OBJECTIVES


As a person with knowledge of safety management in construction, the author has always brought up to his superiors the viability of strategy formation regarding safety management and at times fails to understand the reasons or logic behind certain strategic implementations imposed on it.


By delving into this project paper, the author intends to have better insights into how construction safety legislation policies are thought up, formulated and then imparted down into the key stakeholders. The author hopes to have an in-depth understanding as to how the construction safety management policies enables Hong Kong to compete effectively and profitably in this era of internationalization where competition is extremely intense.


In order to reinforce the learning objectives, two key focal issues were focused upon, i.e. innovation and diversity. Innovation was discussed with regards to construction safety management within Hong Kong where it was renowned for its developmental capabilities to constantly innovate. Diversity came under strategic thinking and formation as the author considered the diverse culture, political climate, economic surroundings, social environment, technological settings, government policies and legal systems in order to have a better understanding of the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong.



EXECUTIVE BRIEF




This essay utilized the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong as the model legislative policy to review its present construction site safety management and how it dealt with critical situations. From the analysis, key trends in its construction site safety management were identified, how it worked and its effectiveness in dealing with critical situations was ascertained. The paper then moved on to assess its component construction site safety management strategies with regard to its suitability to critical situations, during which the internal capabilities of these safety management strategies in relation to the strategy being followed by most construction firms in Hong Kong was determined also. An overall analysis of the performance and effectiveness of the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong was also conducted to assess and compare the capabilities of its construction site safety management strategies with those of others. Gaps in its construction site safety management capabilities were then identified.


Finally, several choices of strategies to improve the construction site safety management of most Hong Kong construction firms as effective means in critical situations were recommended and evaluated in terms of appropriateness to the issues reviewed, feasibility in carrying out the options and acceptability within the key stakeholders and decision makers. Several key implementation issues related to managing strategic change were also addressed as well.



INTRODUCTION


Construction site safety management can be defined as the efficient and effective implementation of the policies and tasks necessary to satisfy the safety of a construction firm’s employees and management. Construction safety management focuses on the careful management of the processes involved in the production and distribution of products and services within construction sites.


More often than not, small companies don’t really have the capabilities to implement construction site safety management. Instead, these companies engage in activities that various schools of management typically associate with construction safety management. These activities include the inspection of construction sites, construction materials assessment, production and distribution.


However, construction site safety management deals with all operations done within construction firms and organizations. Activities such as the management of purchases, the control of inventories, logistics and evaluations are often related with construction site safety management. A great deal of emphasis lies on the efficiency and effectiveness of processes. Therefore, construction site safety management includes the analysis and management of internal processes.


The Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision of Hong Kong will be the model legislative policy that will be used in this research based on its good background in construction safety management.


Elements of the Code of Practice for Site Safety Supervision


Safety Management Structure and Responsibilities of Relevant Personnel


A. Technically Competent Persons (TCPs)


Technically Competent Persons (TCPs) identified in the Code include four (4) different individuals: the Authorized Signatory (AS), the Authorized Person (AP), the Registered Structural Engineer (RSE) and the Registered Geotechnical Engineer (RGE). They have responsibilities in communications, recordkeeping as well as construction safety operations scheduling. The Code of Hong Kong empowers these personnel to apply their technical knowledge in their respective fields of expertise for the safety of the construction sites. By doing so, the government of Hong Kong maintains a high level of standard regarding the safety and security of all construction sites within Hong Kong. However, certain criteria for qualifications in accordance with the Code of Hong Kong will have to be followed so as to make sure that the best and only the highly qualified ones are selected. This process will also allow the process of training to be unified, which will significantly bring down training costs.



It is interesting to know the basic innate characteristics of the TCPs involved in construction site safety management which contribute towards the development of their effective image.


·        Mental Stability


Mental stability is crucial especially in the pursuit of the correct decision as well as in the construction site safety management and development of the processes accompanying it. It is important for the TCPs to remain updated with the latest developments in the construction sites to be able to stay aware and knowledgeable in all safety management issues.


·        Performance and Credibility


The production of their best construction site safety management outputs comes as a result of well-funded construction site safety management and development activities. The strong performance of their safety and security measures in the construction sites could also be linked to the effective strategic planning and human resource mobilization of the TCPs. Thus, the TCPs’ credibility increases as their performance becomes better.




·        Construction Site Safety Planning and Strategy Formation Capabilities


Construction site safety management planning and strategy formation nowadays has created the need for TCPs to become aggressive especially in the area of marketing themselves. This is because the access to strong distribution channels is critical for their continued existence.


