BRD/General/TBT-BRD-001

Bridge Construction Safety Awareness

Bridges & Structures › General › Bridge Construction Safety Awareness

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Bridge construction combines working at height, heavy lifting, temporary works, and traffic management into a single operation.
Falls from bridge decks, abutments, and falsework are a primary cause of serious injuries during bridge construction.
Temporary works including falsework, propping, and temporary bearings are critical to structural stability during construction.
Precast beam installation involves complex lifting operations with heavy loads, requiring detailed lift plans under LOLER.
Working over or adjacent to live traffic, railways, or waterways adds significant additional hazard to bridge construction.
Formwork for in-situ bridge decks must be designed, checked, and inspected with a permit to load before concrete is poured.
Post-tensioning operations involve high-tension cables and specialist equipment that can cause catastrophic injury if they fail.
Bridge bearing installation requires precision placement of heavy components in confined spaces at height.
Waterproofing, expansion joints, and parapet construction involve working at the exposed edges of completed bridge decks.
Coordination between the permanent works designer and the temporary works coordinator is essential for structural safety.

Prevent fatal falls	Bridge decks, abutments, and falsework create exposed working at height — edge protection and harness systems are essential throughout.
Temporary works failure	Falsework collapse during bridge construction causes catastrophic structural failure — proper design, checking, and inspection are mandatory.
Complex lifting	Precast beams and steel girders are among the heaviest single lifts on construction sites — detailed planning prevents dropped loads.

Don't

Install edge protection on all bridge decks, abutments, and elevated work areas.
Ensure falsework and formwork have a valid design check and permit to load.
Follow the approved lift plan for all beam and girder installation operations.
Maintain exclusion zones beneath bridge construction areas to protect workers below.
Coordinate with highways or railway authorities when working over live infrastructure.
Use harness and lanyard systems where edge protection cannot be installed at leading edges.
Brief all workers on the bridge construction sequence and phasing each day.
Monitor temporary works for movement, deflection, or signs of distress during construction.
Follow post-tensioning safe working procedures and maintain exclusion zones during stressing.
Ensure permanent and temporary works designers coordinate on stability at every stage.

DON'T work on bridge decks or abutments without edge protection or fall arrest systems.
DON'T load falsework before the design check is complete and the permit is issued.
DON'T lift beams or girders without a detailed lift plan briefed to all involved.
DON'T work beneath bridge construction without exclusion zones to protect from falling objects.
DON'T work over live traffic or railways without the required protection and coordination.
DON'T rely solely on harnesses where collective edge protection could be installed instead.
DON'T skip daily briefings — bridge construction hazards change with each phase of work.
DON'T ignore signs of falsework distress such as deflection, creaking, or misalignment.
DON'T enter the exclusion zone during post-tensioning stressing operations.
DON'T proceed with construction if there are unresolved queries between designers.

See also: Bridge Deck Construction | Precast Beam Installation

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