Smallwood, J (2006) Scaffolding health and safety: A multi-stakeholder issue. In: Boyd, D (ed.) Proceedings of 22nd Annual ARCOM Conference, 4-6 September 2006, Birmingham, UK.
Abstract
Historically, scaffolding has been used extensively in the construction industry to enable work at elevated heights. However, in terms of agency, scaffolding contributes substantially to all classes of injury, fatalities included. Literature indicates that scaffolding is a multi-stakeholder issue: clients are required to ensure that principal contractors have made adequate allowance for health and safety (H&S); reducing the amount of work required at elevated heights is one of the principles of designing for construction H&S, and contractors require a range of scaffolding related skills to manage and undertake the processes related to scaffolding. A study conducted among general contractors (GCs) investigated a range of design, procurement, and construction issues relative to scaffolding. Conclusions include: scaffolding is a dynamic process that requires a range of contributions and interventions; scaffolding is a scientific process and does not merely entail assembling and dismantling of components, and procurement, design, education and training, systems and procedures, scaffolding per se, and construction management all influence scaffolding H&S and can prevent scaffolding related accidents. Recommendations to assure healthy and safe scaffolding include inter alia: planning and coordinating in general; awareness; education and training; scientific designs; development and implementation of systems and procedures; safe loading, and inspections.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction; health and safety; multi-stakeholder; scaffolding |
| Index terms: | construction industry, implementation, fatalities, loading, agency, education and training, dismantling, general contractor, scaffolding, principal contractor, inspection, health and safety, injury |
| Subjects: | practitioner, operations management, construction operations, contractual arrangements, health risk and incident analysis, health safety and environment, sociology, health conditions and diseases, professional education, quality assurance, industry analysis |
| Topics: | Site Management, Education, Quality Management, Roles and Professions, Procurement, Health and Safety, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here