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TOPIC: SAFETY AND HEALTH AT CONSTRUCTION SITE

NAME: NURUL IZZAH BINTI MOHD RIZDZUAN

MATRIC NO: 2019211882

GROUP: AP1194E

PREPARED FOR: MADAM SR. NURUL FADZILA ZAHARI

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA,

CAWANGAN SERI ISKANDAR, PERAK.

Word Count: 2626

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SAFETY AND HEALTH AT CONSTRUCTION SITE

Introduction
The construction industry is important and it acts as one of the main sectors that operate not only
in Malaysia but in other country too. Basically, construction is very important and it developed
not drastically but surely even it took time where it helps the country to earn more income in
terms of economic (Taofeeq & Adeleke, 2019). Malaysia also has been found to always keep on
updated with the trend where it developed throughout the times because Malaysia is believed to
reach a level where the economic can develop further by the year of 2020 (Asan A & Akasah Z
A, 2015). This construction industry also gives more chances for the employment and increases
the growth of economic not only in Malaysia but also in other countries such as China, India,
Indonesia and Malaysia (A Ayob et al., 2018). Nevertheless, construction is still considered as a
very unsafe activity (A Ayob et al., 2018). Besides, the most unsafe or risky industries is the
construction sector (Liy et al., 2016). The workers who are involved at site would be experienced
a high possibility to injured, accident or die at their work place especially those who are working
at the high-risk construction sites where their lives are at their own risks (Liy et al., 2016).
Basically, every year a large amount of any unwanted incidents occur at building construction
site especially for the high rise building at construction sites (Goh et al., 2016). The unwanted
incidents happen at construction site due to the negligent regarding the safety and health at the
construction sites (Liy et al., 2016). Therefore, the safety and health issues at the construction
sites require more observations since the growth of high-rise buildings especially in Selangor and
Kuala Lumpur in the country commonly occur (Goh et al., 2016). Most of the procedures need to
be warned to people at construction site strictly to ensure all the procedures are followed since
construction site is very well known as a very high risks place (Taofeeq & Adeleke, 2019). The
project management amid construction companies need to be alert that risk can be found in
certain time during the processes of construction work at construction site (Taofeeq & Adeleke,
2019). Besides, the construction industry which begins at the construction site requires many
procedures to ensure that all construction work especially in aspect of safety and health are being
followed since it is a high risks place (Taofeeq & Adeleke, 2019). Efficacious management of
safety and health can stop the risky and unsafe incidents at the construction sites. (Zhao et al.,
2016). This article review explains the study regarding the management of safety and health at
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the construction sites in Malaysia and its relatable issues. In addition, this article reviews mainly
in aspect of causes and preventatives of unwanted accidents or fatalities at construction sites.

Issues Regarding Safety and Health at Construction Site

In this article review, the issues that have been collected in this research are regarding the
management of safety and health at construction site with its relatable issues. One of the major
issues that will be discussed in this paragraph is regarding the causes of accidents or fatalities
that frequently occur at the construction site especially among the high-rise constructions due to
their failure in management of safety and health. In Malaysia, the causes of fatal occupational
injuries can be defined severally. Firstly, Johor, Pulau Pinang, WP Kuala Lumpur/Putrajaya,
Sarawak and Kedah are the states that facing main problems in falling from heights at the
construction site where the percentage is 46.28% with 26 and 15 cases reported in 2014 and 2015
which are very worrying and evoking a feeling where the construction is unsafe (A Ayob et al.,
2018). This issue is quite vital where the main root of the problem caused by few factors by the
workers such as negligence in wearing improper PPE attire, unawareness in safety and health
standards and shortage of knowledge in safe occupational steps resulting in the fall from height
casualties (A Ayob et al., 2018). Next, the next issue stated by (A R A Hamid, 2019), regarding
the total of accidents had rises to 55.7% from 4,207 cases in 1993 to 89 cases in 2014. 460,022
workers were distressed from unwanted accidents due to their job in high rise constructions
between 2004 and 2013 (A R A Hamid,2019). Other than that, the issue of crushed by objects
and materials is ranked for the second highest in the root for the accidental casualties occur
during construction activities take place at construction site over the three years of total
casualties from 2013-2016 with percentage of 17.36% (A Ayob et al., 2018). For instance, the
unwanted accidents have been occurred in WP Kuala Lumpur/Putrajaya due to the fell in sudden
of hollow pipe from a high floor and it crushed the head of the victim when he was innocently
walking at the site on March 2015 (A. Ayob et al., 2018). This crucial case reported that the
safety helmet used by the worker has damaged because of the high pressure crashed of the
hollow pipe causing the worker to die due to the severe head injuries. Hence, it is why the
emphasis regarding the safety and health at construction site has always being stressed such as
the worker should be given a suitable equipment, protective outfit according to the suitable job
that they are working especially in field of construction to ensure the efficacious safety standards
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at site can be achieved (A Ayob et al, 2018). Besides, issues on the poor management at
construction site where the crushed by vehicles occur (A Ayob et al., 2018). There was around
9.09% of all cases occur where it is ranked in the top three common roots that cause accidents at
the construction sites (A Ayob et al, 2018). For instance, on 2014 and 2015 which located in
Penang reported 8 cases of fatalities regarding the cases that connected with vehicles (A. Ayob et
al., 2018). Hence, managing a proper maintaining work for the vehicles at the construction site
before begin any construction activities are very vital due to avoid any unwanted accidents that
can resulting to casualties (A Ayob et al., 2018). Unfortunately, the higher authorities will only
play their role when the unwanted accidents occur once any damage or problems occur as they
will normally ignore the inspection scheduled (Zhao Et Al, 2016). Lastly, all the explanations
mentioned above regarding the management of safety and health at construction site with its
relatable issues throughout the research studied, it explained that the construction site issues are
very crucial and it need to be suggested some few solutions to overcome these severe major
problems. Thus, safety and health at construction is very vital. Besides, the discussion of this
paper regarding the management of safety and health at construction site and its relatable issues
of unwanted accidents to occur at construction site will be continued further. The next discussion
below would be regarding the other the relatable issues of unwanted incidents. Based on the
journals studied and research made, it can be summarized that, the unwanted accidents occur at
construction site can occur due to several elements. For instance, the four main elements are
human, worksite, management and external elements (M.H Jaafar et al., 2017). These four main
elements mentioned are the roots of the occupational accidents and illnesses in the construction
sector to happen where these four elements will be leaded to the most well-known causes
compared to other causes in the aspect of injuries at construction site (M.H Jaafar et al., 2017).
Other than that, the construction OSH management also were not encouraged to be practice in
Malaysia even it is a good exemplary to be followed by the construction sectors due to avoid
more unwanted accidents to be occur since the practice of OSH is not that common to be
practiced in Malaysia (M.H Jaafar et al, 2017). Therefore, a framework of OSH management was
prepared and growth to enable the OSH to be studied and being used in the Malaysian standards
of OSH management system (M.H Jaafar et al, 2017). This framework of OSH management also
is very useful for the gauging the practices of better safety and health and construction site in
Malaysia (M.H Jaafar et al., 2017). Hence, the hope on the OSH management for them to work
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out at the end is very high and the discussion overall mentioned regarding the safety and health
management at site in Malaysia generally throughout the years can be summarized as above.

