Construction Safety Management & Engineering

Construction Safety Construction Safety Management & Engineering 2nd Edition Edited by Darryl C. Hill, Ph.D., CSP. Published by ASSE, 2014.

Construction Safety Management and Engineering, 2nd edition, is every bit as strong as the first edition. Darryl Hill has assembled quite an impressive lineup for the job. The book covers all of the topics with the appropriate depth and detail needed in a reference by anyone responsible for developing and implementing a safety and health program for a construction company or on a construction site. The authors are some of the best-known experts in each area. Just a few: John Gambatese [incentives; prevention through design (PTD)], Mike Behm (PTD), Nigel Ellis (fall protection), Mike Hayslip (excavation) and T. Michael Toole (PTD; regulations). One of the book's strongest aspects is its veritable "who's who" of specialists. Many of the authors are considered premiere experts in their respective specialty area, but it is impossible to mention them all.

The book's organization is especially helpful for those new to the job. Before getting into technical subject matter, the book first addresses "Before Work Commences." This section includes topics such as cost, insurance and risk, contractor selection, the much discussed construction version of PTD, substance abuse and incentives, where Gambatese thoroughly discusses their importance, but does not provide a lot of how-to. However, he provides excellent coverage of why or why not to use incentives. The section also includes chapters on incident causation and safety training.

The next section considers legal aspects of construction safety, including relevant chapters on managing multiemployer work sites, subcontractor liability and regulatory requirements. These three chapters provide an excellent foundation for learning the critical drivers for construction operations where so many different employers are engaged and the employer is faced with almost countless opportunities for safety-context liability concerns in a regulated environment.

Next, the technical topic areas provide admirable depth of coverage and detail. On fall protection, Ellis aptly balances technical detail with the appropriate level of coverage demanded of a technical reference. Brian Clark and Sathyanarayanan Rajendran discuss steel erection and provide ample discussion of prework, rigging, fall protection, structural stability, fasteners and decking. No construction safety handbook would be complete without John Palmer's coverage of scaffolding, Philip and Ciaran McAleenan's chapter on ladders, and David MacCollum's discussion of cranes. Each of these chapters provides appropriate technical detail and supporting material such as illustrations and glossaries.

Kraig Knutson and Dennis Neitzel provide basic but essential discussion of electrical safety, which is an important aspect of all construction projects. Hayslip does not disappoint in the chapter on excavation and trenching safety. He offers a good level of technical detail and provides extensive illustrations of the concepts (e.g., trench boxes, sloping, angling, pneumatic systems), specifications and regulations related to excavation and trenching protection systems. Samuel Gualardo provides thorough coverage of power-line concerns and, while one could argue that this topic should have been included with the electrical safety chapter, he does a good job of addressing the unique hazards and concerns of power lines on a construction site.

The demolition chapter by Dave Korman covers a topic that many may not think of when considering construction operations, which is usually a building process. However, demolition is not only a common construction activity, it often must be done to make way for the new construction. Korman ably covers the special hazards of diminishing structural integrity, leaking, old and sometimes unknown chemicals, additional noise and vibration, fire and explosions. Robert Eckhardt's chapter on concrete is relatively short but essential. He provides good explanation of the applications of concrete in construction, and discusses essential protective equipment needs around its installation.

The technical issues section also includes chapters on topics that apply to all industries, such as environmental management, confined space entry, industrial hygiene, silica exposure, heat stress and noise exposure.

In the category of "Other Considerations," several accomplished authors and practitioners discuss the essential topics that help to complete this well-rounded reference book, including ergonomics, work zone traffic safety control, healthcare, MSHA regulations and their applicability to construction, managing communications in a crises, construction safety and health certification, partnerships and alliances, safety and health issues in construction, the Spanish-speaking workforce and future safety issues.

This book is well balanced, well organized, thorough and accurate. Hill has done an excellent job of organizing and producing such a monumental publication and assembling nothing but the best in all of the authors. Anyone with construction safety responsibilities should have this book on his/her library shelf.

Joel M. Haight, Ph.D., P.E., CSP

Pittsburgh, PA