Temporary works and the structural engineer

Sean Brady stresses the importance of managing 'human factors' to reduce human error within bridge projects, citing international examples from which lessons can be learned.

Three reoccurring themes (communication issues, quality assurance and lack of appreciation for the importance of stability) continue to emerge from reports to CROSS detailing incidents on site. Alastair Soane provides examples.

We read about (and maybe unfortunately witness) people being hurt or killed; these events have an immediate effect on a company or project. Accidents may be recorded and analysed, often within a short time of their occurrence. It is no surprise therefore that traditionally, the industry has seen the improvement of accident statistics as representing a true measure of improvement in health and safety performance.