Category: Risk Management

The person who applies science, mathematics, economics, social and practical knowledge to, design, manufacture and maintain buildings, materials, machines, chemicals, electronic devices, software and etc can be called as Engineers. Engineering which is a branch of science; always cares about the applications. So hazards are very common in this engineering field. Each engineering fields has different types of hazards. Many engineering fields only consists small amount of risks whereas some engineering fields consists large amount of risks. Civil engineering, Mechanical engineering, Chemical engineering and Electrical engineering are some of the engineering fields consists lots of hazards. Not only lab works but also site works are in these fields. We are going to explore the risk management process of civil engineering in this essay.

First we can discuss about the real definitions of words such as risk, hazard, and accident. Risk is defined as chance of getting loss or failure. If any property or the environment has chances to harm the human, this will be called as Hazard. Accident is an incident that happen unfortunately and unexpectedly resulting injuries and damages. Unsafe working conditions and unsafe activities lead to the accident. So safety in construction projects is essential. Reducing the hazards by developing and improving safety procedures is defined as safety engineering.

It is necessary to create policies to reduce the hazards. Policies should be updated with the time. Inspecting the construction site should be done frequently. If any hazards are identified, then proper procedures should be done to decrease the risk. If any unusable or broken equipment are found, they should be replaced immediately. They have to check whether construction workers don’t take safety equipments while working. After an accident, the proper reason should be revealed after the full investigation. If lack of safety is the reason for the accident, then essential safety should be provided. All the employees should be trained based on their works. They should be taught how to act in critical situations. They should be taught about the safety. Frequent meetings should be made with the workers. The records such as number of deaths and number of injuries must be maintained. These are the some of the basic functions of safety engineering.

This step is the most essential step in risk management because avoiding risks without identifying is impossible. In this step construction site will be fully analyzed. Possible problems or risks will be identified. However identifying risk is not an easy work. It will take lot of time. Generally identifying process includes lots of tests and analyses. Construction site will be evaluated in following chapters.

· Necessary tests will be done to check the land quality. Other kind of necessary tests also will be made. Proper permits will be gotten from government and respective organizations. Quality of the materials also tested. In this principle, quality of the future building will be analyzed. If we don’t consider these evolutions, building has higher chance of getting failure.

· In this process management will analyze whether the construction workers have proper knowledge on safety and have proper skills to do the work. And management will also analyze whether is there any conflict or problems between construction employees.

· To prevent from the financial loss, the full expense of construction project is calculated. Change in plan may cost a lot. Customer may have not the ability to settle the full amount. In critical situations money should be spent. Thus all details and plans is analyzed lot.

· Delays may lead to financial loss. Wage for the extra day and other costs will lead to financial loss. So analyzing the possible delays is also an important task. It will be harder to fulfill the project before the customer’s deadline.

These risks are identifiable in planning before the construction work. But some risks can’t be identified in the planning process. Some risks want to be identified during the construction process. When we look around the construction site, if we find something gets wrong, we have to research on it.

Now all the details about risks are analyzed. Management will analyze how do the risk affects the construction, Risks should be categorized into legal, physical, financial, or ethical risks. In this process, management calculates the possibility of the risks. Then in each categorize risks are analyzed lot.

Management determines how danger each risk is. Here possible risks are ranked based on their probability for danger and the impact can be caused because of the danger. They will consider money and time factors. Risk will be categorized as high level risks and low level risks.

In the previous steps, risks will be analyzed. Now management takes actions to prevent from the risks. Some risks can’t be preventable. So for those risks, the ways to reduce the risks is found. Different procedures will be done to reduce different risks. Here management calculates the cost needed for process of reducing risks process.

You have to make sure whether all of your suggestion takes place correctly.

These are two examples that show how to manage the hazards using the safety engineering principles. Management must take care of risk management by doing these five steps properly. In construction sites risk management is so important.

According to human rights all persons have equal rights to live safely. Everyone in the world deserves to do their work or business safely. We all know that civil engineering projects always consists large amount of risks. Employees spend lot of time of their lifetime in construction fields. So they have high chances to get affected due to injuries or fatalities. So it is necessary to implement the risk management process in construction projects. Construction Company and employees are two main human parts which relates with the construction projects. So I think that it is better to analyze this problem from views of both employee and the Construction Company.

