Managing The Risks Of Formwork And Counterfeiting

Managing The Risks Of Formwork And Counterfeiting

Formwork and formwork are temporary structures that are designed to support a permanent concrete structure until the

concrete wall shuttering and becomes self-supporting. Often, there is some confusion in describing these two terms as false work that often forms the formwork assembly. Formwork involves the forms on or within which concrete is poured, including reinforcements and frames that provide stability to the structure.

Although commonly associated as part of the formwork, joists, clamps, foundations, supports and bases are technically "fake". Falsework can be termed as any temporary structure that is designed to support a permanent structure, material, plant, equipment and people, until the permanent structure is self-sufficient. Falsework also includes the structural members that support the permanent structural elements.

It is of the utmost importance that contractors manage risks effectively by constructing formwork and fakes to improve the safety of workers performing these tasks. To comply with Australia's strict safety standards, today we will discuss the best method of managing the risks associated with formwork and formwork construction.

Identify risks

The first step is to identify potential hazards that can cause harm to workers:

Look around the construction site to identify if the formwork and formwork will interact with other tasks, vehicles, pedestrians or fixed structures such as power lines.

Verify the conditions of the land where the formwork and the formwork will be built.

Calculate the functional requirements of formwork and formwork, such as access requirements, fall protection requirements, live and dead loads and maximum height.

Discuss with other workers any potential problems they perceive or anticipate that pose a hazard by constructing or interacting with formwork and counterfeiting, including the requirements of inspection, maintenance, operation, repair, transportation and storage

Review all maintenance, inspection, incident and injury records to detect past incidents that could have been prevented

Evaluate the risks

In certain situations, risks and associated control measures are known from past experiences and, therefore, are easily implemented. Other situations require a risk assessment to identify the possibility of a worker harming a worker and the seriousness of this incident. The objective of risk assessment is to discover what control measures should be taken and how urgently they should be implemented.

Implementing control measures.

In accordance with health and safety laws in the workplace, contractors must eliminate or minimize the risks as much as reasonably possible. Control measures should be implemented using the risk control hierarchy that classifies the control measures from the highest level of protection to the lowest.

If risks or hazards can be eliminated (such as moving scaffolds away from power lines), this measure must be implemented. However, if it is not reasonably possible to do so, one of the following control measures must be implemented (in the following order):

Check control measures

The control measures implemented should be checked and reviewed periodically to ensure that they remain effective during the course of the project. Any change in the construction site, or changes in the nature of the work require a review of these control measures so that the system continues to function as planned.