1. EHS Today’s Safety Leadership Conference October 27, 2015
Prevention through design: Accounting for Employee Safety in the Construction Process
EHS Today’s
Safety Leadership Conference
October 27, 2015
T. Michael Toole, PhD, PE, F. ASCE
Assoc. Dean of Engineering and Professor, Civil and Env. Engineering
Bucknell University
Based on past presentations with
John Gambatese, PhD, PE
Professor, Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University

2. Download this presentation now from www. designforconstructionsafety
Download this presentation now from

3. Overview PtD Concept Motivation Examples Leaders Tools and Processes
Prevention through Design
= Design for Safety
= Safety by Design
PtD Concept
Motivation
Examples
Leaders
Tools and Processes
ANSI A10.2 Workgroup
Moving forward in your organization
Processes
Tools and equipment
Products
Add global implementation of PtD
Work methods and organization of work
Work premises and facilities

4. Prevention through Design (PtD)
“Addressing occupational safety and health needs in the design process to prevent or minimize the work- related hazards and risks associated with the construction, manufacture, use, maintenance, and disposal of facilities, materials, and equipment.” (

5. PtD in Construction is…
Explicitly considering construction safety in the design of a project.
Being conscious of and valuing the safety of construction workers when performing design tasks.
Making design decisions based in part on a design element's inherent safety risk to construction workers.
“Safety Constructability”

6. Why PtD? Annual Construction Accidents in U.S.
Nearly 200,000 serious injuries
Nearly 900 fatalities

7. Why PTD? Design-safety links
22% of 226 injuries that occurred from in Oregon, WA, and CA1
42% of 224 fatalities in US between
60% of fatal accidents resulted in part from decisions made before site work began2
63% of all fatalities and injuries could be attributed to design decisions or lack of planning3
1 Behm, M., “Linking Construction Fatalities to the Design for Construction Safety Concept” (2005)
2 European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
3 NSW WorkCover, CHAIR Safety in Design Tool, 2001

8. Accounting for safety
Organizational success today is not judged solely by net income
Success today reflects the Triple Bottom Line

9. Corporate Social Responsibilities
World Business Council for Sustainable Development:
“Commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development;
“Improve quality of life of the local community and society at large.”
“Improve quality of life of the workforce and their families;

10. Design has major leverage
The Right thing to do and…
The Smart thing to do

11. Why Ptd? Bang for the buck
Ability to influence safety is greatest early in the project schedule during planning and design (Szymberski, 1997)

12. Administrative Controls
Hierarchy of Controls
PtD
Elimination
Eliminate the hazard during design
Higher
Substitution
Substitute a less-hazardous material or form during design
Engineering Controls
“Design-in” engineering controls,
Incorporate warning systems
Reliability of Control
Administrative Controls
Well-designed work
methods & organization
PPE
Available, effective,
easy to use
Lower

13. Why ptd? Tangible Bottom Line benefits
Reduced site hazards
Fewer worker injuries and fatalities
Reduced workers comp. insurance premiums
Increased productivity and quality
Fewer delays due to accidents
Improved operations/maintenance safety
Encourages designer-constructor collaboration

14. Work methods and organization of work Work premises and facilities
Overview
PtD Concept
Motivation
Examples
Leaders
Tools and Processes
ANSI A10.2 Workgroup
Moving forward in your organization
Processes
Tools and equipment
Products
Work methods and organization of work
Work premises and facilities

15. Example of the Need for PTD
Design spec:
Dig groundwater monitoring wells at various locations.
Wells located directly under overhead power lines.
Accident:
Worker electrocuted when his drill rig got too close to overhead power lines.
Engineer could have:
specified wells be dug away from power lines; and/or
better informed the contractor of hazard posed by wells’ proximity to powerlines through the plans, specifications, and bid documents.