Let’s focus on this problem from the Construction Company’s point of view. They have to take full responsibility on accidents that happens on construction fields. They should be able to explain the accident technically to responsible officers, government and Medias. They have to face law problems. When responsible officers inspect the construction site, Construction companies may have to pay fine to the government for not having safety features. After an accident, construction equipments such as buildings, machineries and heavy vehicles may damage. So Construction Company needs to repair or replace those equipments. So lots of money should be spent. So works will be postponed. So time needed to full fill the construction project will increase. Construction Companies need to take the full responsibility of employee who gets injury during the construction work if safety procedures are not made. Construction Company needs to provide cash for the employee’s hospital fees and other compensations. So to reduce this amount of expenses, companies should provide good safety. And companies loses great experienced worker. Employees do great service to do the big projects for the Construction Companies. So Construction Companies have responsibility to provide good safety for the employees. So when we analyze from the construction company’s view, we can clearly say that lack of risk management produces lots of unwanted expenses and legal problems.

Now let’s focus this problem from employee’s view. Life of employees always depends on monthly salary or daily wage. Generally employee’s family only depends on that employee. Let’s imagine that that employee faced an accident. He/she injured or died. So that employee can’t contribute to that family. His/her family will be in critical situations. We all know that human is the most valuable thing in the world. So lose of human hurts the community surrounded him/her. So we should reduce these accidents. Harmful chemicals, noises, dusts and toxic materials are common in construction sites. These harmful materials may lead to bad effects in our body. So employee’s health will not be in good condition. Lung Cancer, Silicosis and Asthma are few of the important diseases affect the construction workers. Bad environment of the construction leads to these diseases.

We have seen the importance of the risk management. To stop these issues, we need to have risk management process. Correct risk management process will reduce the hazards nearly to zero.

We will see about the most common construction site hazards and ways to reduce those. Every worker who enters into construction site should know these procedures. Management must make sure that.

Workers may use equipments in high speed. Sometimes workers leave from construction field when machines are in running stage. This may produce dangerous conditions. So workers should be very careful when dealing with machines. We all know construction field has many volatile organic chemicals and easily flammable substances. Smoking in the construction field is so dangerous. So smoking in the construction field should be prohibited and strictly implemented. Working after taking alcohol or other drugs, is so dangerous. So drug usage should be prohibited. Workers may use the machines without having full knowledge regarding machines. This may lead to accidents. So employees need to be trained before letting them to use the equipments. All equipments are designed for doing a specific task. Using different equipment for different work may bring accidents. So management should stop this. Workers may not use the safety equipments provided. They may disconnect the safety guards. This should be strictly monitored by the management.

We all know that construction site is heavily polluted area. Atmosphere surrounding will contain lots of toxic gases, solid particles like dusts, bad chemicals and organic vapors. Breathing this polluted air may lead to various types of diseases like asthma and lung cancer. Employees should use masks or other safety equipment when they are in heavily polluted area. Construction sites contain dusts, solid materials and bad chemicals. Human eye affects because of these particles. So it is necessary to wear safety goggles to protect our eyes. Noise is common problem in construction sites. Using noise free equipments and using proper earmuffs will reduce this problem.

Asbestos is common name for six natural minerals. It is a toxic nonconductor to electricity. It has high animosity to heat to heat and chemicals. Asbestos is used for various purposes in the construction field such as roofing. It causes cancer in the employee’s body. It also affects the lungs effectively. Breathing these particles may lead to bad effects. Workers dealing with asbestos should attend medical checkup frequently. Workers should wear protective wears that are offered by the employers.

Workers should be very careful while working below or near to the electric wires. Only qualified electricians must be allowed to do the electrical works. Suitable wire should be chosen. If any possibilities for electrical shock are noted it should be corrected immediately. Ground line should be grounded well. Workers should avoid using electricity near to wet places.

If an employee feels that building is collapsing, then he needs to escape from the buildings using the emergency exit way. If employee can’t leave the construction field, he should find a shelter under a table or other stable surface. Face should be covered fully using any wears because of heavy dusts. After the collapse, if employee can’t move, he should signal others to help him.

According to stats, working at height produces lots of accidents each year. The numbers are higher than other hazards. But civil engineering projects needs the work at heights mostly. Before going to work at the heights, working should be planned properly. Workers who only have well enough health should be allowed to work at heights. Works like assembling should be done in ground if possible. Roof works are dangerous. Employees should be very careful when they work under fragile surface. Scaffolding collapse causes many deaths each year. Free falling objects are dangerous when they collide with the human. Safety equipments like full-body harnesses, hard hats, and safety boots, fall arrest systems and work positioning systems needed to be worn while working in heights. Ladders are one of the big reasons for many injuries in construction. Employer’s three parts of body should have contact with the ladder. Appropriate ladder should be chosen for the work. Loading weights more than limit in ladders must be prohibited. Ladders should be placed on stable surfaces. Employees should avoid working in the heights where fall protection systems are not found.

