SAFETY MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION

What is DAM?A dam is a barrier that impounds water or undergroundstreams. The reservoirs created by dams not onlysuppress floods but provide water for various needs toinclude irrigation, human consumption, industrial use,aquaculture and navigability. Hydropower is often usedin conjunction with dams to generate electricity. A damcan also be used to collect water or for storage of waterwhich can be evenly distributed between locations. Damsgenerally serve the primary purpose of retaining water,while other structures such as floodgates or levees (alsoknown as dikes) are used to manage or prevent waterflow into specific land regions.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dam

Should SAFETY MANAGEMENT be implemented during DAM CONSTRUCTION? OF COURSE

DURING THE HOOVER DAM CONSTRUCTION

There were 112 deaths associated with the construction of the dam.The first was J. G. Tierney, a surveyor who drowned on December 20,1922, while looking for an ideal spot for the dam. His son, Patrick W.Tierney, was the last man to die working on the dam, 13 years to the daylater. Ninety-six of the deaths occurred during construction at the site. Ofthe 112 fatalities, 91 were Six Companies employees, three were BORemployees, and one was a visitor to the site, with the remainderemployees of various contractors not part of Six Companies.

Not included in the official fatalities number were deaths that wererecorded as pneumonia. Workers alleged that this diagnosis was a coverfor death from carbon monoxide poisoning, brought on by the use ofgasoline-fueled vehicles in the diversion tunnels, and a classification usedby Six Companies to avoid paying compensation claims. The site'sdiversion tunnels frequently reached 140 °F (60 °C), enveloped in thickplumes of vehicle exhaust gases. A total of 42 workers were recorded ashaving died from pneumonia; none were listed as having died fromcarbon monoxide poisoning. No deaths of non-workers from pneumoniawere recorded in Boulder City during the construction period.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam

Roles and Responsibilities

• CONTRACTOR responsible for having a safety management plan in place

and for assuring safety on site, the safe and healthfulperformance of their work, preventing accidents or damage toadjacent public and private property, and safety training oftheir employees. When a contractor is advised by the Agencyof a safety violation, the contractor should respond in writingand immediately take corrective action as set out in theirsafety management plan.

enforce safety by developing a Job Hazard Analysis for thework to be undertaken and discussing actions needed toprovide safety at jobsite planning meetings. Supervisors drawon their safety experience to direct the actions of those undertheir direction. Contractor staff should include a safetyprofessional who undertakes surveillance of operations toeliminate sources of potential accidents.

give newly employed, promoted, and/or transferredpersonnel comprehensive safety indoctrination on topics such as:workplace hazards, required protective equipment, procedures forreporting unsafe job conditions, procedures for reportingaccidents, contractor job rules, location of first-aid and medicalfacilities, and tool box safety meeting requirements. Safety shouldbe a standing item at site meetings. Foremen or shift supervisorsshould also hold regular crew training (toolbox) meetings to coverspecific safety procedures pertinent to the crew’s on-going activity.

should display signs and posters at the job site to reinforcesafety training

Accidents should be investigated without delay by thecontractor and the investigation should generaterecommendations for corrective actions to prevent recurrence ofsimilar accidents. The contractor’s accident report, projectrecords, progress reports, and daily time reports may becomeimportant evidential material in any ensuing legal action. Thecontractor prepares monthly accident summary reports forsubmission to the CM. These reports will allow the CM to assesscontractor safety performance as measured by recordable and losttime accident frequency rates and the type and cause of accidents.The federal and state regulations mandate reporting of certaininjury accidents to the authorities.

• PERMIT HOLDER to ensure that the site which is chosen

for the dam is well clear of all easements,rights of way, reserves, and for all purposessuch as access, pipelines, cables, power lines.Where property of neighbors will be affectedby a dam, the permit holder will need to makeall necessary arrangements with theneighbors.

to ensure that no utilities such aselectricity, natural gas, water and sewageinfrastructure can be damaged during theconstruction of their dam. It can be a veryexpensive exercise to have these repaired andthe permit holder is generally responsible.

TRAINING

• Best to have designer involved intraining Present key aspects of the design, critical

issues. Helps to focus site staff on the keyissues

Designer to have at least annual review ofperformance – field inspection and reviewof documentation

• All personnel that will be in vicinity offacility should be trained to identifyconditions that could lead to failure

• All personnel should know how toreport a potential problem

JOB SITE INSPECTIONS

1. Removing the hazard.

2. Guarding against the hazard as required.

3. Providing personal protective equipment and enforcing its use.

4. Training workers in safe work practices.

5. Coordinating protection of workers through other contractors.

Common SAFETY EQUIPMENTS that should be worn in

DAM CONSTRUCTION SITE

SAFETY SIGNAGES during DAM CONSTRUCTION

Common Causes of Dam Construction Site Accidents

Fires and Explosions

Because of unfinished piping, leaking gases, and incomplete electrical systems,fires and explosions are a common occurrence on construction sites.

