Now, more than ever before, construction workers are being held accountable for their actions.
On top of this, most employers are also being questioned about how safe their worksites are for employees to work in. This is not only every employer’s right but also their responsibility! Construction site safety has become a very important issue that everyone needs to be aware of and take action on. With the risks that come with working at a construction site, there is so much potential for high returns if you can keep your employees safe while still putting out quality work for your clients.
Place fire extinguishers strategically
Fire extinguishers should be placed at all points of entry and in key locations throughout your facility. Fire extinguishers need to be serviced and mounted in a way that makes them easily accessible, so you should take care not to place them too high. If you are unsure about the right placement of fire extinguishers in your construction site, you can let a fire extinguisher company do the installation or placement of fire extinguishers to make sure they meet the construction safety guidelines. If the only available space is above your head, you might consider it unsafe. Ideally, fire extinguishers are attached between waist level and chest level. A general rule of thumb with regard to spacing is that if someone runs past an extinguisher two seconds after they smell or hear smoke or see signs of fire, the person will have less than one minute before severe consequences occur. The most common examples are steam burns from hot water or boiling liquids, contact with hot surfaces such as open ovens or grills, and electrical shock.
Dispose of chemicals safely
Chemicals can be thrown into the trash if they are not hazardous to your workplace and surrounding areas. As a general rule, if it is labeled flammable or combustible, you must dispose of it as hazardous waste. You will need to check with your city for specific information on how to do this.
Remove debris from the construction site
Removing debris means having fewer fire-causing hazards around your facility. Keep in mind that lighter fluid-soaked rags will spontaneously combust if left piled up, so you should always have an airtight metal container available for storage until disposal. Ensure that you place all combustible materials in an approved metal container for storage.
Conduct a site security analysis and survey
Conducting a site security analysis and survey is vital for identifying hazards and risk areas and preventing workplace violence: A site security analysis is completed in order to identify potential dangers on-site that could place workers at risk. There are two main types of violence that can occur on construction sites: assaultive behavior and aggressive behaviors. These include any physical or verbal contact that is considered threatening. It is important for employers to identify these risk areas due to the fact that they have a higher rate of injury and death than other types of work settings.
Meet and exceed OSHA standards
Whether you work in the public or private sector, you need to make sure that your construction site is up to code and not only satisfies but exceeds all of OSHA’s standards while employees are there. If you’re working on a project that states multiple deadlines for completion, it might be advantageous for you to stay ahead of schedule and get everything completed before the next deadline so that if there was some kind of incident during working hours, then everyone would be safe and protected by their personal protective equipment (PPE).
Implement basic fall protection procedures
Even though almost every construction environment will require fall protection, this should never take away from any other safety measures on the job site. Fall protection is always taken into consideration when roofs or ladders are used, but that’s not always the case. Working in a high-rise building means that you’re in a very tall and dangerous environment where there is more of a chance for falls to happen. The risk can be even higher if your employees don’t have proper fall protection equipment during the construction process. No matter what kind of worksite they are on, all workers should have tools such as harnesses and lanyards so that no one ever has to worry about falling from any great heights – it will be preventable.
Provide and ensure employees are using personal protective equipment (PPE)
There might be different types of protective gear required by OSHA depending on the type and kind of environment that you and your employees work in, but certain PPE items should be present on every job site. This includes hard hats, eye protection, steel-toe boots, gloves, safety vests, high visibility clothing, and hearing protection.
Train and educate the construction workers on-site
All workers need to stay alert at all times and be aware of their surroundings; this is why training everyone who works on site is an absolute must! This training should focus heavily on educating them about potential risks and how they can avoid those situations from happening by using their personal protective equipment (PPE) or simply driving safely over the roads leading to and from the worksite. By doing so, you will keep everyone safe and help prevent any future incidents from happening.
Communicate with employees regularly
Many employees who work within the construction industry will constantly be moving from one site to another or might even be assigned to a specific project for extended periods of time, so it’s vital that you communicate with them on a regular basis. This can get tricky because many construction workers don’t have an office where they spend all their time and aren’t always within reach of a phone. By calling out sick or just checking in to see how everything is going, it can help ensure that everyone stays updated and knows what’s going on. When you interact with your employees regularly this could also lead to increased morale which would definitely lead to more productivity!
Many construction sites are large and complex, which means that there is more of an opportunity for accidents to happen, so all employees need to be aware of the possible risks they could face. By using safety precautions such as fall protection equipment, staying ahead of deadlines by completing work before the next deadline date, implementing basic fall protection procedures, providing personal protective equipment (PPE) items like hard hats, high visibility clothing, or steel-toe boots, training workers on-site to stay alert at all times and educating them about potential risks and how to avoid them with PPE will ensure everyone stays protected from any future incidents.
