Occupational Health, Safety and Site Environment
Domain 7 covers Occupational Health, Safety and Site Environment: hazard identification, correct PPE, statutory duties, and control of dust, noise and waste on a small construction site.
PPE and basic duties
- Helmet (IS 2925), safety shoes, gloves, goggles for cutting and grinding, ear plugs in noise zones, dust mask or respirator, and a full-body harness anchored above shoulder level for work at height.
- The employer must provide and maintain PPE, train workers, keep first aid and fire extinguishers, and report accidents; the BOCW Act, 1996 and the Factories Act govern most sites.
Site hazards and controls
- Excavation: collapse is the main risk; shore or slope the sides, keep spoil and materials at least 1 m from the edge, provide ladders, and test for gas in deep or confined digs.
- Scaffolding: platform fully boarded, guardrail about 900–1000 mm and toe board 150 mm, tied to the structure, never overloaded.
- Electrical: earthed equipment, ELCB, no trailing cables in water, competent electrician only.
- Health: cement causes dermatitis and alkali burns; silica dust from cutting causes silicosis, controlled by wet cutting and masks.
Environment
Segregate waste, cover stockpiles, sprinkle water on haul roads, prevent slurry entering drains, and control noise hours.
Worked example
A 3 m deep pit for a septic tank is being dug in loose soil. Reasoning: 3 m is deep enough to bury a worker in seconds; the sides must be benched or shored, spoil placed back from the edge, a ladder provided, and the pit checked before entry each morning.
Traps
- Wearing a harness without a fixed anchorage.
- Dumping excavated soil at the trench edge.
- Skipping PPE for a short job.