Category Archives: HSE

7 Precautions to take during heavy rain in a construction site

The construction sites can be especially vulnerable to the effects of heavy rain and other adverse weather conditions. It is important to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of workers and the integrity of the construction project.

In this article, we will outline some key precautions to take during heavy rain to protect your construction site and keep your workers safe.

Here are some precautions to take during heavy rain in a construction site:

  1. Secure all equipment and materials: Make sure all construction equipment and materials are properly secured and not at risk of being damaged or lost due to the rain.
  1. Protect electrical systems: Water and electricity can be a dangerous combination, so be sure to cover and protect any electrical systems or outlets to prevent short circuits or electrocution.
  1. Watch for flooding: Keep an eye on the construction site for any areas that may be prone to flooding. If necessary, use sandbags or other barriers to prevent water from entering the site.
  1. Stay off wet surfaces: Walking on wet surfaces can be slippery and dangerous, so make sure workers stay off any wet or flooded areas until they are dry and safe to walk on.
  1. Use caution when working with heavy machinery: Be extra careful when operating heavy machinery during heavy rain, as the wet conditions can make it more difficult to control the equipment.
  1. Keep emergency supplies on hand: It’s always a good idea to have emergency supplies on hand in case of unexpected weather events, such as flashlights, first aid kits, and emergency blankets.
  1. Monitor weather conditions: Stay up to date on weather forecasts and be prepared to take appropriate action if necessary. If the rain is severe, consider suspending work until conditions improve.

In conclusion, heavy rain can present a number of challenges for construction sites. It is important to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of workers and the integrity of the construction project.

By securing equipment and materials, protecting electrical systems, watching for flooding, staying off wet surfaces, using caution when working with heavy machinery, keeping emergency

Safety Leadership: I am a Safety Leader

Safety Leadership – Key Messages
Inspired by ADNOC Safety Day 2019

Safety Leadership

I always act safely.

Safety is a commitment. It is my personal choice and my principle in life. I always act safely not because of the implementation of safety rules and the corresponding violations or citations against safety procedures, but rather I am principled and committed to safety.

I don’t compromise safety. It is because unsafe is unsafe even if everybody is doing unsafe act and safe is safe even if nobody or even a single person is doing safely. I always act safely, that is my honor and norm in life.

I walk the talk.

I am a safety leader. To be an effective leader, I must become a good follower. I walk the talk. I lead by example. I put into practice what I am preaching. That is the attitude that is embedded in me. I live what I preach. It is visible in me.

As a good leader I need to be aware of what it takes to bring other employees and contractors along. My leadership lies by being a good follower. When I walk the talk, that is leadership, a safety leadership.

I uphold our safety rules.

My responsibility as a safety leader can be seen with all the behaviors, decisions and actions that I make. That is my accountability. I am the owner of my actions…I establish ownership, accountability, and responsibility. I can do this by upholding safety rules and by proactively building a safe environment for all other workers.

I inspire safe behavior.

My safety leadership does not lie solely on wearing PPE’s or even simply by following safety rules and procedures. Rather, it is to motivate my colleagues by inspiring them to take my lead.

Safety leader is not by acting as a safety police. But rather, by providing the needed support of my colleagues, by playing an active role as a coach, mentor, and a brother for safety. That is the way to inspire safe behavior.

I listen to and welcome feedback.

The challenge to me as a safety leader is to listen to feedback even if it is negative. The problem sometimes is, I simply want to listen to what I want to hear and I discourage our colleagues to speak their hearts out.

I do believe that my colleagues and subordinates will listen to me if and only if I learn how to listen to them. That is by being respectful. If I want to be respected, I must be respectful. For without feedback, I will not learn nor improve to achieve my goal of the 100% HSE.

