Qualitative risk evaluation of occupational health and safety measures of under-construction Indus Highway N-55: A Case Study

The N-55 highway is Pakistan's main public transportation route. The total length of the road project is about 104 km. The project will be implemented over four years, with an optional operational time for maintenance over the next eight years. Currently, around 800 people are employed in the project. Zaheer Khan and Builders (ZKB) is the contractor of the project and more than 800 workers are employed for this project. Having such a huge workforce working on the project, their safety is a big concern and without any control measures and monitoring it can lead to accidents and can cause fatalities. Construction workers engage in a variety of activities and are frequently victims of occupational diseases and injuries. Asphalt workers, ground preparation workers, and heavy vehicle operators are among those who are directly or indirectly exposed to occupational dangers like dust, noise, heat and cold, vibration, and chemicals. The most common health concerns among these workers are noise-induced hearing loss, respiratory disorders, musculoskeletal problems, and skin and eye irritation. Occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS) and Occupational health and safety (OH&S) provide guidelines for developing circumstances, skills, and attitudes that enable workers and the company to do their work successfully and in a manner that eliminates accidents. This study focuses on identifying potential health hazards and dangers to highway construction workers linked with various construction operations, as well as assessing workers' health status. The study will also serve as a foundation for the design of mitigation measures to be considered during the planning phase for the reduction of health risks to employees in future highway building and reconstruction projects.