Construction Site Safety That Could Save A Life

As reported by EHSToday, about 40,000 accidents occur in work zones annually, and about half of all work zone deaths are caused by construction equipment and vehicles within the work zone. However, most of these are preventable. With proper safety procedures and protocols put in place, the number of work zone accidents could be greatly reduced, and hopefully eliminated.

Familiarize yourself with potential hazards

The four most common causes for work zone injuries or death are falls, electrocution, falling objects, or getting stuck in equipment. Your first line of defense from all of these is familiarizing yourself with potential hazards in and around the work zone. Once you know where everything is, or where it is going, you can then better navigate within the work zone. Remember that your safety and everyone else’s safety should be the top priority on site, so if you see a potential hazard, tell everyone on site about it, and notify a manager immediately.

Wear proper PPE

Before even stepping foot in the work site, you need to be properly protected with the correct PPE. This includes high visibility clothing, hard hats for potential falling objects, eye protection to protect against flying debris, gloves to avoid cuts and scrapes, and heavy duty boots to protect your feet from falling objects or stray nails on the ground. Even if the project you work on lasts only a few minutes, you still need to wear your PPE, no matter what the job. Having a good understanding of the basics of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential to staying safe on any work site, so make sure you know what is required and available for each job site.

Be aware of your surroundings

The last thing you want to be unaware of is where equipment is located, where it is going, and who else is around you. Make sure to always be aware of your surroundings before shifting positions, and check your blind spots when driving heavy construction equipment. If you can’t see certain areas, make sure others on your team help you move the equipment, and alert all team members on site to where you are going and where you are, and use spotters to look out for danger when loading and unloading equipment.

Have good ‘housekeeping’ practices

Keep your work site free from hazards that could result in fires, slips, trips, falls and/or cuts. Never leave tools or equipment out for others to trip over, and make sure large construction vehicles are parked safely in designated areas that will not disrupt the natural flow of traffic in an area. If a piece of equipment needs to stay put for the next day, make sure there are bright cones or signs to cordon off the spot so that it’s visible for everyone in the area to see.

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All workers should share the same responsibility for everyone’s safety on site. If you work as a team, communicate effectively, and become aware of all potential hazards, accidents should not happen. Make sure you are up to date with all safety codes and regulations, and notify your manager on site if you think something poses a potential threat to the safety of workers or pedestrians on site. Little actions like these could have a big impact, and could even save a life.