Understanding the fall-related safety issues in concrete formwork

Vigneshkumar Chellappa,Urmi Ravindra Salve,P Akimov,A Doroshenko,N Vatin,A Tusnin

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202126302007

Vigneshkumar Chellappa, Urmi Ravindra Salve + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202126302007

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Abstract

The construction industry recorded high rates of fatalities and injuries due to falls at the workplace. Among other activities, concrete formwork tends to have more fatal falls. This study aims to understand the fall-related safety issues in the formwork lifecycle of construction projects. To achieve this, the process of formwork activities was mapped, and the safety risks associated with each activity were classified. Method development and risk identification focused on interviews with construction professionals involved in the construction of formwork and site observations of the formwork activities. The overall finding was that pouring, stripping, and erection activities have more issues related to falls. Future research is being carried out to assess the risks of falls from the construction experts’ views to prevent fall accidents in the future.

Highlights

Formwork has been used widely on construction projects as a temporary structure
Temporary platforms and working at height are frequently involved during the formwork use, influencing the workers' safety in construction projects [3,4]
This study aimed to understand safety issues related to fall in construction projects' formwork cycle to explore possible approaches to fall accidents

Summary

Introduction

Formwork has been used widely on construction projects as a temporary structure. Formwork is essentially a mould for concrete that can be shaped into desired shapes and dimensions. Formwork can account for up to 60% of the concrete structure's total cost [1]. Temporary platforms and working at height are frequently involved during the formwork use, influencing the workers' safety in construction projects [3,4]. Workers are at certain fall risks when they are associated with formwork assembling and stripping. Both safety and productivity of the worker are affected by the place of activity [5]

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Conclusion