Workers should be very careful when they are working near to moving objects such as automated vehicles, heavy vehicles and other machineries. Lifted objects may produce hazard. In low lights vehicles may collide with human. High visibility clothes might be used to identify human in low lights.

This is also one of the leading hazards in the construction. Proper firefighting equipments must e placed in every parts of construction field. There should be some fire emergency exit ways in the construction area. Fire alarm should be maintained well. Smoking near to combustible materials should be prohibited. Containers which are highly pressurized should be maintained well.

Slips & trips are some of the leading causes for the employees. Employees should be aware of wet floors. Workers should be careful of with obstacles in the ways. This might lead to various injuries. Working environment must be maintained clean. Areas which can make employees to slip must be identified and caution tapes should be covered. In low lights it is harder to find these kinds of hazards. So when working in nights, enough light should be provided to all of the parts of construction area. Safety boots and slip resistance foot ware should be worn when walking in hazardous areas. Proper walking ways must be provided to the workers. Moving or lifting heavy weights in these places should be avoided. It is better to use machines to this purpose. Generally smooth floors only give some grip. So slipping chance is higher in these kinds of floors. So using skid-resistant materials will increase the friction and reduces the chance of slipping.

The protective clothes and equipments are called as personal protective equipments. These will decrease the impact of the accident. Respiratory protectors, Eye protectors like goggles, Hearing protectors like earmuffs, Hand protectors like gloves, Foot protectors like boots, Head protectors like hard hats, Skin protectors are the classes of PPE. Management should provide these equipments. Employees should wear these equipments suitable for their works. A supervisor should make sure this. All quality of the PPE should be inspected and they should obey to latest safety ratings.

We have knew the concept of safety engineering, the way to identifying and find the solutions using the principles of safety engineering, the importance of risk management, common hazards and the solutions from this essay. Every person who enters to the construction field must know all these stuffs. In Singapore, some construction companies conduct an examination regarding safety procedures. New workers are elected based on their knowledge on safety and their skills. So we need to inspire from them. Management should provide enough safety and PPEs to their employees. Employees also should not work in unsafe environment. Management should conduct frequent classes to employees. Accidents should be properly inspected and reasons should be revealed. Construction companies should form a technical team for safety. That team should take responsibility for the safety of the construction field. These things should be implemented in the sites not only in papers.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate students’ social, emotional, and behavioral risk by using a universal screening tool within a multitiered system of supports. Identifying students who are at risk has become of vital importance. Still, although, it is critical, many schools have not implemented universal screening procedures, instead rely on more responsive methods of student identification. A common concern of universal screening includes the potential for the over-identification of at-risk students and the exhaustion of already limited school resources. This research proposal discusses the importance of universal screening for all students for social, emotional, and behavioral risks. Through research, the results suggest screening is an essential tool for helping school personnel come up with preventative measures for addressing student barriers to learning.

Introduction

Social and emotional development during the early childhood is an essential foundation for a child’s success (Raver, 2002). It has been reported by the National Academy of Sciences that 60% of children go into school with the cognitive skills that are necessary to be successful. Still, it has been reported that only 40% have the necessary social-emotional skills to succeed in kindergarten (Raver, 2002). Research has undoubtedly shown that students’ emotional and behavioral adjustment is significant for their chances of early school achievement. Educational systems tend to put importance of cognitive and academic readiness yet, ignore the value of a child’s social-emotional growth (Raver, 2002). When students have a postive outlook on their social and emotional being, they can develop positive relationships with others. Students who know how to manage their feelings are more likely to be ready to learn. A significant amount of research reveals that the early years are very influential in later development (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). For some young children, the existence of challenging behavior is a significant hindrance to their success in early childhood settings and even systematic social and academic problems throughout school (Carter, Briggs-Gowan, & Davis, 2004). While presenting some challenging behaviors during rapid childhood development is normal, some children display challenging behaviors that are more long-lasting and result in considerable difficulties for the student. Therefore, it is vital to have focused on early intervention services available to them and their families to help prevent long-term problems (Gorey, 2001). The critical step towards recognition of such issues and the prevention of more significant effects is to perform screenings across developmental areas to help identify those children that would benefit from early and specialized intervention strategies. Universal screening enables teachers, school counselors, and others provide along with families to promptly identify problems and implement plans that are likely to reduce the chance of long-term detrimental results, including severe persistent challenging behaviors. Screening does not only helps identify social and emotional needs but also allows counselors, teachers, and other service providers better understand the child.

