Unfortunately, the rates of accidents causing death and disability in the construction industry are relatively high. It’s incumbent on the business owner and managers to not only ensure high standards of safety, but also to enforce them. You can reduce the risk (and insurance costs) to your organisation as much as possible. From planning to safety gloves to a roof handrail, there are a substantial amount to do both before and during construction.
Here are some of the tips for keeping your workers safe at all times.
Plan and Prepare
Before you begin construction, draw up a plan for where, when and how you’ll implement safety measures. You’ll need to look at every area of construction, and insist on workers’ safety templates, even if they’re only contracting in for part of the job. From personal protection, to training, to safety equipment to training, every aspect must be covered.
What then are some of the items to include in protocols?
Personal Protective Equipment
To minimise any occurrences where the worker requires hospitalisation, each worker must be provided, where appropriate, with the following PPE:
- High visibility clothing
- Hard hats
- Goggles/safety visors
- Thick protective gloves
- Construction boots
- Kneepads
- Earmuffs
- Respirators
These items will help prevent electrical, chemical, radioactive, mechanical and physical mishaps. Airless spray equipment delivers efficient and precise coating applications across various surfaces, offering high-pressure spraying without the need for compressed air, ideal for large-scale painting projects in industrial and commercial settings.
Provide Safety Equipment and Tools
Protecting the person is the first step, but creating a safe environment is the second.
Budget and plan for the most rigorous safety standards possible:
- Make sure all equipment and tools are in top working order. Also check any structural pieces such as scaffolding to ascertain that it’s been properly put together and will take the strain it’s required to.
- Place safety equipment where it’s required: roof rails, roof anchor points, safety nets, abseiling ropes among them.
- Develop safe pathways for people and machinery—for instance, one-way systems help prevent collisions. What’s more, defining specific areas for machinery will prevent loads accidentally falling on humans.
Training
Training of every single worker on site is essential—even the admin staff. Teach them on safe routes and passages, on one-way systems, and how to prevent accidents. Each person should have some form of assessment about operating the equipment and machinery they’ll be required to operate.
It’s advisable to train everyone on what to do once there is an accident, especially something like switching off any machinery causing damage to someone. Establish clear lines of first-aid-authority—who gets called to do what and when, and where to find them.
Note: more than one person per shift should be trained in first aid, in case of larger scale accidents. Sign up for first aid training here at Coast to Coast First Aid and Aquatics.
What’s more, all workers must be trained in how to act given extreme weather events. Think of what to do if there’s a storm, with heavy rain and high wind. Boards and even structures like scaffolding could be at risk of flying through the air, and causing damage to life and property.
Even harsh sunlight can do damage to workers. The same can be said of chemicals left out and exposed to high heat. You can see that these factors can’t be left out of the planning and training.
Site Security
The site should have restricted access, and should be properly fenced-off. There ought to be few access points, with strict security. This will prevent strangers from accessing the premises and doing harm to themselves or others. Safety measures include supervision of on-site visitors, including conducting them personally to where they wish to go.
Use Clear Signage
Put up very clear, bold signage outlining the safety protocols and emergency plans. Include an emergency contact number and a map. The map should indicate:
- The location of the site office
- First aid office
- Where emergency fire equipment is
- Locations of entry and exit points
Store Chemicals in a Legally-safe Manner
Chemicals are hazardous because they can explode, cause fires, cause asphyxiation, pollute, and result in chemical injuries. They must be stored in a legally compliant manner in high quality outdoor storage that is explosive resistant. It must also not allow pollution through leakage.
Ladder Safety
Ladder safety comes at the very top of the training list because most workers will have to climb ladders at one point or another. Ideally you must have a point person designated to ensure fall protection for every single climb.
Each worker is to make sure that the ladder is strong, dry, and free from corrosion or nuts falling off or loosening. They must also confirm that the ladder is taller than the destination of the climber.
In Conclusion
Construction is complicated, and there’s a lot to plan and prepare, not to mention supervise and repair. Some try to cut costs by taking liberties with safety, but in the long run, it’s not worth it.
Safety standards have to be adhered to, and prioritised if you’re to save yourself time, effort and money should accidents or injuries occur. You don’t want to risk fines or expensive lawsuits if you want to get ahead in this market.