Safety Responsibilities

All personnel including managers, division heads, supervisors, foremen, employees, and contractors have the following safety responsibilities:

Manager/Supervisor Responsibilities

  • Establish and communicate safety rules and standards to all employees and contractors.
  • Provide appropriate resources, tools, and training for employees.
  • Award contracts using safety, health, and environmental criteria.
  • Conduct and document safety meetings.
  • Correct unsafe acts and conditions promptly.
  • Conduct routine safety and environment inspections and tours.
  • Maintain facility emergency plans and conduct regular emergency drills.
  • Investigate injuries, spills, and other incidents and promptly provide corrective actions.
  • Review organization and employee safety performance periodically and provide feedback.

Employee Responsibilities

  • Comply with applicable rules, standards, and safe work practices.
  • Communicate safety rules and standards to contractors and coworkers.
  • Maintain knowledge of safety requirements, including emergency response action.
  • Participate and safety meetings.
  • Assist in incident investigations as necessary.

Safety Responsibilities

Contractor Responsibilities

  • Ensure that contractor employees and their subcontractors are trained in safety rules and are competent in their craft or skill.
  • Comply with all rules, policies, and procedures.
  • Report injuries, spills, unsafe acts and conditions, near misses and incidents immediately.
  • Operate SA equipment only with proper authorization and certification.
  • Hold pre-job meetings and other safety meetings during the job.
  • Assist and incident investigations as necessary.

Report Incidents

  • Immediately report all related injuries/illnesses or vehicle collisions, no matter how slight, to your supervisor.
  • Immediately report all fires, spills, and releases, no matter how small to your supervisor.
  • Immediately report all unsafe condition, practices, near miss, or incident to your supervisor.

ReferenceSaudi Aramco Safety Handbook: Minimum Safety Rules

Loss Prevention Policy

A company should conduct its business in a manner which prevents incidents or accidents which cause loss of life, bodily injury or illness, or damage to property, assets or the environment.

A company should continuously maintain the highest standards of safety, security, health and environmental protection. It has to:

  • Advise all employees and contractors of their loss prevention responsibilities and regularly measure their performance;
  • Evaluate, identify and eliminate or manage safety risks prior to beginning any new operation or activity and continue to review such risks, complying with all applicable laws and regulations;
  • Communicate loss prevention objectives and procedures regularly to employees and all affected parties;
  • Train employees and provide resources to maintain job competencies, including loss prevention responsibility and accountability;
  • Design and construct company facilities utilizing recognized best technology and practices to safeguard property and people;
  • Operate and maintain company facilities to ensure safe operations;
  • Require that contractors, suppliers and others adhere to the company’s loss prevention policies, procedures and goals;
  • Prepare for emergencies and other contingencies and respond promptly and effectively to any incidents or accidents resulting from operations;
  • Report all incidents, review performance and communicate progress;
  • Promote off-the-job safety and community awareness, and
  • Review and improve the company’s loss prevention program and performance.

It is good to note that different companies have their own different Loss Prevention Policy.

Reference: Saudi Aramco Safety Handbook: Minimum Safety Rules

 

NEBOSH: IGC – International General Certificate

NEBOSH International General Certificate (IGC) is the most in demand NEBOSH Qualifications nowadays.

Many companies especially those in the field of General Industries or even in the Engineering and Constructions are looking for Health, Safety and Environment Specialists who hold such qualifications.

I just want to note that there is NEBOSH qualifications dedicated solely for the construction industries, that is the NEBOSH International Construction Certificate which I won’t tackle yet in my NEBOSH series of articles. But once I’ve got this one, I will also include this in my discussions.

Meanwhile, there is an advantage if an applicant for health and safety (HSE) job has NEBOSH IGC qualifications simply because companies require their health and safety personnel to become a NEBOSH Certified.

Then, what is NEBOSH IGC all about? Wait, I will just discuss in this article what I have learned during my trainings and examinations while I was taking my NEBOSH IGC.

As I recall and understand, NEBOSH International General Certificate provides an excellent foundation in occupational safety and health, helping those who study it manage risk more effectively. It is because in the general industries or in any other engineering and construction sites, there are some risks which are present in the working areas and those who have NEBOSH IGC will be able to manage the risks effectively and efficiently.

