Hadikusumo, B. H. (2008). Critical success factors influencing
safety program performance in Thai construction projects. Safety science, 46(4),
709-727.
• Idubor, E. E., & Oisamoje, M. D. (2013). An exploration of health and safety
management issues in Nigeria’s effort to industrialize. European Scientific
Journal, 9(12).
• Joshi, S., Hamilton, M., Warren, R., Faucett, D., Tian, W., Wang, Y., & Ma, J.
(2021). Implementing Virtual Reality technology for safety training in the
precast/prestressed concrete industry. Applied ergonomics, 90, 103286.
• Loosemore, M., Raftery, J., Reilly, C., & Higgon, D. (2012). Risk management
in projects: Routledge.
• Nieva, V., & Sorra, J. (2003). Safety culture assessment: a tool for improving
patient safety in healthcare organizations. BMJ quality & safety, 12(suppl 2),
ii17-ii23.
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