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Employing dozens or hundreds of people means your business is booming and developing, which is always good. However, with great power comes great responsibility and being in charge means it’s your duty to make sure all your workers are absolutely safe at all times. At a construction site, something can go wrong in a millisecond, and even the smallest mistakes can cost someone their life – and that’s what you need to prevent at all costs. Therefore, here are a few tips for creating a safe construction site, as well as a distinction between the responsibilities of the employer and those of the employees.
In This Post:
Working at heights and risk assessment
Working at heights is one the major issues in the construction industry and something you need to pay special attention to because every mistake can be fatal. That’s why you need to carry out a detailed risk assessment before your crew starts working at a certain site, but also continue on with these assessments on a regular basis afterwards. Some of the factors you should take into consideration are fragile surfaces, lighting options, weather conditions, possible obstructions and the duration of the job – the longer your employees are up there, the more danger they’re in.
Trainings and drills
Have you ever wondered what you would do if there was a fire, an earthquake or another dangerous situation? Well, the point isn’t to think what to do in case of an emergency, but to >act as soon as something bad happens. In order to do that, your employees need to be trained and taught how to act when their lives are in danger, so it’s your duty to provide them with trainings, courses and other theoretical knowledge, but also organize something more practical every once in a while – drills and exercises. Only this way will they able to act appropriately when an accident happens and get to safety.
Emergency exits
Speaking of drills, an emergency exit is another thing every construction site needs, especially during a drill or a potentially dangerous situation. A clearly labeled space where your employees can evacuate and reach safety will save more lives than you can imagine, and if you provide four or five of these at different locations all around the site, you can be sure you’ve done your share of the work. Exit routes need to be created and designed in a certain way and in accordance with the law, so pay close attention to them and make sure they’re as visible as possible.
Protective equipment and clothing
Since you can never know what’s going to happen on a construction site, you need to provide your workers the utmost protection – that means not only teaching them what to do and how to act, but also giving them protective equipment and clothing. They will elevate their level of protection and make them safer than before, whether they’re working at heights or on the ground. Some of the most important benefits of providing quality safety clothing include more efficient work, health protection, minimizing injuries, as well as avoiding lawsuits, since wearing protective clothing in a necessity nowadays. So, get all your employees enough safety boots, kneepads, helmets, googles and other equipment, and you’ll help them remain safe.
Working near electricity
Unfortunately, the problem with working at a construction site isn’t just working at heights, but also dealing with electricity – lots and lots of it, in fact. So, you need to make sure your workers know how to work around such a high voltage and how to deal with potential problems that may arise. First, identify and label all electrical sources, no matter how insignificant and safe they look at first, and keep in mind that hidden wires and temporary wiring are particularly dangerous. Next, check all sources, but try to keep them turned off as long as you can, just to be extra safe. In the end, train your workers how to deal with electrics and encourage them to perfect their knowledge in the future.
Working at a construction site is exciting and interesting, but also more dangerous than people realize. But, if you keep yourself and your employees safe, you can finish the job successfully and safely, and that’s, ultimately, what we’re all aiming at.
