Designing for Health and Safety in Construction UK Publications
A traditional literature
review on designing for health and safety in construction produces very sparse results. Taking a more holistic approach leads to the following categories which offer advice on the topic:
1. Practical advice for designers to 'design-out' hazards
(typically covering safety issues rather than occupational health)
2. Discourse on the benefits, drivers and constraints relating to designing out hazards
(some relating to locations where the regulations don't apply, or covering more generic 'design' issues)
3. Regulations affecting designers and their respective guidance documents
(mainly dealing with the details of compliance with little practical design advice)
4. Publications tracking implementation and effectiveness of the European directives or UK legislation
(Mainly CDM)
5. Other related texts
Some key publications are introduced here, using these categories. Some documents feature in more than one category.
1. Practical advice for designers to 'design-out' hazards
Health and Safety in Construction (HSG 150) (2001)
HSE claim that this is their most popular construction guidance - updated in 2001 with many of the practical examples revised and expanded in the light of new information on the causes of accidents and ill health, and the availability of modern safety devices. Has SOME advice for designers.
Hardcopy HSE website –
CDM training pack for designers (1999)
Six one-hour training sessions aimed to make designers aware of the implications of CDM. Each pack contains an explanatory booklet for the facilitator, notes sets for each session, disk with PowerPoint presentations and video.
CIRIA C501 ISBN 0 86017 501 4
Order from www.ciria.org.uk
CDM Regulations - work sector guidance for designers (1997) Produced by Ove Arup on behalf of CIRIA. Practical guidance to designers on ways of meeting their duties under CDM. Works through construction projects element by
element. Covers scope, hazards, hazard identification, hazards consideration in design, risk mitigation, related issues and references CIRIA Report 166 ISBN 0 86017 464 6 Order from
The CDM Regulations – A design risk assessment manual (1996)
A practical loose-leaf manual on design risk assessment during design using a matrix approach – particularly suited to the engineering construction sector Hard copy and disc
Produced by Powergen Published by Blackwell Science ISBN 0 632 04087 4
Total Project management of Construction Safety, Health and Environment (1995) A project management guide, based on good practice from the
Engineering Construction sector – includes some practical design examples and strategic advice.
Hard copy – 2nd Edition
European Construction Institute ISBN 0 7277 2082 1 www.eci-online.org
CDM Regulations – case study guidance for designers: an interim report (1995) Early guidance to CDM
CIRIA Report 145 ISBN 0 86017 421 2 Order from
Designing for health and safety in construction (1995)
Part of CDM suite of guidance notes (CIS 39-45) for designers on the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994.
Generic information but old and requires updating.
HSE website comments:
HSE website – www.HSE.gov.uk
'The CONIAC Green Book' General guidance for designers; published when CDM came into force.
Still relevant as it sets out designer strategies but is now somewhat dated. Replacement under active consideration, along with practical guidance in form of info sheets.
CONIAC.
2. Discourse on the benefits, drivers and constraints relating to designing out hazards
Guidelines for Warning of Preventable Disasters (2002) The Royal Academy of Engineering Amended Draft – R5.15 CONIAC comment: Sets out suggested courses of action to assist engineers in acting in a
responsible, prompt and disciplined manner when faced with potentially disastrous situations.
Reducing Risks Protecting People (December 2001) ALARP principles Hard copy Order from HSE Books HSE website –
Designing for safety and Health (2000)
Proceedings of an international conference, London, 2000 29 papers covering
design initiatives, accident causality, communication, education, life-cycle, legislation, integration and optimisation of designers efforts European Construction Institute ISBN 1 873844 48 4
Addressing Construction Worker Safety in the Project Design (1996) Jimmie Hinze & John Gambatese
Research report for CII (Construction Industry Institute) based on USA experience CII Report 101-11
Ethics in Engineering (1996) Text book - McGraw-Hill Int. - Third Edition CONIAC
comment: Cases studies of previous disasters are used to examine issues behind disasters and moral and ethical considerations
Safety by Design - An Engineer's Responsibility for Safety (1992) Six lectures on the principals and importance of designing for safety
CONIAC comment: Proposed syllabus for undergraduate awareness course on an engineer's responsibility for safety. Hazards Forum ISBN 0 9525103 1 6
The Engineering Council – Code of Professional Practice – "Engineers and Risk Issues" (1992)
Endorsed by Lloyd's register and HSE CONIAC comment: Issued to 290,000 registered engineers and technicians from the 44 engineering institutions and to encourage greater awareness, understanding and effective management of risk issues.
Academic papers There are numerous
academic papers published in learned journals and conference proceedings covering safe, healthy design issues. Key authors include: Gambatese J; Gibb, A; Hinze J; Hecker, S
3. Regulations affecting designers and their respective guidance documents
CDM Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) HS(G) 224 (2003)
Guidance to the CDM Regulations with examples for designers
HSE website comments: This guidance replaces ACoP L54 'Managing construction for health and safety,
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994' ISBN 0717607925 This document contains advice on how to comply with duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 and, where indicated, on
sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for work to which those Regulations apply. It contains an Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) and more general guidance, explaining the law and suggesting ways to comply with
it. This Code of Practice comes into effect on 1 February 2002 and replaces L54. Contents: Notice of approval; Introduction; Application, interpretation and notification; The client; The designer; The planning supervisor; The principal
contractor; Contractors; Competence and resources; Information and training; Involving the workforce; The health and safety plan; The health and safety file; Appendices; Further information; References and further reading.
