Different types of jobs entail different potential health and safety hazards. Even someone working in an office setting could slip on a wet floor or suffer repetitive motion injuries from slumping over a keyboard all day.
However, there’s no denying that certain jobs have higher risk factors for accident and injury. Jobs in the construction industry fall into this category. Safety issues can arise anywhere, starting with foundation construction and continuing all the way through to putting the finishing touches on the interior of a private home or commercial building.
Whether drilling companies, masons, carpenters, electricians, or roofers are working on a job, construction projects require more safety considerations than the average work environment. Here are just a few tips to ensure worker safety on your construction site.
1. Preparation
Most construction projects begin long before foundation contractors are called in to drill caissons or pour a slab. They begin with surveys, environmental studies, and other tests to ensure that the building site is safe and ready for construction workers to begin.
2. Protective Equipment
It is incumbent on construction companies to provide adequate safety equipment for workers. This includes such items as lifelines for fall protection, secure scaffolding, sturdy stairways and ladders, stable aerial lifts, and so on. In addition, employers must train workers on how to use this equipment appropriately, including an understanding of potential dangers to themselves and workers below.
3. Personal Protective Gear
In addition to providing proper protective equipment for workers, construction companies should also provide or require employees to purchase personal protective gear. This could include items like non-slip and/or steel-toe work boots, hard hats, gloves, goggles, and masks, just for example.
Employers may need to provide certain pieces of personal protective gear under the law, such as face and eye protection. For additional worksite safety, some employers are willing to provide additional items even when the law does not require it.
4. Policies and Procedures
When training employees, it’s imperative that they know how to properly use safety equipment and personal protective gear. They also need to understand safety policies and procedures, as well as the repercussions for failing to follow the rules.
Whether employees are pouring a building foundation, framing a structure, installing electrical components, or finishing the drywall, you should make it clear that ignoring safety policies and procedures will result in warning or even firing, supposing it doesn’t end in catastrophe.
5. OSHA Guidelines
When in doubt, there’s a good chance OSHA has the answer. They can provide a variety of resources, including industry guidelines, materials, training, seminars, and on-site assessment. Taking advantage of these resources can only help to make your construction site safer.