Awareness of legislation for hand-dug caisson work in highway construction

Abstract

Hand-dug caisson work is one of the alternative methods of piling for areas that have restrictions on the use of machines. This type of construction work has been used in urban areas in Malaysia. The technique is considered to be a hazardous operation as it involves various high-risk activities, such as lifting and working in confined space. Hand-dug caisson work must comply with various Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Legislation that covers every aspect of its operation. The aim of this qualitative and quantitative study is to analyze the awareness of highway construction workers concerning legislation that specifically covers hand-dug caisson work. A questionnaire survey was used to determine the awareness of personnel involved in this activity concerning the relevant legislation. Although the results of the survey showed that the personnel were aware of the basic OSH Legislation currently being used in Malaysia, the survey results for specific OSH Legislation related to each process showed that the awareness of the personnel involved was only about 52.44%. The low awareness of OSH Legislation would lead to non-compliance with the Law and impact on the safety, company image, and productivity. Recommendations to improve awareness of the related OSH Legislation are also discussed in this study.