·        Decision-making abilities.


Upon arriving at the correct decision or choice, the TCPs now gains confidence in their ability to make critical construction site safety decisions or choices especially when their integrity is on the line. Thus, the TCPs will now search for even more challenges and opportunities where they could further enhance their decision-making abilities regarding construction site safety management issues.


·        Holistic Mindset of Construction Site Safety Management Issues


Through the exposure to various puzzling construction site safety management issues, the TCPs along the process are able to develop a holistic mindset regarding the construction site safety management issues surrounding them. The TCPs now become a keen observer of the truths and lies surrounding the issue being tackled, instead of relying on mere hearsays. The continuous pursuit of the truth behind the puzzling construction site safety management issues enables the TCPs to consistently practice and enhance a healthy and holistic mindset which makes it difficult for detractors to give influence. Because of this holistic approach, the TCPs are able to effectively select the right choice and continue to maximize this potential for future use.


The four (4) TCPs are the following:


The Authorized Signatory (AS) refers to the individual designated by the registered contractor to perform his / her duties and functions for the purposes of the Buildings Ordinance, and given power by the contractor to act on his behalf to gain total control of the contractor’s construction site safety management structure for the project.


The Authorized Personnel (AP) refers to the individual designated by the Code to routinely inspect and satisfy, in accordance with the supervision plan, that the contractor’s construction site safety management system is congruent with the part of the supervision plan prepared by the Authorized Signatory.


The Registered Structural Engineer (RSE) refers to the individual empowered by the Code to perform construction site structural engineering data assessment, evaluations and design calculations, concrete and steel structure design, confirmation of construction site frameworks, and even construction site cost evaluations. They will also perform the revising of construction site drawings, preparation of analyzed calculations as well as report preparation, technical reports and other documents. They will sometimes become the leader of individual construction site teams, where they will be tasked to mobilize their project staff. Together with other TCPs, they conduct ocular construction site inspection and observation.


The Registered Geotechnical Engineer (RGE) refers to the individual tasked by the Code to do the routine task of applying geotechnical engineering techniques, procedures & principles on a wide variety of construction site safety management projects. This TCP typically has an excellent background in construction site mechanics, shallow and deep construction site foundations, earth structures, construction site materials calibration, construction site monitoring and evaluation.


B. Purchasing and Buying of Safe and High Quality Construction Materials


Buyers and purchasing agents are tasked to evaluate construction material suppliers on the basis of price, quality and service support. They review catalogs as well as the construction industry and company publications in order to help them in their search for the right construction material suppliers. Fortunately for them, a majority of this information can be easily accessed in the Internet. They also do some researching about the reputation and background of the construction material suppliers and may also do some advertisements regarding the foreseen purchase actions in the hope of soliciting bids. At meetings and conferences, they perform the examination of construction material products as a safety precaution, the evaluation of the productive and distributive capabilities of the construction material suppliers, and the discussion of business considerations that have the possibility of influencing the construction material purchasing decision. As soon as all valuable information about the construction material suppliers is gathered, the placement of construction material orders and contracts are started to be awarded to those construction material suppliers who are able to meet the needs of the purchasers. The typical contracts range for several years and may even have the stipulations of the range of construction material prices, which would allow the purchasers to reorder whenever necessary.


In the Code of Hong Kong, however, there is a clear distinction between the work of a buyer and that of a purchasing manager. Purchasing agents and buyers focus mainly on the daily purchasing tasks. They specialize in construction materials. Purchasing agents perform the tracking of the conditions of the construction materials for safety, trends in their prices, as well as the future of the markets. Purchasing managers, on the other hand, are in charge of the more complex and critical construction material purchases and handles a team of purchasing agents.


C. Production Safety Planning


Production safety planning is a necessary function indicated in the Code. In most construction companies this process is often very difficult because of the fast rate of change and the occurrences of unplanned events. Most companies also use several methodologies depending on what the situation demands and the price of the construction materials. Nevertheless, the objectives of the production safety planning do not change: efficiency, effectiveness and safety.


Production safety planning is being implemented by the Code in order for its activities and resources to be coordinated over time. This enables the construction firm to achieve overall safety in all of its operations with minimal resource utilization. Production safety planning also enables the construction firm to monitor the progress of their safety plans at regular intervals and maintain their control over operations. Production safety planning according to the Code involves four elements: scheduling, labor safety planning, equipment safety planning, and cost planning.



  • Scheduling involves the specification of the beginning, the length or the duration, and end of the planned activities geared towards achieving overall safety within the construction site.