Moreover, NEBOSH International Certificate is based on international standards and is suitable for people in any industry sector, anywhere in the world. I just want to emphasize that NEBOSH IGC is not only for those who are aspiring to start a career in health and safety, for it is also ideal for managers, supervisors, and employee representatives.

There are three methods of learning for those who would like to study NEBOSH International General Certificate. You may attend classroom trainings, a method which I chose when I took up this course.

You may also attend a blended learning in which you may attend some lessons in the classroom and you may continue learning on your own via online provided that you will have a constant communication with your trainer via phone or emails for unlimited support until you finish your course.

The last method that you may attend to is the distance learning or the e-learning in which the course materials will be provided to you and you can start learning anytime convenient at you. For those who don’t have luxury of time to attend to classroom trainings or blended learning, distance learning would suit their needs.

It is also backed-up with unlimited support from the assigned trainer via phone and emails. Forum online for the students is also available. This will be set-up by the course provider in order for the distance learning students to have a discussion on their own via online.

You may download contents so that you can study offline and review your lessons as you prepare for the exams which are offered worldwide.

Remember, lots of opportunities in health and safety industries will be coming your way once you become a NEBOSH Certified. Here is why.

The NEBOSH International Certificate is widely respected by employers worldwide; holders are entitled to apply for Associate Membership of IOSH and it meets the academic requirements for Technician Membership of IOSH and Associate Membership of IIRSM.

You may also continue learning and attain higher qualification by taking the NEBOSH International Diploma. NEBOSH IGC is a pre-requisite of the said diploma.

That’s all for now! I’ll be writing more on NEBOSH International General Certificate in my next article.

If you’d like to be kept updated with my posts “Like” this post or subscribe to my blog.

What is NEBOSH?

When every time that an applicant for Safety Officer reports to the recruitment agency, he is always asked by the recruiter if he is a NEBOSH Certified.

What is NEBOSH then?

The applicant is usually surprised if he is asked about NEBOSH Qualifications. Why? It is simply because the most noted qualification that the safety officer possesses before is the OSHA certificates.

OSHA stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration created by US Congress with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

Thus, the recruitment agency is asked by their client to look for a safety officer who has OSHA Certificates. An OSHA 30-hour for Construction Safety and Heath will do as basic qualification. That was the trend a long time ago.

However, the clients of the recruitment agency nowadays are asking for an applicant who has NEBOSH Qualifications. They require their applicant to have a NEBOSH International General Certificate as a preferred qualification.

(But still, it is better if you have both OSHA and NEBOSH.)

Those who have this preferred qualification are in an advantage mode during their applications. And those who do not have it, they try to figure out what is NEBOSH and they even ask where they could avail it.

NEBOSH stands for “the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health”. It is a UK-based awarding body.

To clarify certain points, NEBOSH does not offer any occupational health and safety trainings but rather, it provides course materials, syllabus, assignments, assessments and examinations. But the trainings will be provided by the Accredited Course Providers who will prepare the candidates or the aspirants for NEBOSH Qualifications.

But wait, it is good to note that the Accredited Course Providers do not supervise examinations. It is NEBOSH itself who administers the assessments and examinations.

To cite a concrete example, I attended my NEBOSH trainings provided by DAMI Global in Yanbu Saudi Arabia, but those who administered our examinations came from the British Council in Jeddah.

My good instructor and any DAMI representative were not allowed to stay during the examination. So, in the examinations, NEBOSH aspirants were on their own while taking the tests.

Once an examinee passed all the exams, he will be awarded with NEBOSH International General Certificate. There are three parts for this level, the IGC 1, IGC 2, and the IGC 3 or the practical assessment. Each exam that an examinee passes, he will receive certificate. I‘ve got a total of four certificates after I passed the test.

Now, if you are aspiring to become a NEBOSH certified, don’t hesitate, just find a course provider nearest to you, attend the trainings and take the exams. And you will be happy and proud to receive your NEBOSH qualifications.

