Millions of people work in construction jobs all over the U.S. and abroad. The work that construction workers perform is essential to the growth of the economy and the building of complete infrastructure in many cities today. Though these jobs can be very rewarding for those of you who enjoy creating something out of nothing, these are also high risks jobs that can lead to injuries and fatalities. Therefore, before a construction employee walks on a construction site, it is important that they are trained in safety rules, guidelines and laws.
One of the most important parts of preparing your employees for the construction work that must be done is making sure that they arrive at the site wearing the correct personal protective equipment (PPE). Wearing the right type of personal protective equipment is critical to each construction worker's overall protection since it can easily make the difference between having a safe day on the job and a long-term injury.
Implementing the best types of health and safety management systems in the workplace is also an essential key to a safe operation on a construction site. These systems are designed to minimize the risks of both illnesses and injuries with a systematic approach. For instance, these systems help employers to better identify and manage specific types of risks in the workplace.
David Rowland, Head of Marketing at Engage EHS, is one of the foremost proponents of a stringent health and safety policy. He claims that a positive health and safety culture is vitally important, and that it can have a knock on effect on your businesses KPIs and bottom line.
To perform the work properly, the tools and equipment used must work properly. Using unsafe or defective tools in many cases can lead to accidents and injuries that could easily be avoided.
Another key to your worker's wellbeing is good open communication methods during crisis and emergencies. For instance, workers should always be free to report potential dangers in the workplace that must be addressed immediately.
Some jobs are done high up in the air and provisions are always made to do them safely. For instance, whenever workers are bricking a new building, they are usually standing on a scaffold to lay the bricks when they are high up in the air. To keep everyone on the scaffold safe, it must be erected in advance with all of the correct procedures. So, it is very critical that no short cuts are taken that compromises its safety.
The Builders Exchange of Michigan hosts a scaffolding safety course as well as many other safety related classes. Click here to learn more! https://home.grbx.com/training/
All employees must be familiar with the environment and the inherent risks involved in this type of workplace. Therefore, before these workers are placed in any construction setting to perform any, health and safety training is mandatory. The purpose of this training is to protect that individual worker and all others on the site. Some of the most common courses are OSHA 10, OSHA 30, First Aid and CPR.
To keep workers and anyone from the public from the potential of specific types of construction dangers, safety signage is imperative. These types of warning signs are not only a cost-effective precautionary way of protecting the workers but also helps to prevent injuries and fatalities of anyone that walks on to a construction site.
Keeping people safe on a construction site is the responsibility of everyone. Therefore, it is important that specific safety measures are established and maintained consistently.
Author bio:
Holly Shaw is part of the content team at The Long Reach. Holly has worked in the health and safety industry since graduating from university.
When not writing about health and safety practices, Holly can be found researching new travel locations.