  • Labor safety planning involves allocating the necessary personnel and delegation of responsibilities and resources to ensure the overall safety of all construction workforces.

  • Equipment safety planning involves identifying the types and needs in terms of safety of the equipments being used in the construction site.

  • Cost planning involves determining the costs and the possibility of their occurrence in terms of achieving the overall safety within the construction site.


D. Construction Site Safety Analysis


The occurrence of construction site safety analysis within the construction sites of Hong Kong reflects the growing difficulty in the management of most Hong Kong construction firms that require the safe use of valuable construction resources such as money, materials, equipments, and people. This is perhaps the reason why construction site safety analysis is being emphasized in the Code in order to determine the most effective ways to coordinate these resources through the application of analytical methods derived from fields of studies such as mathematics, science, and engineering in order to create the safest construction site possible.


Through this process, safety concerns and problems within construction sites are solved in different ways and alternative solutions are then relayed to the construction firm’s management concerned. The management then selects the appropriate course of action in line with their goals. More often than not, construction site safety analysis is concerned with complicated issues such as top-level construction safety strategy, construction safety resource allocation, and designing of production facilities and systems for construction site safety.


Construction site safety analysis actually may vary according to the structures and philosophy of the construction firm. But according to the Code, it centralizes construction site safety analysis in one department. Construction site safety analysis may also have the possibility of working closely with top level construction site managers in order to identify and solve a variety of safety problems.


No matter what the type or structure of the construction company is, construction site safety analysis operates under similar sets of methodologies in order to carry out the analysis to support the construction company’s goal to improve the overall safety of its construction sites. The process is started by the description of the symptoms of a construction safety problem, followed by the formal definition of the problem. For example, a construction site safety analyst might be questioned regarding the most effective safety precaution for every needed part on a production line. Also, the analyst might be asked to determine the optimal number of emergency tools needed to be kept in inventory.


E. Construction Site Engineering


The Engineering Department of the construction site determines the best ways to utilize its basic factors of production in the safest ways possible. These resources include the construction site’s people, materials, information, and energy needed in the production. Engineering is the bridge that links the goals of management and safe operational performance. They are concerned with the increase in productivity through the proper management of people and choosing the appropriate methods of construction site organization while maintaining a high level of safety.


According to the Code, the construction site’s engineers perform the careful analysis of the construction site’s materials and their requirements as a safety precaution. In this process, they make use of various mathematical methods in its operations research to meet the requirements. They also develop systems of management control in order to aid in the planning of safety precautions and measures in cases of emergency situations. These systems are eventually subjected to improvements for the effective implementation of the safety plans of the construction site.


The construction site’s engineers perform the tedious task of selecting which among the various construction site locations have the best combination of raw construction materials availability and safe environment. This time, engineers make use of computers for simulations and robots for controlling various activities and devices. They also are in charge of the development of systems and programs for safety.


Critical Construction Site Safety Management Improvement Factors


For Hong Kong construction sites to become effectively safe, the following construction site safety management improvement factors are critical:


·        Financial Stability


Financial stability is crucial especially in the pursuit of construction site safety management and development activities. In the construction industry, it is important to remain updated with the latest construction site safety management developments to be able to stay competitive in the market.


·        Construction Materials Performance and Price


The safety of the construction sites is dependent on well-funded construction safety management and development activities. The safety of the construction sites could also be linked to their cost-effectiveness. However, the construction firm has to be aware of the positioning in terms of process so as to maintain satisfactory profits margin and remain competitive in the market.


·        Safety Strategy and Implementation


High construction site safety awareness among the clients has created the need for aggressive lobbying of safety policies, and access to strong distribution channels is critical for the introduction of new safety precautions.


Benefits of Efficient Construction Site Safety Management


·        Economies of Scale and Scope in manufacturing and construction site management and development.


·        Unique Quality Construction Sites owing to heavy emphasis on Construction Site Safety Management


A construction company’s commitment to construction site safety management & development activities has always been one of the top strategies to remain competitive in the construction market. 


·        Differentiated Construction Site Safety Strategies


Through the production and establishment of different safety strategies originating from the construction site safety management and development activities, the construction company is able to create its own firm-specific advantages. The continuous pursuit of construction site management and development processes enables the company to produce a steady stream of originally different construction site safety strategies which makes it difficult for competitors to find substitutes. Because of this differentiated approach, the construction company is able to strengthen their construction sites, which enables them in turn to maximize the returns on construction site safety management and development expenditures.






