Abstract
Underground utility services play a major role in construction projects and are in huge demand across many sectors. As the growth of cities and urban populations accelerate, the need for services such as water, sewage, the Internet, gas and power also rapidly increases. In Ireland, the economy is expanding at an exceptional pace; thus, the demand for services is greater than ever before, leading to an increase in utility works. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate current work practices within the Irish underground utility service industry. Specifically, it aims to analyse services that are regulated and implemented by the Irish Health and Safety Authority’s (HSA) Code of Practice and to determine if these practices impact safety on utility projects from a positive or negative perspective. The research method undertaken is qualitatively based, encompassing six semi-structured individual interviews with construction professionals working with utility services and have a wealth of industry experience in Ireland. The resultant data is accumulated and assessed manually using coding techniques and grouped into three main themes: ‘Various factors that influence Strikes’; ‘How to improve Safety around Services’; and ‘The HSA Code of Practice’. The findings reveal that ‘Scanning’, ‘No as-built drawings’ and ‘Key indicators not being studied’ are the three main causes of strikes from a list of ten. Also from a list of ten strategies, the top two methods on how to improve safety are ‘Scan the full works area’ and ‘Accurate and on time as-builts’. Overall, the key contribution of this research reinforces that the HSA Code of Practice is effective in promoting safety in the underground utility services industry in Ireland. However, the research also highlights that the Code of Practice is not being followed and utilised effectively by operatives in the industry and provides recommendations for appropriate implementation and use.
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Carmody, S., Curran, M., Spillane, J.P. (2022). Underground Utility Services on Irish Construction Projects: Current Work Practices and the Effectiveness of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) Code of Practice. In: Gorse, C., Scott, L., Booth, C., Dastbaz, M. (eds) Climate Emergency – Managing, Building , and Delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79450-7_16
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