'The biggest worry for emerging economies like India is a huge working population and labor with low literacy rates and an abysmal awareness of occupational health & safety hazards'
We spoke to Aravind V., HSE head - Construction Management Projects (India), JLL to understand their focus areas in HSE, key challenges in HSE faced by construction companies and strategies implemented by them to overcome those challenges.
Tell about organization & focus area in HSE : Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (JLL) is a global real estate services company, with offices in 80 countries. The company is ranked 190 on the Fortune 500. We help buy, build, occupy and invest in a variety of assets including industrial, commercial, retail, residential and hotel real estate. From tech startups to global firms, our clients span industries including banking, energy, healthcare, law, life sciences, manufacturing, and technology. We are having Project development team as well as Facility management services and Asset management. Focus area in HSE : we aim to prioritize the safety and wellness of people, promote safe and healthy workplaces, protect the environment in which we operate, and work to continually improve our health, safety, and environment culture. Throughout our operations and embodied in all the services and advice we provide around the world, vigilant attention to health, safety and the environment is a constant priority.
Key challenges facing in HSE of Construction industry are.
- A) The biggest worry for emerging economies like India is a huge working population and labor with low literacy rates and an abysmal awareness of occupational health & safety hazards.
- B) Mandatory HSE laws and Compliance: In emerging economies as compared to the developing countries, the existing regulatory and compliance mechanisms are not so stringent. In many developing nations there are multiple authorities looking after health and safety of workers. Under reporting of accidents are happening in all Industries and there is no penalty clause for major accidents / Incidents.
- C) Not integrating technology in HSE.
Strategies to Overcome these challenges :
- A) Give trainings like visual inductions to make workers aware on potential hazards and mitigation . Give small pep talks regarding the works and its safety during regular intervals. Trainings on occupational hygiene.
- B) Government should make mandatory HSE rules and regulation in all construction sites. All accidents to be reported like in developing countries and measures to be taken to decrease the incident rate. Strong penalty should be imposed to contractors who are not abiding with Health and safety regulations.
- C) Digitalization, AI, AR, nanotechnology, and robotics are transforming our workplaces in positive ways. Robots can take over dangerous jobs like confined space that are currently done by workers.
HSE Scenario in Indian Industry
- A) Give trainings like visual inductions to make workers aware on potential hazards and mitigation . Give small pep talks regarding the works and its safety during regular intervals. Trainings on occupational hygiene.
- B) Government should make mandatory HSE rules and regulation in all construction sites. All accidents to be reported like in developing countries and measures to be taken to decrease the incident rate. Strong penalty should be imposed to contractors who are not abiding with Health and safety regulations.
- C) Digitalization, AI, AR, nanotechnology, and robotics are transforming our workplaces in positive ways. Robots can take over dangerous jobs like confined space that are currently done by workers.
HSE Scenario in Indian Industry
A huge workforce in unorganized sectors like construction and lack of HSE knowledge, inadequate implementation of HSE legislation &law , Lack of reliable HSE data, shortage of standard HSE professionals, NO statutory controls.
5) HSE initiatives planning to implement
Use of more technology in HSE like robotics and use of AI technology for all critical / hazardous jobs