Suggestions Due to Overcome These Issues

Based on all the journals that have been studied, it can be concluded that there are several
suggestions can be done to overcome and acts as solution for these management of safety and
health issues at construction sites to reduced more bad effects to be faced in future. One of the
ways can overcome these issues is from aspect of its ideas of planning where it acts as a path for
the safety measures that can be followed to ensure the unwanted accidents can be reduced at
workplace (A Ayob et al., 2018). All people who are involve at site construction should take
their parts in ensuring everyone can work safely and keep of alert to be reminding each other
regarding the significant rules to be followed and practice at construction site (A Ayob et al.,
2018). Not only higher authorities need to play their roles in eradicate everyone but others who
are involve at the construction site too must do the same so that everyone can work safely until
the construction work or activities at the site will be completed (A Ayob et al., 2018). Besides,
other suggestion can be suggested in this paragraph is the main roots of the unwanted accidents
at construction site needs to be studied thoroughly when the inspection at the construction site is
being conduct and quickly find solution or action to ensure all those issues are being eyed (A R
A Hamid et al., 2019) as more delay will only increase the numbers of unintentionally accidents.
Next, the other suggestion that could help to reduce the issues discussed in this article review
based on the journals studied is the higher authorities need to control the management of safety
and health at construction sites to always persuade all the workers at the site to always obey with
the rules and regulations at the site by portraying their role and responsibility in handling the big
organization (M.H Jaafar et al.,2017). Lastly, the tendency and assertive behavior are important
to show how higher authorities work (M.H Jaafar et al., 2017). Therefore, all suggestions
mentioned and explained above shows how the issues regarding the management of safety and
health at construction site can be lowered and solved.

Summary and Conclusion

It can be summarized that this whole article review written based on the studies for those five
journals overall in total have been made. This article reviews overall discussed the management
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of safety and health at construction site generally and its relatable topics such as the causes of the
unwanted accidents that typically occur. Basically, the introduction of this report begun with the
explanations regarding construction industry, common workers and higher authorities negligent
at construction site and more. Then, the article review continues with the issues regarding safety
and health at construction sites that mainly been experienced by the people who are working at
construction site. Every year, there were many unwanted accidents occur at the construction site
such as falling from heights (A Ayob et al., 2018), crushed by objects and materials like a
crushed hollow pipe hit the worker causing casualties (A Ayob et al., 2018), crushes by vehicles
(A Ayob et al., 2018) and more. The issues discussed also how poor a management of safety and
health at construction can be solved to reduce the total of fatalities at the construction sites. (M.H
Jaafar et al., 2017) also said that the issues regarding the unwanted accidents have been occurred
by several elements which are four mainly such as human, worksite, management and external
elements. Besides, the issues discussed in the issues paragraph regarding the OSH introduction
and its management that have been practiced in Malaysia to avoid more unwanted accidents to
be occurred (M.H Jaafar et al., 2017). After that, the article reviews can be summarized
regarding its explanations followed by the next paragraph which is the suggestions that need to
be suggested in order to overcome and reduce the percentages or rates of unwanted accidents
from happening at construction in Malaysia for their own goods and reputation which could
affect the whole industry as well. The suggestions suggested are from its aspect of ideas and
planning regarding the safety measures at the site (A Ayob et al., 2018), good roles need to be
played by everyone at the site especially higher authorities in charged (A Ayob et al.,2018), the
focus on the main root of accidents to be occur at construction site with serious study need to be
made (A R A Hamid et al., 2019), the behavior and responsibilities of the higher authorities in
showing and encouraging the other workers to keep on follow their path to always stay safe and
reduce the risk in doing any construction activities at construction site (M.H Jaafar et al., 2017).
Lastly, the summary of this whole article review can be concluded overall that, it is very
important to stay on the right track by ensuring the implementation of good management
regarding safety and health at construction site can be done and implied seriously and in further.
This topic is very vital where it affects the economic reputation in construction industry of
Malaysia too especially on this era of 2020 and above. Thus, the safety and health at construction
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sites and its relatable information been explained above overall and they are not only common
but also very important to be followed.
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