Take note, the qualifications are also recognized by professional membership bodies including the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA). This means that successful candidates can apply to use letters such as TechIOSH, GradIOSH, CMIOSH, and MIIRSM after their name –all you have to do is to apply for the membership.

Remember, once you get it, there are lots of opportunities that will be coming along your way.

What is NEBOSH then? For now, that’s all I can say.

Over the next few months, I will be writing some lessons on NEBOSH International General Certificate and I will share some summaries that I have made during my trainings.

If you’d like to be kept updated with my posts “Like” this post or subscribe to my blog.

 

OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHAlogoOSHA which stands for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created by the US Congress with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

OSHA aims to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) was passed to prevent workers from being killed or seriously harmed at work. This law created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which sets and enforces protective workplace safety and health standards.

It also provides information, training, and assistance to employers and workers. Under the OSH Act, employers have the responsibility to provide a safe workplace.

OSHA offers a wide selection of training courses and educational programs to help broaden worker and employer knowledge on the recognition, avoidance, and prevention of safety and health hazards in their workplaces. OSHA also offers training and educational materials that help businesses train their workers and comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Through the Outreach Training Program, OSHA offers occupational safety and health classes designed for workers and employers.

The following are the OSHA Training for workers:

  • Construction 10- and 30-hour classes
  • General Industry 10- and 30-hour classes
  • Maritime 10- and 30-hour classes
  • Disaster Site Worker classes

Those who would like to practice a profession in Occupational Safety and Health may attend the trainings to comply for their job requirements or simply to broaden their knowledge in HSE. A certification will be awarded to those who will attend the training and to those who will pass the assessment and examinations.

An ordinary worker in engineering and construction industry is encouraged to attend the 10-hour construction classes. If he aspires to become a safety officer, a 30-hour Occupational Safety and Health Training Course in Construction Safety and Health would be good starting point for his career in health and safety.

NEBOSH: National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health

NEBOSH stands for (The) National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health. It was formed as awarding body with charitable status in 1979.

It offers a comprehensive range of globally-recognized, qualifications designed to meet the health, safety and environmental management needs of all places of work.

The courses that being offered to get certification from NEBOSH attract around 50,000 candidates annually and are offered by more than 600 course providers. NEBOSH are fast-growing awarding body for examinations are taken in over 110 countries all over the world.

In 2014, NEBOSH received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, a Britain’s highest accolade for trade success, for its “outstanding achievement” in International Trade.

Its qualifications are recognized by the relevant professional membership bodies including the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM).

NEBOSH examinations and assessments are not easy. A candidate must do a lot of readings in order to understand the lessons and eventually pass in the examinations which are set by its professionally qualified staff assisted by external examiners; most of whom are Chartered Safety and Health Practitioners or Chartered Environmentalist operating within industry, the public sector or in enforcement.

Its technical standards are overseen by a Qualification and Technical Council with representatives drawn from national institutions.

NEBOSH is an awarding body approved by Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Accreditation, which has a UK-wide regulatory remit.

In addition, NEBOSH maintains Investors in People (IIP) status and is also an ISO 9001:2008 registered organizations.

The following are the NEBOSH Qualifications:

AWARDS:

NEBOSH Health and Safety at Work Qualification

NEBOSH Environmental Awareness at Work Qualification

NEBOSH Health, Safety and Environment in the Process Industries Qualification

CERTIFICATES:

NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety

NEBOSH National Certificate in Construction Health and Safety

NEBOSH National Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management

NEBOSH National Certificate in the Management of Health and Well-being at Work

NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management

NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety

NEBOSH International Certificate in Construction Health and Safety

NEBOSH International Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management

NEBOSH International Technical Certificate in Oil and Gas Operational Safety

DIPLOMAS

NEBOSH National Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety

NEBOSH International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety

NEBOSH National Diploma in Environmental Management

Those who would like to pursue a career in Occupational Health and Safety, NEBOSH qualifications will be very beneficial for you.