The writer below is discussing on three safety or security elements that he feel can be generalised to the planning of a variety of infrastructure projects. And the most important lessons learned for these elements that could minimise the impact on future projects.
Study the materials uploaded and discuss your Analytical opinion adding value to the discussion while posing a question to the writer to discuss also.
Introduction:
Safety and security are critical aspects that should be considered before the construction of a given infrastructure project. It is essential to take into account these factors because they can lead to disastrous impacts if they are not properly done. It is very necessary to undertake a risk assessment and environmental impact assessment for any given site beforethe construction. The risk assessment is done so as to estimate the extent of risk that the infrastructure has on the nearby surroundings. During this phase potential hazards are investigated and based on these hazards, safety indexes are calculated (Thomas, 2010). After proper analysis, safety features will then be incorporated into the project. A configurationis then obtained that will maximize safety while minimizing the total expenditure of the project.
Environmental impact assessment is also another safety element that needs to be incorporated into the planning phase of an infrastructure project. For example, a report on the effects natural resources such as; water, soil, air?etc. in general should be given before construction. Each project has its own environmental implications that should be addressedkeenly. If these impacts exceed the allowable limits, then the project may not be feasible (Sun, 2008).
Project planning should also consider addressing the information system architecture. This is a very essential element in addressing the security issues in a given project. This system should be very strong, efficient and totally secure so as to cater for disaster management before, during and after a disaster. A good disaster management system should identifyall the assets required and predict possible dangers and their impacts. This system should also be able to address the mitigation measures as well the emergency response programs. The Geographic Information System (GIS) is one of the architectures that can be used in disaster management program (Sorvari, 2010).
Important lessons learnt for these elements that could minimize the impact in future projects:
Risk assessment in any given project is very instrumental towards the advancement of the project. Risk assessment is a multidimensional aspect that includes many other determinants. During this assessment, a wide analysis is expected so as to include all the possible risks in the analytical method. This is a very complicated situation. A decision supporttool incorporating many possible hazards can be incorporated into the analysis so as to come with a more comprehensive research. This tool can facilitate communication and sharing of information among different stakeholders of the company and incorporate the public in the decision making process. This approach can avoid conflicts that can interfere withrisk management procedures. In general, proper management of site safety risks in construction minimizes their adverse impacts on the site (Pradhan, 2007).
Construction of infrastructure might have a negative impact on the environment. The lessons learnt imply that an environmental impact audit should be conducted in the future so as to check compliance with environmental regulations set by the environmental authorities. Environmental impacts are usually intensive and affect all living organisms in the ecosystembringing significant concerns in the future (El-Anwar, 2010).
Security systems need to be designed strongly and effectively so as to support disaster management in the future. It is usually a general phenomenon for these features to fail during the actual incidences. The feature outlook for these elements should be a fully integrated system that is able to withstand pressure during the actual incidents. The possible use of GIS can be very instrumental to this step. The emergency response programs have mostly failed in the recent past, and great lessons can be drawn from this by reinforcing the emergency response programmes in place (Sorvari 2010).