Hard and Web copy HSE website –
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994: the role of the designer (2000) CIS41
This is a three page information sheet providing brief guidance on the designer's roles under CDM HSE Books
HSE website – www.HSE.gov.uk
Policy and Guidance on reducing risks as low as reasonably practicable in Design HSE principles and guidelines to assist inspectors in their
judgment that duty holders have reduced risks to as low as reasonably practicable in design This is one of a suite of documents on ALARP 6 pages with references to other HSE guidance HSE web site -
Guidance from Professional Institutions (eg RIBA, ICE, RCIA, etc)
RIBA Plan Of Work Last updated 1998. Acknowledges CDM to some degree, but only really 'in passing' Produced by RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects).
RICS Construction 2002 Booklet 'Surveying Safety: a commitment to personal safety'
Practical guidance for surveyors on identifying residual risk and the duty to advise the client on their CDM duties. Produced by RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors)
Institution of Civil Engineers booklet "Health and Safety in Construction" (superseded)
Duties and responsibilities of ICE Members as professional Civil Engineers covering health and safety under Common, Statute and Contract Law and the ICE's Rules of Professional Conduct Produced by ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers)
This has now been superseded by Health and Safety in Construction – Guidance for Construction Professionals (2002)
Health and Safety in Construction – Guidance for Construction Professionals (2002)
John Barber for Institution of Civil Engineers' Health and Safety Board and Advisory Panel on Legal Affairs Covers the responsibilities of construction professionals, including civil & criminal law, MHSW Regulations,
Risk Assessment, CDM Regulations - particularly related to designers duties. Produced by ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers)
The CDM Regulations – Health and Safety File (1997)
Nanayakkara
Guidance on compiling the Health and safety File – including designer action to mitigate risk – targeted at the Building Services sector BSRIA AG 7/97 ISBN 0 86022 459 7
The CDM Regulations explained (1995)
Textbook by Raymond Joyce
One of several 'student' texts explaining CDM Thomas Telford ISBN 0 7277 2034 1
4. Publications tracking implementation and effectiveness of the European directives or UK legislation
Designers – current state of knowledge and current initiatives, CONIAC (2003) Construction Industry Advisory Committee Ref HSC/M1/03/05, March 2003
The paper summarises some of the HSE's recent work with designers and associated research.
Hard and Web copy HSE website –
International Survey of Coordination of Safety and Health at Temporary or Mobile Construction Sites (2001)
Results of an EU survey looking at the variations of implementation of the European Directive that lead to CDM in the UK International Social Security Association (ISSA) / Cramif
Experiences of CDM (1997)
Review of early experiences of CDM – including some practical examples CIRIA Report 171 ISBN
Order from www.ciria.org.uk
5. Other related texts
Mapping health hazards and risk across aspects of the construction process (2002) Whilst not specifically targeted at designers, this HSE research report provides a good coverage of the main health hazards in construction. Only site-based mitigation is
considered however. HSE Contract Research Report 447/2002 IOM, Edinburgh Order from HSE website –
Guidance for Safer Temporary Traffic Management (2002) Highways Agency with contributions from others inc.
HSE Updated the earlier 3rd Edition guidance of DTp/CSS/HSE for CDM Regs Includes designers' roles and duties for traffic management.
http://www.highways.gov.uk/aboutus/corpdocs/gstt_may_02/01.htm
The ECI guide to managing health in construction (1999) Gibb, A.G.F. Gyi, D.E. & Thompson, T. (eds)
A project management guide for occupational health based on good practice from the Engineering Construction sector – covers OH hazards and risks including strategy for design mitigation – but mainly concentrates on site-based
intervention. Thomas Telford, London, 170 pp. ISBN 0-7277-2762-1
Safer Driver - Safer Workplace HSE Examples from construction sites (11 fatals in 2000/01- moving vehicles), distribution depot, farm and warehouse – provides advice for designers to highlight
potential problems with moving vehicles. CD-ROM Order from HSE website –
Control of Risk: A Guide to the Systematic Management of Risk from Construction" (1996)
Simple, practical method of identifying, assessing, monitoring and managing risk from construction.
Includes risk manager's tool boxes covering procedures and techniques. CIRIA Report SP125 ISBN
Order from www.ciria.org.uk
Risk Management Method for UK Reservoirs CONIAC comment: Guidance developed for the
application of risk assessment and risk management procedures for large UK reservoir practice for clients/owners/designers. CIRIA Report C542 ISBN
Order from www.ciria.org.uk
D4h Building Bibliography
