Effective Construction Safety Management

With investments of 2.1 billion francs, the expansion of Zurich Airport is one of the largest projects ever to further enhance the Swiss traffic infrastructure. The project started in January 2000. After a three-year construction period, during which up to 1200 people simultaneously worked on various construction sites, the new "midfield zone" has now been completed. It includes the new Dock E with additional stands, taxiways and de-icing pads, a special baggage sorting plant, a road tunnel for easy access and the "skymetro", a connecting subway for passenger transportation between the midfield and the terminals existing. The extension and renovation of existing terminal buildings will be completed by the end of 2004.

Complex Task

Construction work at the airport during normal operations is a challenging task. Apart from having to control costs and keep to deadlines, safety is a top priority: While safe and well-regulated airport operations have to be ensured at any time, the safety of passengers, airport employees and construction workers is also of utmost importance. Unique, Zurich Airport's operating company, has taken various precautions to ensure this: The number of staff in the construction safety department has been increased and additional maintenance vehicles for the aviation surface have been organised. Moreover, all intersections of construction roads and runways are kept under intensive surveillance and working groups have been formed to discuss issues of construction sites versus airport operations and to coordinate safety issues.

Construction Safety Coordination

At Zurich Airport, the site supervisor is accountable for the safety on his or her construction site. Unique commits the supervisors to developing safety concepts and building up a safety organisation for each site. They regularly report on all safety-relevant incidents within a construction safety coordination group made up of the supervisors of the various construction sites, the safety bodies of Unique (industrial safety, construction safety, fire brigade) and a representative of the compulsory Swiss accident insurance (Suva).

Initial Scepticism

After initial scepticism towards this additional meeting, the members soon appreciated the advantages of the new organisation: Unique could reinforce its demand for the highest possible safety standards and, at the same time, receive regular feedback on incidents and implemented safety measures. At the same time, the supervisors and safety bodies were able to get to know each other so that interfacing or parallel problems could be solved together. The working group could also quickly influence any negative developments. In autumn 2002, for example, an additional awareness campaign was carried out to reduce incidents (i.e. accidents, fire alarms) on the airport construction sites.

Periodical Checks

A well-functioning safety organisation on each building site is vital for the success of a building project: At Zurich Airport, periodical safety checks were performed on each building site right from the beginning of the construction phase. The Suva supports the appointed responsibles in their task so that safety hazards can be detected at an early stage and according measures can immediately be taken. The leadership for these checks is always with the constructing company during the construction phase and with the site management during the completion phase. The results of each safety check are reported during the construction site meetings. The emergency organisation is also regularly put to the test during emergency exercises with all involved parties.

Positive Feedback

The positive feedback received from the site supervisors has shown that the safety organisation for the 5th expansion of Zurich Airport is, and has been, very effective. Nevertheless, several serious accidents did happen during the last three-year construction phase. This is why it is all the more important for the construction management to have a systematically planned safety organisation in place. A well-functioning safety management system within the contracting company should also be an important criterion for the airport operating company when awarding a contract. Finally, to successfully manage construction safety, there should be a close link between construction management, planners, site management and the contracting firms.