Six Active Worksite Safety Tips You Cannot Afford To Ignore

An active worksite is filled with potential hazards-every person on the site is at risk of potential safety and health hazards.

Worksite accidents are the leading cause of worker injuries in the United States. Although it is important to focus on getting work done; ensuring the safety of your workers is even more important. As a construction manager or a contractor, it is your responsibility to make sure your workers are safe as your line of work includes more risks than others.

In this article, we will discuss nine worksite safety tips that are essential for the safety of everyone working on your construction site.

Conduct Regular Safety Checks

As a worksite manager, you should regularly check to make sure your worksite is a safe place to work. You should identify the weak spots in your worksite and work on developing safety procedures to mitigate hazards.

It would be a good idea to conduct these safety checks with your worksite supervisor. A supervisor would be aware of the habits of your work crew and would be aware of how they conduct work. They would help you develop strategies to correct any risky behaviors. For example, your crew tends to take a shorter way when transferring tools. Although this route is shorter, it is more dangerous as the pathway is not level and has no railing. A supervisor would make you aware of such things and prompt you to install a railing and level the path.

Provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

All workers should be provided with PPE. This includes:

• Eye protection such as safety goggles and glasses
• Hard hats (those compliant with manufacturing standards)
• High visibility jackets so workers can be easily identified and seen
• Hearing protection to avoid loud noise exposure
• Safety shoes that protect feet from impacts and are anti-slip

PPE should be used at all times by all workers. Checks should be made to ensure this.

Have a Well-Trained Workforce

Research has shown that worker behavior has a significant impact on the number of worksite incidents that occur. The more safety training your crew has, the fewer the chances there are of an accident occurring.

There are six areas in which workers should receive basic safety training:

• Emergency Equipment: Workers should know where safety equipment is placed, such as fire hoses, first aid kits, and extinguishers. They should be trained in how to use and operate them. Workers should also be trained in emergency safety maneuvers such as CPR and the Heimlich maneuvers in case of an emergency. 
• Taking Regular Breaks: Training in safety procedures is important, but workers should also be trained in how to take care of themselves. Workers should be instructed to take regular breaks, especially in severe weather such as extreme heat and cold, rain, and snow. Workers should be encouraged to stay hydrated and handle minor injuries while on breaks.
• Environment: Employees should be made aware of the environment they are working in. Each construction area has its own safety risks. For example, in urban areas, workers should be aware of pedestrian traffic and the risks of working at heights. In rural areas, workers should be aware of the proximity to emergency services such as hospitals. Workers should learn how to handle potential risks based on their environment.
• Safety Reporting: Workers should be encouraged to report any safety risks they become aware of. Supervisors can’t be aware and observant all the time; workers should be diligent in reporting any hazards they observe.
• Tool and Machinery Use: Workers should be trained to use any equipment or tools they plan to make use on on-site. Only those workers licensed to use tools should use them.
• Lifting Techniques and Posture: Lifting and transporting equipment, tools, and deliveries is a big part of construction work. Employees should be taught proper lifting techniques with good posture to prevent them from straining their bodies.

 Develop a Site-Specific Safety Plan

Each site you work at will have its own safety risks and hazards. You should identify the risks that each site comes with and make a unique contingency plan for that particular site.

A great way to make sure safety rules and standards are being met is to provide incentives for your workers to follow the rules, i.e. workers who follow the safety rules can be rewarded. Let’s take the above previous example of workers taking the short but dangerous route. Workers can be encouraged not to take that route by offering them an incentive such as free coffee, a weekly bonus, or a gift card to a nearby store. Reporting safety hazards can also be encouraged by offering such incentives.

Each on-site safety plan should cover environmental and physical areas of health and safety. Hiring a safety coordinator can be useful as they can consider the weather, terrain, and any other special environmental concerns surrounding your worksite.

Hazard Communication

When in a risky situation, workers should shout out their location to make others aware of where they are in order to be helped. For example, if a worker encounters a hole, they should inform others of it to avoid further accidents.

Be Vigilant With Equipment

The use of electrical and mechanical equipment is required at construction sites. Workers must be vigilant when using such equipment and be extra cautious, especially with equipment that uses electricity.

All electrical equipment should be examined for wear and tear and should be put through regular maintenance to avoid their malfunctioning. When such equipment is used, workers should follow the safety protocol to use it.

If workers are unaware of the safety procedures, they should ask another worker or their supervisor for help.

Bottom Line

The above six tips are essential to a safe working environment. As a contractor or a construction manager, you are responsible for enforcing them and making sure they are being followed. These rules are essential to worker safety – they not only keep workers free from risks but also ensure work is being conducted in a timely manner and legal issues/lawsuits are avoided.