Construction site accidents

 Sharing This Blog To Avoid Unauthorized Use By Upwork Client

Construction site accidents

Construction has always been considered a risky profession based on the kind and nature of activities involved on the construction sites, ultimately leading to the potential for accidents. In order to avoid construction accidents, it is crucial to foresee the potential accidents and their characteristics within specific conditions. Sound knowledge about previous accidents is crucial to propose such predictions. Certainly, thorough research and cautious implementation of safety protocols is essential to prevent accidents at construction sites. Majority of the accidents stem from the distinct characteristics of the industry, challenging work-site environments, human actions and inadequate safety management, leading to the adoption of unsafe work practices and procedures (CII 1988). Due to the high rate of accidents in the construction sector, it is crucial that all site workers, safety and site engineers need to be fully equipped to handle accidents in real time and conduct proper investigation and reporting procedures thereafter. The statistics concerning accidents not only depict tragic human events but also leads to substantial economic burden. This happens as accidents result in damaging the plant equipment, disrupts the ongoing work productivity till the restoration of normal work rhythm and spirit. The investigations conducted by the insurance companies and health and safety personnel also cause work interruptions and badly affects the overall productivity. Furthermore, contractors have to face increased charges for insurance and are always at the risk of bad reputation. Such issues also require mindful consideration in ensuring a safe work environment (Al-Tabtabai, 2002).

Construction accidents in Kuwait

The data sourced from Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) indicates a steady increase in the labor force. Construction workers accounted for 9.9% of the total labor force in Kuwait. In spite of considerably smaller portion of labor force compared to other industries, the number of on-site construction accidents surpasses the combined accident rates of all industries (Hinze, 2000). Most of the construction workers in Kuwait are from Asian regions, working at lower wages in this sector due to the economic situation. Most of the labor working in the construction sector of Kuwait possess minimal education, with some of them having limited reading and writing abilities. Many of these workers do not have necessary training required to perform complicated task. Due to their South Asian origin, most of the construction workers do not understand local languages. Previous experiences show that such circumstances can create a more vulnerable environment for accidents and safety violations (Hinze, 2000).

A study conducted by Al-Humaidi (2010) aimed at investigating construction related incidents in Kuwait between 1997 and 2007. This study discussed various aspects such as the nature of accidents, the injuries endured, the body parts affected and the ultimate outcome for these accidents. In order to analyze the safety standards of construction in Kuwait, the relevant data was sourced from MSAL. Real life case studies of accidents at construction sites in Kuwait were taken from local print media channels. MSAL statistics shows that the construction industry is accountable for the highest number of worker injuries between the years 1996 and 2007. Falls has been reported to be the number one cause for accidents with 33.2% whereas being hit or struck by an object is the second most common reason with 25.2%. Third most common cause resulting in accidents include misuse/mishandling of tools (18.1%). Among injuries endured by the construction workers, fractures (52.6%) trailed by wounds (17.5%) and bruises (14.5%) reported to be the most frequent injuries. 53.4% of the construction accidents shows that the upper part of the body is affected whereas lower part of the body is reported to be affected 32.8% cases. Studies have shown that 82.7% construction site accidents in Kuwait result in life long disabilities, among which only 16.5% have been found to show complete recovery. Fatalities account for 0.8% of construction accidents in Kuwait. Thorough review of the data from the last ten years highlights the implementation of poor safety standards at construction sites in Kuwait and the need for a serious shift in existing practices to enhance safety measures on construction sites in Kuwait.

In another study conducted by Al-Tabtabai (2002), research was conducted to explore the common causes of accidents at the construction sites in Kuwait and to probe the effect of behaviors, human errors, management decisions and project’s nature on the construction accidents. The primary data was collected from accident reports generated by government departments to analyze the core reasons behind accidents and the resultant injuries. Results of this study delineated that falls from scaffolding or ladders, and tool accidents are the most common type of accidents throughout the Kuwait. These results were confirmed by the results of this project as well as by the government records. Furthermore, most of the construction site accidents happened during summer season and during routine working hours. Upper half of the body was the most affected injury area followed by the lower half. As far as the causes of these accidents were concerned, the analysis showed a direct relationship among the construction accidents and the nature of the project or the management. Whereas, human error was not perceived as a major cause of these accidents and subsequent injuries which was an unexpected outcome.

Additionally, Al-Tabtabai (2002) also identified ten most crucial factors affecting the workers’ safety at construction site and causing day-to-day accidents. These factors were arranged according to their level of severity with the most important factor listed first. The factors include (1) harsh weather situations, (2) improper supervision of workers regarding the use of safety equipment, (3) lack of periodic meetings related to the safety measures, (4) no use of personal protection equipment by the workers, (5) no adherence to workplace safety regulations, (6) unavailability of on-site safety engineer, (7) lack of team work, (8) lack of worker’s training, (9) misuse of tools for other than their specified task, and (10) improper housing and transportation of workers. Altogether, these factors can be used while devising on-site safety programs to reduce the frequency and severity of construction accidents in Kuwait.

Earlier, Kartam & Bouz (1998) conducted a similar study to probe the common causes of construction accidents in Kuwait and the frequency of fatal and serious injuries. The prevailing injury and cost-reporting system was utilized to assess construction accidents in private firms and government agencies. Results ranked the construction industry as top riskiest and hazardous industry in Kuwait accounting for 48% injuries with disabilities and 62% fatalities in 1994. Similarly, for the year 1995 and 1996, construction industry accounted for 38% and 34% injuries with disabilities and 38% & 42% fatalities, respectively. These figures are significantly higher than the observed figures for USA, reporting 9% injuries resulted in disabilities and 14% injuries resulted in work-related deaths. The major reason of these fatalities and disabilities during construction site accidents in Kuwait was falling from a height. However, poor record management, inefficient reporting mechanism and lack of awareness regarding the cost of accidents were the major hurdles in calculating the actual cost of these accidents.