16. PTD Example: Anchorage Points
Need to replace one photo of anchorage point with cad drawing showing anchorage point locations.
Need to add photo of permanent anchorage point on roof.
Identifying and/or designing needed anchorage points for fall protection systems such as body harnesses and lanyards is an example of how designers can use their understanding of structural engineering principles to make it easier for workers to use fall protections systems efficiently, both during construction and future maintenance. Specifically, designers can:
Design floor perimeter beams and beams above floor openings to support lanyards
Design lanyard connection points along the beams
Note on the contract drawings which beams are designed to support lanyards, how many lanyards, and at what locations along the beams.
The idea of identifying anchorage points on construction drawings is in accordance with Appendix C to Subpart M (Fall Protection) from the federal OSHA standards for Construction:
(h) Tie-off considerations (1) “One of the most important aspects of personal fall protection systems is fully planning the system before it is put into use. Probably the most overlooked component is planning for suitable anchorage points. Such planning should ideally be done before the structure or building is constructed so that anchorage points can be incorporated during construction for use later for window cleaning or other building maintenance. If properly planned, these anchorage points may be used during construction, as well as afterwards.”

17. PTD Example: Roofs and Perimeters
Parapet walls
Skylights
Upper story windows

18. PTD Example: Prefabrication
Concrete Wall Panels
Concrete Segmented Bridge
Steel Stairs

19. PTD Example: Structural Steel Design
Detailing Guide for the Enhancement of Erection Safety
Published by the National Institute for Steel Detailing and the Steel Erectors Association of America

20. The Erector Friendly Column
Include holes in columns at 21” and 42” for guardrail cables and at higher locations for fall protection tie-offs
Locate column splices and connections at reasonable heights above floor
Photo: AISC educator ppt

21. Provide enough space for making connections

22. Work methods and organization of work Work premises and facilities
Overview
PtD Concept
Motivation
Examples
Leaders
Tools and Processes
ANSI A10.2 Workgroup
Moving forward in your organization
Processes
Tools and equipment
Products
Work methods and organization of work
Work premises and facilities

23. PtD in Practice ExxonMobil Intel BHP Billiton Southern Co.
MWCS
Intel
BHP Billiton
Southern Co.
Bechtel (steel)
URS
Southern Co: Developed project/equipment-specific and engineering discipline-specific checklists for maintenance that have grown to include construction safety. Safety and construction personnel required to be involved in several design stages. Engineers being trained in safety.
Intel: Has lifecycle safety checklist for all projects. Willing to make major footprint changes, as we saw by adding new floor.
Ellen Stewart at USACE: Intentions but progress limited by focus on completing revised EM PtD and safety promotion to engineering and construction groups and 3 hours of training. She hopes to add anchorage points design to EM 385, processes.
ExxonMobil: Initiated Engineering for Safety Process as part of their Marine Well Containment System (MWCS) project.
Sutter Health: Set up Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) on one of its hospital projects in San Francisco. Co-located owner, designer, CM/GC, and trade contractor firms. IPD process allowed for PtD to occur.

24. BHP BILLITON’S PtD INITIATIVES
PtD staff embedded in procurement and design
Communication and training
PtD in technical specifications
Design reviews includes 3D models

25. PtD Embedded in processes
PtD is embedded in all steps of the supply process. Requisition documents issued to vendors include PtD standard specification as attachment describing obligations & expectations.
PtD is involved in the design activities, construction and the handover to operations.

26. PtD tools 1) PtD online training 2) PtD flashcards
The PtD Program was executed in a staged approach, starting with the roll-out of training modules for the engineering design teams participating in the project. A third-party training firm was contracted to develop three modules that would explain the fundamental concepts of PtD and engage trainees with interactive examples. Over 700 design engineers, and vendors have been trained to date
Developed the PtD Flashcard to act as a memory aid: While the initial training course proved effective in teaching designers the fundamentals of PtD, the principle concepts were often forgotten over time. A flashcard was devised and distributed as a quick reference guide for the Hierarchy of Controls and common risk mitigation techniques

27. PtD tools, Continued 3) PtD posters
Increased PtD program exposure: numerous posters and slide presentations were developed and distributed to promote active involvement with the PtD program.

