Reduced construction risks: modular construction


Reduced construction risks 2.2 million people work in Britain’s construction industry, making it the country’s biggest industry. It is also one of the most dangerous. In the last 25 years, over 2,800 people have died from injuries they received as a result of construction work. Many more have been injured or made ill. Today there is a drive with construction professionals to improve health and safety conditionsand reduce construction risks. Major contractors are looking for ways to improve safety on site for its employees and subcontractors. One of the major benefits of using modular construction in building projects such as hospital buildings, is the overall health and safety risks to all involved are reduced due to a number of factors:

Off-site Manufacture The majority of the construction and fit out of the healthcare building takes place in a controlled factory environment which is not affected by weather conditions Multiple storey facilities are constructed at ground level reducing risks from working at height
Safety measures can be strictly imposed and are easy to monitor The factory uses a local workforce which are accustomed to the tasks they are performing on a day-to-day basis and the factory environment in which they are working, making them aware of all potential risks.

				Modular Installation Once delivered to site, a fitted out modular building requires fewer contractors, far fewer deliveries, a smaller construction compound and overall reduces the disruption to the surrounding estate. All of which reduce the health and safety risks.

When compared to traditional construction, a modular solution could require only 20% of the time spent on site. Overall the complete construction programme could be 60% of the total time of a traditionally constructed building, again reducing the probability of incidents.

Less Disruption Delivery and installation to hospital estates usually takes place at weekends when the site has fewer people around and causes less disruption to the site area. These processes are carried out in strict accordance with detailed method statements. The shorter period on site also exposes hospital staff and the public to fewer risks.

The reduced programme and time on site associated with fast-track modular construction reduces exposure to risks for both construction workers and the general public, making off-site manufacture a much safer form of construction.