Explain How Members of the Site Construction Team Interact in Terms of Their Health, Safety and Welfare Roles and Responsibilities

M1 - Explain how members of the site construction team interact in terms of their health, safety and welfare roles and responsibilities.

On the construction site the order of hierarchy is as stated below:[pic 1]

• Health and Safety Officer
• Site Manager
• General Operative
• Bricklayer

The role of a Health and Safety Officer is very important, their main aim to prevent any injuries, accidents and illnesses caused by work. They have a duty of enforcing health and safety rules and procedures that are set by the Health and Safety Executive and ensuring that they are up to date. They have the responsibility of training new employees of the safety standards such as, fire exits and providing them with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Employees are also expected to report any concerns to them so that a solution can be provided by the Health and Safety Officer. The Health and Safety Officer must clarify that employees are following the established policies and legislation so that work can be carried out correctly. They are in charge of carrying out risks assessments and inspecting the conditions on work sites, this includes looking for damaged equipment, broken tools and potential hazards. However, if misfortune does occur the Health and Safety Officer will have to hold an investigation to find the cause of the investigation and gather evidence, they will later analyse the data and find ways to prevent the incident from taking place in the future. Their findings will then be informed to the Health and Safety Executives.

Site Managers, also known as construction managers, building managers or site agents have the responsibility of daily supervising the site and working alongside other members on the construction site to maintain communication regarding any health and safety issues and have to be aware of any changes in the health and safety legislation. The site manager has to certify that the best quality of work is being provided, they must use materials efficiently. They are responsible for all the work that happens on site; however, they may give some operations to general forepersons that will control a specific part of the construction. They must report all findings to the Health and Safety Officer. They may also have to discuss different matters with the Health and Safety Executives about the work taking place on the construction site. Before the construction begins, they must create a Health and Safety Plan, this plan will be revisited throughout the whole construction phase. In addition to that, they will, supervise the materials that arrive on site, monitor the overall progress and organise any problems that arise. They will confirm that all the work taking place meets all the legal requirements. They will also perform inductions for new employees that will work on the construction site.