28. ELIMINATE Hazards
Some examples of implemented PtD ideas on the Project

29. Southern Co.’s Design checklists

30. URS Corp. PtD Process

31. National Initiatives and Activities
NIOSH
PtD National Initiative
PtD Workshops: July 2007 and August 2011
NORA Construction Sector Council CHPtD Workgroup
OSHA Construction Alliance Roundtable
ANSI/ASSE PtD Standard (Z )
ANSI/ASSE TR-A Technical Report – PtD for Construction

32. Work methods and organization of work Work premises and facilities
Overview
PtD Concept
Motivation
Examples
Leaders
Tools and Processes
ANSI A10.2 Workgroup
Moving forward in your organization
Processes
Tools and equipment
Products
Work methods and organization of work
Work premises and facilities

33. Ptd Design Review Hazard identification Risk assessment
What construction safety hazards are associated with the design?
Risk assessment
What is the level of safety and health risk associated with each hazard?
Design option identification and selection
What can be done to eliminate or reduce the risk?
Remember the hierarchy of controls……

34. Get the right people talking about the right things at the right time.
Ptd Process
Get the right people talking about the right things at the right time.

35. Ptd Process

36. Design for Construction Safety Toolbox
Created by Construction Industry Institute (CII)
Interactive computer program
Used in the design phase to decrease the risk of incidents
Over 400 design suggestions

39. PtD Tools – BIM and Visualization

40. Work methods and organization of work Work premises and facilities
Overview
PtD Concept
Motivation
Examples
Leaders
Tools and Processes
ANSI A10.2 Workgroup
Moving forward in your organization
Processes
Tools and equipment
Products
Work methods and organization of work
Work premises and facilities

41. ANSI/ASSE A10 PTD Workgroup
ANSI/ASSE TR-A ANSI Technical Report - Prevention through Design for Construction
Will provide guidance on implementing PTD concepts within the design and construction industry.
Site hazards and risks identified, eliminated or reduced, before, during and after a building or structure is constructed, renovated, and/or demolished.
Expected completion mid-2016.
Leaders include Mike McCullion (SMACNA), Dan Lavoie (Liberty Mutual), and Thom Mills (Virginia Tech).

42. ANSI A10 PtD White Paper Outline
1. Forward
2. Scope & Purpose
3. References and Definitions
4. Overview of the PtD Concept
5. Implementing PtD within various Delivery Methods
6. Tools to Support PtD Implementation
7. PtD Communication between Parties
8. Scheduling and Timing of PtD
9. PtD Performance Management
10. Maintenance Operations
11. Educational Needs
Appendix 1. Case studies that demonstrate the business case for PtD
Appendix 2. Best PtD Practices

43. Work methods and organization of work Work premises and facilities
Overview
PtD Concept
Motivation
Examples
Leaders
Tools and Processes
ANSI A10.2 Workgroup
Moving forward in your organization
Processes
Tools and equipment
Products
Work methods and organization of work
Work premises and facilities

44. Three Steps towards ptd
Establish a lifecycle safety culture
Establish enabling processes
Team with organizations who value lifecycle safety
Culture
Processes
Partners

45. Establish a Lifecycle Safety Culture
Instill the right safety values
Secure management commitment
Training
Confirm Life Cycle Costing criteria
Ensure recognition that designing for safety is the smart thing to do and the right thing to do
Professional Codes of Ethics
Payoff data

46. Establish Enabling Processes
Designer training and tools
Qualifications-based contracting
IPD or enabled safety constructability input
Negotiated or Cost-Plus contracting
Collaborative decision processes

47. Choose your partners wisely
PtD capability in designer RFP
Designer interaction experience in GC RFP
Consider Design-Builders with industrial and international project experience
Collaborative culture and experiences
Open to change

48. Summary PtD is tied with the Triple Bottom Line
Successful organizations have implemented PtD
PtD Implementation facilitated by:
Culture
Processes
Partners
Tools
Forthcoming ANSI 10.2 PtD technical report

49. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME! Mike Toole ttoole@bucknell.edu
Chris Williams
Daniel Lavoie