Construction Safety and Health Course

Lesson 1 • History and Purpose of Safety Regulations

Traces the evolution of worksite safety laws from industrial-era incidents to modern standards. Provides context for why compliance frameworks exist and how they protect workers.

Lesson 2 • Regulatory Framework and Compliance Obligations

Outlines the structure of safety regulations and the roles of enforcement agencies. Connects legal obligations to daily site management responsibilities.

Lesson 3 • Hazard Recognition and Classification

Introduces the four leading hazard categories on construction sites and systematic recognition methods. Builds the perceptual foundation needed for all subsequent risk-control work.

Lesson 1 • Incident Investigation and Root Cause Analysis

Introduces incident investigation methods to identify root causes and prevent recurrence. Ties back to hazard recognition by showing how failures reveal uncontrolled risks.

Lesson 2 • Hierarchy of Controls

Explains the five-level hierarchy from elimination to personal protective equipment. Students apply the hierarchy to prioritise the most effective control measures.

Lesson 3 • Job Hazard Analysis Techniques

Teaches step-by-step job hazard analysis to break tasks into components and assign controls. Provides a practical tool used throughout the remaining course chapters.

Lesson 4 • The Risk Assessment Process

Introduces a structured five-step risk assessment methodology applicable to any construction task. Connects hazard recognition from Chapter 1 to quantified risk evaluation.

Lesson 1 • Ladder Safety and Portable Equipment

Covers ladder selection, setup angles, inspection, and safe use for portable ladders and aerial lifts. Addresses the high frequency of ladder-related injuries on construction sites.

Lesson 2 • Fall Hazard Types and Trigger Heights

Identifies fall hazard categories including leading edges, floor openings, and roof work. Establishes the regulatory trigger heights that require formal protection measures.

Lesson 3 • Guardrail and Safety Net Systems

Covers design, installation, and load requirements for guardrail and safety net systems. These passive systems form the preferred protection tier under the hierarchy of controls.

Lesson 4 • Scaffolding Safety Fundamentals

Addresses supported and suspended scaffold erection, capacity, and access requirements. Scaffolding is a primary elevated work platform requiring dedicated fall controls.

Lesson 1 • Electrical Hazard Fundamentals

Explains how electrical current injures the body and identifies the four main electrical hazards on construction sites. Builds the physiological and physical understanding needed for control selection.

Lesson 2 • Overhead and Underground Utility Hazards

Addresses safe approach distances for overhead power lines and utility locating before excavation. Utility contact is a leading cause of fatal electrical incidents in construction.

Lesson 3 • Electrical Personal Protective Equipment

Covers selection and use of insulated gloves, arc flash suits, and dielectric footwear. Electrical PPE is the last line of defence when engineering controls are insufficient.

Lesson 4 • Temporary Power and Ground Fault Protection

Covers temporary wiring requirements, extension cord ratings, and earth leakage circuit breaker use. Temporary power systems are the most frequent electrical hazard source on active sites.

Lesson 1 • Excavation Access, Egress, and Spoil Placement

Covers ladder placement, spoil pile setback distances, and surface encumbrance controls. Improper access and spoil placement are common contributors to excavation incidents.

Lesson 2 • Protective Systems for Excavations

Covers sloping, benching, shoring, and trench box selection based on soil type and depth. Each system has specific geometry and load requirements that must be matched to site conditions.

Lesson 3 • Competent Person Duties for Excavations

Defines the competent person role, required inspections, and authority to halt work. The competent person is the regulatory linchpin for all excavation safety decisions.

Lesson 4 • Atmospheric Hazards in Excavations

Addresses oxygen deficiency, flammable gases, and toxic vapours that accumulate in excavations. Atmospheric testing is compulsory before entry and during work in confined or deep excavations.

Lesson 1 • Work Zone Traffic Control

Covers traffic control plan elements, device placement, and flagger duties to protect workers from vehicle strikes. Work zone incidents account for a significant share of struck-by fatalities.

Lesson 2 • Crane and Rigging Safety

Addresses crane setup, load chart interpretation, rigging hardware inspection, and signal communication. Crane operations create both struck-by and caught-in risks requiring coordinated controls.

Lesson 3 • Backing Operations and Spotters

Covers backing alarm requirements, spotter duties, and operator blind-spot awareness for heavy equipment. Backing incidents are a leading cause of struck-by fatalities on construction sites.

Lesson 4 • Machine Guarding and Caught-In Prevention

Explains point-of-operation guards, nip point protection, and rotating part hazards on construction equipment. Caught-in incidents are often fatal and preventable through proper guarding.

Lesson 1 • Silica Dust Exposure and Control

Addresses respirable crystalline silica sources, permissible exposure limits, and the table of engineering controls. Silica is the most prevalent occupational lung disease risk in construction.

Lesson 2 • Hazard Communication Programme Essentials

Covers the globally harmonised labelling system, safety data sheet sections, and written hazard communication programme requirements. Workers must understand chemical hazards before exposure occurs.

Lesson 3 • Flammable and Combustible Material Handling

Explains flash point classifications, storage requirements, and ignition source control for flammable liquids and gases. Improper storage is a primary cause of construction site fires.

Lesson 4 • Respiratory Protection Programme

Covers respirator selection, fit testing, medical evaluation, and maintenance for construction chemical hazards. A written respiratory protection programme is required whenever respirators are used.

Lesson 1 • Safety Metrics and Performance Measurement

Covers leading and lagging indicators, recordkeeping requirements, and data analysis for trend identification. Metrics transform safety activities into evidence-based management decisions.

Lesson 2 • Safety Inspections and Audits

Teaches planned inspection techniques, audit scoring methods, and corrective action tracking. Regular inspections verify that controls identified in earlier chapters remain effective.

Lesson 3 • Safety and Health Programme Framework

Introduces the four core elements of an effective safety programme: management commitment, worker participation, hazard identification, and education. Provides the architecture for all programme components.

Lesson 4 • Subcontractor Safety Management

Addresses prequalification, orientation, oversight, and accountability systems for subcontractors. General contractors retain responsibility for site-wide safety regardless of who performs the work.