SAFETY MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY

 Safety Management:
ArchitektonikiDomi Ltd
Name: Name of the Author
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SAFETY MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Organizational Background .................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Approach to Risk Assessment ...............................................................................................3
Identification of Hazards............................................................................................................3
Risk Evaluation..........................................................................................................................4
Existing Control Measures.........................................................................................................5
Recommendations......................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7
Appendices...............................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Appendix 1: Risk Register...................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Introduction
The Organizational Health and Safety (OHS) Act, 1995 requires all organizations to
carry out a risk assessment before making an intervention. Risk assessment requires the risk
to health and safety to be controlled so far as is reasonably practical. The purpose of this
report is to spell out safety management alternatives and recommendations for a hypothetical
construction company ArchitektonikiDomi Ltd. The scope of risk assessment will be limited
to site layout, protective equipments of workers and noticeable health and safety hazards at
the workplace.
Background Information
ArchitektonikiDomi Ltd is a private construction company in Athens, Greece. On
April 11, 2009, it undertook construction of a five-storey multi-flat building. The building
scheme consisted of a rectangular basement, ground floor, single flat on first floor, single flat
on second and third floors and a smaller flat on fourth floor. The objectives of the scheme in
terms of Time limits, Cost limits and Quality requirements have been set out. However, some
concerns regarding the safety management at the worksite remains.
Approach to Risk Assessment
The first step in safety management is carrying out risk assessment under OHS guidelines
(Burke, 2004)
Identification of Hazards
Several hazards were identified by the author in the given case study
Inflammable materials: The presence of several inflammable or combustible sources like
welding tools, torches or even cigarettes can cause a fire or explosion at the construction site.
A fire can not only affect those present on the site, but also those who are outside as the site 
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is located at the heart of the city by causing serious damage to bodily systems like liver,
lungs, or skin inflammation.
Noise levels: The noise from the trucks and other construction equipments cause a lot of
noise pollution at the construction site. Noise can be irritating for the construction workers
and can cause loss of hearing which can increase heart beat and stress levels in humans which
can negatively impact the health of the workers at the site (Kogi, 2006).
Bird drops: The construction site attracts a lot of pigeons. The bird excrement is identified as
a major hazard to the health of all those present at the construction site. Even though personal
protective equipments (PPE) like facemasks with filter are mandatory for the workers and
visitors, they are not completely fool-proof as workers are often observed to remove their
PPE during breaks. The birds’ faeces often contain Cryptococcus neoformans, a fungus
which can cause infection of the lungs (CCPS, 2005). Thus, the workers are exposed to a
serious health hazard.
Eating area: The eating area which contains clean drinking water is at a considerable
distance from the construction site. This has been done to avoid possible contamination of
food and water which can compromise the health of the workers. However, in summer
months when the temperatures can soar to 40 degree Celsius, travelling in heat can cause
unconsciousness and even heat stroke to the workers (OHS Australia, 2009). So, the distance
of eating area can be a health hazard during summer months.
Risk Evaluation
A risk matrix is used to evaluate the seriousness and likelihood of each risk. The rating for
Likelihood and Seriousness for each risk is done in the following matrix. The hazards are
rated on the basis of previous records available and author’s own experiences with thes