In a prior article some of the problems with safety management were discussed from a historic and the program perspective (see Safety Management Challenges – Management and Practice Issues, published on July 25, 2022). Let us now look at a different source that potentially may create a situation which may also contribute to shortcomings in the effectiveness of the management of safety in construction field operations. Fundamentally some of this emanates from the industry’s reaction and response to the promulgation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Due to the fact that the OSHA standards were voluminous, dealt with a large number of potential hazards conditions to which workers could be exposed while engaged in their tasks within the project work environment. Requiring a significant number of training session which had to be provided to the workforce in order to familiarize them with the standards, conducting site inspections as well as recordkeeping all of which required specialized knowledge, expertise and attention. Industry management made a determination that this would have to be handled by someone other than their field operational personnel and supervisors.