Slips and Trips on Scaffoldings

Construction workers may slip on a wet patch or trip over a cable . • Can leadto many different injuries and ill health outcomes, from musculoskeletaldisorders (e.g. strained ankle) to puncture wounds (from falling on sharpmaterials).

Fall from Height

According to OSHA, fall accidents are the number one cause of constructionsite fatalities, causing 36 percent of all construction worksite deaths in 2012.Falls are often the result of: • Failure to properly install scaffolding, • Failureto use proper safety gear, • Inappropriate use of inappropriate ladders andhoists.

Drowning

Falling Debris (e.g. rocks)

ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION

All accidents resulting in injury or property damage will be investigated. The purpose of the investigation is NOT to find fault, but to find the cause of the accident so similar incidents can be prevented in the future.

1. All accidents, no matter how minor must be reported to the Foreman immediately.

2. Foremen must report all accidents to the Safety Coordinator as soon as possible.

3. Foremen must complete an initial written accident investigation the day of theaccident, if possible.

4. All workers involved in the accident or who witnessed the accident must complete a written statement describing the incident.

5. The Safety Coordinator will complete a thorough accident investigation to determine root causes and corrective actions.

6. Near misses (situations where an accident almost happened) should be reported. Corrective action must be taken to prevent the same situation from occurring again with the potential for serious injury. Foremen should make a note of near misses and the corrective actions taken and report them to the Safety Coordinator, so that the same corrections may be made on all the company’s job sites.

Additional Discussion:

Compliance with the design intent during the implementation of a scheme is essential fordam safety and ongoing involvement of the designer in the construction, either as anadviser, reviewer or resident staff is highly desirable and has not always occurred in thepast leading to dam safety incidents, failures or potential deficiencies where the designersintent has not been fulfilled in the construction of the structure. There is always thedanger in believing that the design report, specifications and drawings can fully impartthe understanding and design intent of the designers, whose role is often curtailed at thecompletion of these documents.

Construction is a critical phase in achieving a safe dam. Any project must be continuouslyevaluated, and "re-engineered" as required, during construction to assure that the finaldesign is compatible with conditions encountered during construction. Quality ofconstruction is also critical to safety. Deficiencies in materials or construction practicescan occur during all stages of the construction, and constant vigilance is necessary toprevent them. Sampling and testing at a completed project cannot be relied on as aneffective substitute for inspection and quality control during construction.

MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTIONS

Once the dam has been constructed, regular maintenance andinspections are required to ensure it remains in a goodoperating condition.

Dams over 10 meters in height and dams with hazardcategories of ‘Significant’ and higher require the followingregular inspections to be carried out:

• Weekly or more frequent inspection to be carried out by theowner.

• Biennial or intermediate inspections and surveillancereports carried out by a suitably qualified person (asdefined by the Water Management (Safety of Dams ) 2003Regulations).

• Comprehensive surveillance reports carried out every 5years by a suitably qualified person such as a Class Acompetent Engineer as defined by the Water Management(Safety of Dams ) 2003 Regulations.

The maintenance and inspection requirements detailed above do not always apply toLower hazard category dams. In such cases the dam owner should read their dam permitto verify what maintenance and inspection requirements must be undertaken.

It is good practice for the dam owner to inspect their dam on a regular basis to ensurethat the dam is operating in a safe manner. Such inspections should include thefollowing as well as any other matters the dam owner thinks necessary to inspect:

• Inspection of the spillway to ensure it is not blocked by logs or trees growing in thespillway or deliberately blocked to increase the capacity of the dam (section 3.16provides information on spillways);

• Inspection to ensure that trees have not become established on or near a damembankment. Tree roots can cause the embankment to crack leading to dam stabilityproblems (section 3.15 provides information on vegetation). The highest plant growththat should be allowed on a dam embankment is pasture grass to protect againsterosion.

• Seepage from the dam should be monitored on a regular basis. Seepage is generallynormal in all dams and should not be a concern unless it increases over a time or thewater becomes turbid (dirty). An increase in turbid water is an indication that theembankment may be eroding internally which may lead to piping failure. If concerned,a suitably qualified and experienced person should be consulted.

It is suggested that the dam owner use a logbook to record observations from any dammaintenance and inspections visits for future reference.

LAS NAVAS DAM in DANGER

“PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE”

“NO JOB OR NO TASK IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WORKER HEALTH AND SAFETY.”

References:• HTTP://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/DAM• HTTP://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/HOOVER_DAM• FTA CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK• GUIDELINES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF EARTH-FILL DAMS• DAM SAFETY DURING DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION• CONSTRUCTION SAFETY & HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

PREPARED BY:GROUP 2, 7TH REPORTER

BASISTA, JEFFERSON P.BALANQUIT, ELVIEBALLETA, JANETHBERGORO, GLENDA