Author(s)

F. M. Almeida Santos, T. Bourbon & A. Soeiro

Abstract

The objective of this study revolves around the analysis of the safety risks involved with one construction project, and the respective economic effects of risk prevention and safety management. As a result of the co-ordination of systems, and harmonising of work between the Project Leader, Safety Co-ordinator and Contractor, an adequate strategy was developed for the safety of the project Escola de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade do Minho. This project is situated in the centre of the city Braga. The area is destined to become a High Medical School. The construction area covers around 30,000 m2. The management policy on Prevention, Hygiene and Safety is ensured by the following bodies with respective collaborations: General Safety Committee/ Prevention and Safety Officer; Co-ordination of on-site safety/General Safety Committee, from the point of view of Project Leader / Safety Co-ordinator. The risk evaluation is carried out in simulated form, and task by task, introduced into the work programme. This gives a history of risk evaluation over the course of the project. The simulation allows peaks of risk to be identified, which will then lead to additional proposals of prevention measures. These prevention measures will serve to reduce risk and consequently lead to a curve on the risk chart. They consist not only of on-site measures, but also of the integrated implementation of working safety policies. The implementation of prevention systems and working safety policies has its own cost, but what we intend to prove, by attributing costs to risks, is that safety has lower costs than a lack of safety. Keywords: construction, safety, risk analysis, risk management, accidents, risk prevention, prevention costs, safety plans.

Keywords

construction, safety, risk analysis, risk management, accidents, risk prevention, prevention costs, safety plans.