SYNTHESIS


Deriving from the analysis between the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong, operations management and capabilities of the winery involved, many strategic options would become imperative. It is therefore essential to evaluate these strategic options as to whether they are appropriate to the issues addressed, whether they are feasible enough to be implemented and their acceptability to key stakeholders.


There is definitely a need to reconcile both the inside-out and outside-in capabilities of the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision of Hong Kong. While the code’s construction site safety management involves focusing on its core competencies with construction site position following its resource base, the construction firms of Hong Kong that will follow this will be put into a disadvantageous position should they choose to neglect both the macro as well as the construction environment. Therefore, construction firms in Hong Kong have to be aware of the latest construction site safety management changes, as well as changes in political, economic, legal and even demographic trends in order to develop the outside-in capabilities, such as market sensing, customer linking, channel bonding and technology monitoring.


The advantages enjoyed by most Hong Kong construction firms may come in the form of increased revenues. Knowing what the market demands and the latest construction site safety trends could help these construction firms fully exploit their research and development capabilities to come out with construction site safety strategies and measures which are not only cost-effective but also high in quality. The strategic option can even be used as marketing tool where the focus is on staying close to the construction firm’s clients and listening to their feedbacks. On the flip side of the coin, there will be huge mobilization of resources involved, and the associated risks bestowed on the construction firms of Hong Kong.


Nevertheless, the mentioned strategic option seems the most practical in the wake of globalization, since there is a sudden shift towards a more integrated and independent construction industry in Hong Kong. The key stakeholders too should not have any objections so long as the construction firm’s core business and construction site safety strategies are not threatened. By virtue of most Hong Kong construction firms’ centralized control of their construction site safety strategies, it is being expected that major barriers should not exist in carrying out such an option except additional time may be required given the scope and span of the construction firm’s operations.


Understanding the strategic importance of the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision of Hong Kong is something that all construction firms have to be familiar with. Construction firms in Hong Kong normally practice a centralized and globally scaled configuration of construction site safety operations and capabilities. This allows information dissemination to be retained.




RECOMMENDATIONS


A tie-up or merger with various local construction firms in Hong Kong offers tremendous benefits in terms of access to their construction site safety management policies, infrastructure and even their resources. However, every independent construction firm must not lose sight of their core competencies while pursuing these tie-ups. Otherwise, the image of every construction firm in Hong Kong might be put in jeopardy.


Meanwhile, the collaboration of construction firms in Hong Kong with their major competitors can be seen as a ridiculous move at first.  However, upon close examination, this move could pave the way for Hong Kong construction firms to improve even more their construction site safety management policies and strategies. The bottom line is both sides would be able significantly gain in such an alliance. Hong Kong construction firms’ strengths in construction site development combined with the construction site safety management capabilities of their competitors can transform them suddenly into an unbeatable force to reckon with. One possible setback, however, is the differences in the cultures of the construction firms involved. Another possible setback could be whether any of Hong Kong construction firm’s competitors has the need to form alliances.


The third option also focuses on alliances, but this time with either one of the leading organizations specializing in construction site safety management. The benefits of these alliances should outweigh the costs in the long run.


In terms of appropriateness, all three options are able to directly address the current issues mentioned. However, the question remains whether construction firms in Hong Kong could be able to implement any of these options, and whether these options can be acceptable to the key stakeholders. Any merger or alliances may also involve the sharing of expertise. Hong Kong construction firms have traditionally relied on the inside-out approach. It is important to note that any merger transactions would have many implications on the construction firm’s values and culture as well as the resources. The key stakeholders definitely would be concerned with such options and need to be convinced of the positive aspects. Somehow, Hong Kong construction firms will be able to overcome this barrier in managing strategic changes in the process of implementing any of the above mentioned strategic options.


CONCLUSION

The results of the analysis carried out on the Code of Practices for Site Safety Supervision in Hong Kong indicated very significant effects, even amidst the threats of unrest. Therefore, we could conclude that this Code could still be expected to improve faster than average.


The review of the Code’s construction site safety management capabilities and resources revealed very little inconsistencies regarding the strategies of most Hong Kong construction firms. This is coherent with their traditional inside-out approach. However, the need to reconcile both the inside-out and outside-in approaches becomes imperative now for these construction firms.


The analysis among the Hong Kong construction industry environment as well as the construction site safety management and capabilities of their construction firms revealed certain gaps, most of which are biased towards the environment. However, these gaps paved the way towards determining a number of recommended strategic options to secure the competitiveness of these construction firms.


Also, the construction firms of Hong Kong have to find a balance between adherence to internal forces within the management and to the changing forces of the environment in order to implement such strategic construction site safety options.




Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com


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