Important Safety Measures for Construction Sites

It doesn’t matter if you’re a well-oiled machine of a contractor with years of experience or someone completely brand-new to the construction world. There is one word you should always have on your mind on a job site: safety. The safety of yourself, the other workers, and anyone near the construction zone should always be a top priority, no matter how simple the job might seem. Even if you already know all these important safety measures for construction sites, it’s crucial to keep them fresh in your mind as you continue working. The last thing you want is to get too comfortable and slip up somewhere.

Regular Safety Training Reviews

When you’ve been in the game for a while, some things just become second nature. You know what tools to grab for each job, you know who to assign where, and you know how to get the supplies that you need as soon as possible. However, safety on the job site is not something to relegate to the back of your mind. It should always be at the forefront when considering each job.

That’s why it’s so important to regularly review safety training videos and instructions. Even the guide you’re currently reading is all about refreshing your knowledge of how important these safety measures truly are. You can never have too much knowledge about how to stay safe. Even if you recall everything from the videos or training, it can help a lot to refresh your memory.

Head Protection

Construction sites are littered with hazards that can come from anywhere, and especially from above. There are plenty of reasons why construction zones require hard hats. They don’t just protect you from falling debris; they can protect you in case of a fall. They also protect you if you get struck by something moving sideways.

If you’re working with tools at a higher elevation, you owe it to everyone to put on a hard hat. Don’t just assume that you’re “being careful enough.” No matter how long you’ve worked in construction, you can’t control everything that goes on in a work zone. Save yourself, and your coworkers, from even more problems by wearing the proper head protection while working. While you may think you’re being safe, you never know if others on the site are just as cautious. Humans aren’t perfect, and slipups happen.

Eye and Face Protection

In the same vein as head protection, you’ll also need to make sure you have all the equipment you need to protect your eyes and face depending on the work you’re doing. Anything involving dangerous substances, such as welding or using concrete surface preparation tools, will involve some sort of facial protection.

Your eyes are among the most vulnerable parts of your body. This means that even if you’re not the one doing the work, you should still wear goggles. This category also covers things such as respirators for work with substances that can create dangerous silica. Both concrete grinding and working with chemicals require respirators to avoid inhaling any harmful particles.

Fall Protection

Working at heights above one story is common for most construction professionals. However, any job where you need to be above six feet off the ground needs to provide some sort of fall protection. Larger jobs often use scaffolding, and this has its own set of rules and regulations to make sure it’s actually safe.

Fall protection is an incredibly important safety measure for construction sites. Anyone who suffers a fall can experience significant consequences. Falling is one of the deadliest forms of construction site accidents, so protecting against it is no joke. Any job site must make fall protection a serious priority.

Electrical Safety Measures

Electricity and its many dangers should be on your mind the moment anyone on the site deals with wiring or cabling. On average, one worker per day is electrocuted while on the job in the US. That number needs to be closer to zero. Overhead and underground power lines are particularly dangerous, so everyone on the site needs to be well aware of their presence and keep a safe distance.

It should go without saying that no one should use electrical equipment in a damp environment. Any sort of rain means no one should work on something involving electricity. Remember to also ground all power lines whenever necessary and always power down equipment that isn’t in use.

Safe Work Method Statements

You must prepare Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) in advance of any project considered a high-risk job. The point of SWMS are to outline all the potential hazards and dangers associated with the specific job you’re doing. Ideally, you will create SWMS for any dangerous part of a project.

Safe Work Method Statements need to be more than just a description of the potential dangers you’ll face. You must also have strategies in place as to how you’ll manage these dangers. Following SWMS to the letter should help you prevent the worst, if not all, of the possible risks you and your workers might face.

Signage

Safety protocols won’t do anyone any good if they aren’t clearly communicated to the rest of the team. This is why signage is so important to any job site. The SWMS need to be on display at all times so that anyone can refer to them whenever they need. You should also put up other critical signs that include emergency numbers, maps and blueprints of the space, and the locations of important items such as first-aid kits, fire extinguishers, and emergency exits.

At Bedrock Supplies, we know how crucial safety is to a functioning job site. That’s why we made this list; to give people a refresher on some of the most important safety procedures they need to follow. We want you to be safe on the job, which is why we provide the best safety and construction products available. With our equipment, you can get the job done quickly and efficiently. Contact us today for more information.