Review of Literature

As students range from kindergarten until the twelfth grade, they come to school with a variety of academic, social, and behavioral abilities. As students attain an abundance of skills, students are prepared to meet the many demands and challenges that lie ahead for a successful educational experience. However, many students struggle in one or more of these areas during their educational careers. Research has indicated that although educators feel confident in meeting the needs of their students academically, they do not feel adequately prepared to meet their social and emotional needs (Christofferson & Sullivan, 2015).

Early identification of at risk-students represents a significant prevention method. One of the central means by which schools can engage in early prevention is through universal screening. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) supports the use of universal screening in schools, indicating it represents a proactive method of detecting students who require additional supports to be successful. Universal screening for social-emotional and behavioral risk is on the rise, with the percentage of schools engaging in the practice doubling over the last decade (Kilgus, Taylor, & Embse, 2016). According to the study done by Kilgus, Bowman, Crystal, & Taylor (2017), it states that ‘despite promising advances in the science of school-based universal screening, it is rare to find schools that use universal screening to detect students at risk for behavioral concerns’ (p.246). Therefore, when conducting my research, I needed to determine how important it is that students be screened for social, emotional, and behavioral risks. According to research done by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) identified ‘social and emotional factors’ as the most powerful influence over students’ achievement in schools (CASEL, 2012).

A section in the article stated that ‘students are routinely screened for physical health issues (e.g., hearing and vision). However, emotional and behavioral health issues are generally detected after they have already emerged. It is time for that to change’ (CASEL, 2012). Students who walk through the doors of their school have more to them than just their backpacks. Each child brings other factors of life that shape their learning and development. These influences range from family issues, health concerns, culture, and learning abilities. All these factors can impact their mental health, which includes their social, emotional, and behavioral beings. ‘As education professionals, school staff need to understand the role mental health plays in the school context because it is so central to our students’ social, emotional, and academic success’ (CASEL, 2012). According to research done by Magellan Health insights (2013), approximately less than 20% of children and adolescents with a diagnosable mental health issue receive the treatment that they need. If we had screening done within schools, then we would be able to diagnose students sooner and help them gain the help and supports that they need. Thus, the importance of universal screening for social, emotional, and behavioral risk. To best help support the use of universal screening, according to the study done by Kilgus, Eklund, von der Embse, Taylor, & Sims (2016), schools are increasingly adopting a multitiered system of support (MTSS) as the foundation of their social-emotional and behavioral delivery models. MTSS models represent a prevention-orientation to addressing student needs, with a foundation of ecological theory, data-based decision making, and problem-solving logic (p. 21). Through this system, it is focused on supporting the ‘whole child’ and is a support to promote positive student academic and behavioral outcomes and is driven from data based on SAEBRS (Ziomek-Daigle, Goodman-Scott, Cavin, & Donohue, 2016). ‘MTSS consists of a continuum of three tiers of prevention: primary, secondary, and tertiary’ (Kilgus and et.al., 2016). Based on the scores of their SAEBRS assessment will determine which of the three tiers that the students will receive interventions in. The CASEL (2012) article stated that Universal screening for these concerns, mainly when implemented within a multitiered model of behavioral support, may help these students receive earlier services than they otherwise would and may prevent the need for more intensive special education or therapeutic services.

Methodology

Participants and Setting

The sample of students used will be all students from each class, K-5. Although the purpose of this study will be focused on elementary students, SAEBRS can be used throughout grades K-12. The questionnaire will be provided to students during school hours using an iPad, laptop, or Chromebook and, if necessary, paper and pencil and later entered in the computer system by a counselor. The universal screener will be used two times throughout the school year. The questionnaire will need to be done by the end of the first month and then again filled out before spring break by both student and teacher.

Measures

SAEBRS. SAEBRS is a brief instrument supported by research for use in universal screening for behavioral and emotional risk. Students and Teachers will complete the SAEBRS using a 4-point Likert scale (0 = never, one = sometimes, 2 = often, and 3 = almost always) to indicate how frequently the student displays certain behaviors within a month. Scores are then totaled within each subscale and combined to produce a score. Higher scores are symptomatic of more adaptive functioning. Screening may be conducted up to five times per year with individual students or across a classroom, grade level, school, or district (SAEBRS, 2019). For this study, the screening will be conducted twice throughout the school year. Testing is completed in roughly one to three minutes per student using an iPad or Chromebook. If needed, the questionnaire can be used with paper and pencil and entered in by the counselor. The amount of time required for the screening depends on the student’s understanding and comprehension of the questions asked.

