Safety In Design

Designing Safer Buildings & Structures : An Australian perspective

Mike Straughton, July 2008

Introduction
Why the Move to Safety In Design? The Regulatory Push Towards Safety in Design Duties for Designers of Buildings or Structures Definitions Who is a Designer? What are the Designers Responsibilities When Preparing a Design?

Introduction
Safety In Design
An Example of a Risk Management Approach Benefits of Safety In Design

Practicable Examples of Safety in Design Benefits of Safety in Design

Why the Move to Safety In Design?

Safe engineering design integrates risk management principles into the design by
Involving designers, users, and other relevant parties in considering the most appropriate design at each stage in the design process Systematically identifying hazards, and eliminating/mitigating associated risks Communicating to the users, and other relevant parties, residual risks associated with the design

The Regulatory Push Towards Safety in Design

United Kingdom
Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007

Australia
Federal
National Standard for Construction Work

States/Territories
As with other OH&S legislation, various states/territories have variations (to a greater or lesser extent) on the same theme

Legislative Framework:

Commonwealth: National Construction Standard

NT: No specific duties

Northern Territory Queensland Western Australia South Australia

QLD: WH&S Act 1995: s30B

WA: OS&H Act 1984: s23 SA: OHS & W Act 1986: s23A

New South Wales ACT Victoria

NSW: No specific duties ACT: No specific duties VIC: OHS Act 2004: s28

Tasmania

TAS: WH&S Act 1995: s14

Duties for designers of buildings or structures

Depending on the jurisdiction, the duty applies to designers of:
buildings /structures to be used as workplaces buildings/structures that are occasional workplaces parts of the building/structure including fixtures integral to its use as a workplace temporary structures the design of the construction and demolition phases of a building/ structures lifecycle (not all jurisdictions) Roads and footpaths (not all jurisdictions)

The duty doesnt apply to

Residential dwellings not intended as workplaces

Duties for designers of buildings or structures

Commonwealth: National Construction Standard (section 7) requires that designers must
Ensure that hazards associated with the construction work (includes construction, repair, cleaning, maintenance, demolition) required by the design are identified before commencement of that work Ensure to the extent that they have control over the design that health & safety risks resulting from the design are eliminated or minimised Provide a written report to the client on the health & safety aspects of the design

Duties for Designers of Buildings or Structures

Queensland: section 30B of the WH&S Act 1995 states Section 30B (Obligations of Designers of Structures)
Designer of a structure has an obligation to ensure the design of the structure does not affect the WH&S of persons
During construction of the structure When the structure has been constructed and is being used for the purpose it was originally designed for

A designer is considered to have met their obligation under section 30B if persons are not exposed to risks to their H&S arising out of the design This places an absolute duty on the designer

Definitions Used in Queensland

Workplace
Any place where work is, or is to be, performed by a worker or a person conducting a business or undertaking

Building or Structure
Structure: definition is very broad and includes a building, underground works, roads, footpaths, railway lines, water storages/supply systems, formwork, falsework, scaffold or other construction designed for use during construction work

As Far as Reasonably Practicable needs to take in to account

General OH&S duties are not qualified by the term reasonably practicable the defendant has the onus of proof that an offence was not committed

Who is a designer?
Designers can include:
Persons who undertake the design on behalf of a client, including:
Architects Building designers Draftspersons Client (e.g. if they specify a certain design)

Pre-Design: Siting, Feasibility Study Conceptual & Schematic Design Design Development Construction Documentation Construction, Refurbishment or Modification

Persons who design parts of the building/structure integral to its use as a workplace, including:
Engineers Interior designers Industrial designers Contractors

Persons who make changes to building/structure design during the construction phase have a safety in design duty

What are the designers responsibilities when preparing a design?

To Understand
the range of work activities associated with intended use of building/structure as a workplace any maintenance, repair, service and cleaning activities for building / structure when in use (also demolition in some jurisdictions)

To Identify, and Control

hazards and risks associated with the above activities

To Communicate:
inform the client of any high risks in the clients design requirements recommend design alternatives that will eliminate/reduce risks arising from original design

Who else has responsibilities?

Basically, anyone who has input into the design, construction and use of the building/structure as a workplace e.g.
Clients Construction contractors building the workplace Designers, manufacturers & suppliers of plant to be used in the workplace Controller of the workplace Employees who will be using the workplace Persons installing, erecting, commissioning, maintaining plant at the workplace

Who else has responsibilities?

