The level of preventive action assessment parameters for construction works: the characteristic value and its incidence in the risk degree evaluaction

Abstract

The Level of Preventive Action (Lpac) is a methodology for assessing occupational hazards adapted to building works. Its implementation is based on a mathematical formulation developed from the method of William T. Fine. Lpac parameters observe the reality of building work in environments of the building process: initial, documentary, constructive and social; encompassing four of the techniques of fight against risk: Safety at Work, Industrial Hygiene, Ergonomics and Psychosociology. This observation determines, quantitatively, the levels of risk that correspond to the complexity of the work units, their location in the work and their interdependence (in the documentary environment). Likewise, it determines, quantitatively, the levels of risk according to the characteristics of the constructive systems and preventive systems (in the constructive environment). Finally, it determines, quantitatively, the levels of risk based on the perception of the environment and the emotional states of the workers (in the social environment). The Lpac is developed in five phases from technical analysis, observation and a psychosocial survey on site. The first phase of the protocol defines an inherent characteristic value to the actual situation of the work seen in the documentary, constructive and social environments; and it is applied to each one of the parameters of the Level of Preventive Action formula. The second phase determines the incidence of the characteristic value to each of the risks that are evaluated. The third phase indicates bases prevention control with the Lpac value obtained relative to absolute risk, as initial deviation preventive action. The fourth phase indicates the recommendation actions. And in the fifth phase the preventive action improvement during the construction process is verified. The characteristic value is associated with the real characteristics presented by the work unit in execution on which it is going to proceed to evaluate and on each one of the parameters of the Lpac, based on the criteria of: complexity of the work unit, the position of the work unit, degree of risk exposure, organizational procedure, participatory interest and congruence of risk perception. The characteristic value positions, with the integer values 1, 3, 5, 9, 15 and 25, the degree of risk. This characteristic value will be the minimum value of the risk associated with the real conditions of the work. Subsequently, the incidence of this characteristic value is evaluated in each of the risks to be evaluated and the result may be higher or lower. The corrected value is based on its incidence on the evaluated risk gives us a value (risk degree) that is transferred to the Lpac formula. The results determine, with quantitative criteria, the percentage or amount of preventive action that is required. Therefore, the Level of Preventive Action method is more flexible in its applicability and more sensitive to detect risks in all situations in the construction process.