The Behavioral and Emotional Screening System is a 19-item universal screener. Scores will be developed from four areas (Internalizing Problems, Externalizing Problems, Academic problems, and Adaptive Skills), and are combined to generate one score suggestive of behavioral and emotional risk. Students and teachers complete behavioral and emotional screening items using a 4-point Likert scale. Item scores will then be totaled to produce a total raw score, which is converted to a T score (M =50, SD= 10). Higher scores are indicative of more concerns involving general behavioral and emotional performance. T scores will be categorized into three levels of risk. Studies have supported Behavioral and Emotional screener with reliability, validity, and diagnostic accuracy (Jenkins et al., 2014).

Data analysis

SAEBRS analytical accuracy will be assessed using a curve analysis. Within the curve analysis, two sets of statistics can be calculated. The first set is linked to the area under the curve statistics. The Curve analyses will be used when defining the degree to which the predictor measure creates similar rates of sensitivity between groups as compared with a reliable means of the same trend, which then produces the area under the curve.

Two sets of statistics will be used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of scores from each SAEBRS scale relative to the emotional and behavioral assessment total score. The first of these are statistics that are defined as the probability that a randomly selected truly at-risk student (according to the Emotional and Behavioral assessment total score) would have a lower score on the SAEBRS than a randomly chosen not at-risk student. The second set of statistic diagnostic accuracy indicators are probability statistics, as well as additional statistics resulting from the short-term probability standards. Descriptors used on the scale will determine the need for each score. Students who are identified as at-risk will be indeed at risk, positive values that the students identified as at-risk defined by SAEBRS who are genuinely at risk. Negative values are the number of students identified as not at risk determined by the SAEBRS, who was indeed not at risk. These scores will help determine those students who genuinely need interventions and supports.

There are several variables within the study. The dependent variable will be the student’s social, emotional, and behavioral risk. The independent variable would be the student’s understanding of the questionnaire and the student’s emotional and behavioral state. If the student has a difficult time understanding and comprehending the 19- items presented and if the student is unable to answer the questions based on their emotional and behavioral state can alter the information. The questionnaire will help counselors and teachers determine the students who are at risk for social, emotional, and behavioral risks. Once this is determined, proper interventions can be set in place to help support the child to their needs.

Results

To determine the results of the SAEBRS screener, it is based on a curve analysis. The data below the curve analysis (positive values) are those who are at risk, and those who are within the curve analysis (negative values) are those students who are not truly at risk. Once the results are based on the 19-item questionnaire that the students and the teachers have both taken, then it will determine if the student is a risk or within the normal range. Based on each student’s results, the counselor will meet with them and discuss possible interventions and supports to help meet the needs of the students socially, emotionally, and behaviorally through the MTSS system.

Conclusion

This study would be essential to identify those students who are in the school systems who would need supports but are often undetected due to the students not showing the visible signs of social, emotional, and behavioral problems. While counselors often work with the students who do have apparent signs of struggle, this tool will help identify other students who need supports. Through counselors overwhelming schedules and working with the students who need interventions, the students who do not show apparent signs of struggle are missed. This leads to the problems of students not receiving mental health interventions who need them, leading to a more significant problem of mental health issues. Through using SAEBRS, we can screen each student for social, emotional, and behavior risk and start to provide them with supports so that their education and well-being can thrive.

Limitations of this study would be the support of the educators. Not all educators understand the importance of mental health; therefore, they do not support universal screening. Educators need to be educated and understand why every student should be screened for social, emotional, and behavioral risks. It needs to be made a priority in schools. Another limitation of this study would be access to the use of technology. Some schools do not have many IPADs, Chromebooks, or laptops for students to use for screening students. Lastly, another limitation of the study would be the student’s comprehension and honestly on the assessments. If the students understand why they are being assessed, they may not answer honestly, and this would change the results of the data evaluated. Also, if students do not have good reading comprehension and are not able to understand the test can alter the results.

For future research on this subject, it would be beneficial to look at other screening tools. The study could be repeated with another screening tool and use that to compare to SAEBRS to determine if this is an appropriate screening tool for the students and school. Each school may use a variety of universal screening tools. The most important thing to know and understand is that each student must be screening for social, emotional, and behavior risk.

References

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