Queenslands WH&S Act safety in design obligations are more detailed than other jurisdictions, with specific responsibilities detailed in
Section 23 (Obligations for Workplace Health & Safety) Section 30A (Obligations of Clients) Section 30B (Obligations of Designers of Structures) Section 30C (Obligations of Project Managers) Section 31 (Obligations of Principal Contractors)

Queensland WH&S Act

Section 23 (Obligations for Workplace Health & Safety)
Designers of structures have an obligation to ensure workplace health & safety for construction work and makes reference to amended section 30B Defines a number of other parties that have obligations to ensure workplace H&S

Queensland WH&S Act

Section 30A (Obligations of Clients)
Client has an obligation to consult with
Designer Project Manager for construction work Principal Contractor for construction work

Aim of consultation is to
Ensure the construction work can be planned and managed so as to prevent or minimise all risk s to health and safety Inform the Designer, Project Manager, or Principal Contractor of any hazards or risks that the client is aware of relating to the site where construction is to occur

Queensland WH&S Act

Section 30C (Obligations of Project Managers)
Project Manager of a structure has an obligation to ensure construction work is planned and managed to prevent or minimise risk to the the WH&S of all persons
Undertaking the construction work Person at or near the workplace during the construction work

Queensland WH&S Act

Section 31 (Obligations of Principal Contractors)
Principal Contractor has an obligation to ensure the the WH&S of all persons arising from a hazard at the workplace for which no other person has an H&S obligation Principal Contractor must manage construction work so as to prevent or minimise risk Principal Contractor must consult with following parties re construction work risk management
The Designer The Project Manager Other relevant persons

Safety in Design lifecycle approach

Operation

Construction

Safety In Design

Maintenance and Repair

Demolition/ Refurbishment

Risk management approach

Review Options

No
Identify Control Measures Mitigation Management Control Is Residual Risk Acceptable ?

Identify Hazards What could go wrong?

Assess Risks Quantify Rank

Yes

RISK REGISTER

Implement Control Measures

Monitor

Update risk register

Safety in Design Reviews

Brainstorm ideas at review with fellow design team members Identify hazards and risks
May require completion of full or partial risk management

Then evaluate them:

What can be avoided, reduced or controlled

Record your decisions Communicate to client

Safety in Design Reviews

Key outcomes List any required actions that may be required as part of future design phases Ensure all relevant information is captured and recorded Communicate the findings of the review to all relevant parties, including the client
Any review report developed should include
review methodology used details regarding any significant risks identified during the review Follow-up actions generated from review

Practicable Examples of Safety in Design

Bulk sulphur shed Use of front-end loader has several potential hazards
Stockpile collapse on to loader Generation of dust due to crushing of product
Operator exposure to dust Potentially explosive air/dust mixture

Loader is a potential ignition source

Sparking from bucket striking concrete floor Friction between loader tyres and floor Sparking from Loader engine

Use of Auto-reclaim system eliminates/minimises above hazards

Practicable Examples of Safety in Design

Building atrium Significant amount of internal glass to be cleaned, including internal skylight at approx 12 metres above floor level
Initial access solution did not involve building maintenance contractor
Complicated and impracticable

Ultimate access solution provided primarily by maintenance contractor

Simple and practicable

Practicable Examples of Safety in Design

Building atrium

Practicable Examples of Safety in Design

Initial access solution
Fall Arrest Rigging to Full Body Harness System Ladder Intermediate Support

Portable Ladde

Practicable Examples of Safety in Design

Building atrium Ultimate access solution

Practicable Examples of Safety in Design

Residential precinct road design Uninterrupted street lengths restricted to minimise risk of traffic travelling at speed, with controls including
Roundabouts Road closures Reorientation of streets Stagger of streets

Practicable Examples of Safety in Design

Elimination of working at height during maintenance of light fittings

Practicable Examples of Safety in Design

Working from fixed platform during maintenance of light fittings

Practicable Examples of Safety in Design

100m high (yellow) support towers require aircraft warning lights
Each tower has two lights in parallel when one fails, second is switched on adequate coverage for original life expectancy for structure

Practicable Examples of Safety in Design

40m high mast on top of 203m tower requires aircraft warning light
Eyebolts as part of height access solution impracticable periodic testing of eyebolts would be required Solution approved light fitting that can be raised/lowered up centre of mast (mast centered on 500mm dia. Steel tube)

Safety in Design its not just about permanent works!

Prevention of fall in to pile during construction
~ 1.2 m of temporary steel casing above ground

~ 0.6 1.5 m diameter pile

Temporary steel casing used to support ground at top of pile during construction

Safety in Design its not just about permanent works!

Safety in Design its not just about permanent works!

Benefits of Safety in Design

Lifecycle Phase Design Health and Safety Benefit
Risks identified Risks reduced/controlled

Project Benefit
Reduced re-design or retrofitting Reduced lifecycle OHS costs Informed contractor reduces risk contingency Increased time and cost certainty Reduced costs (absence & claims) Company image Reduced civil claims

Construction

Communication of residual risks to contractor Reduced likelihood of accidents

Operation

Occupant health and safety Public health and safety

Maintenance and Repair

Safe access for maintenance and repair strategies Reduced likelihood of accidents

Informed contractor reduces risk contingency Reduction in maintenance costs Reduction in repair costs

Demolition/ Refurbishment

Communication of residual risks to contractor Reduced likelihood of unplanned events

Informed contractor reduces risk contingency Increased time and cost certainty