A How-To Guide for Improving Construction Site Safety

Safety measures are often in place at construction sites where reportable accidents occur. No matter how many precautions you put in place, it is still important to provide all employees with safety gear. Personal protective equipment is available for the head, eyes, hands, feet and more. Enrolling in the Safety Gear Pro prescription safety eyewear program makes it convenient to outfit your workers with safety goggles or glasses that can withstand the rough conditions of a construction site. A harness can reduce the risk of falls, and hard hats can prevent head injuries from falling objects.

Keeping the safety equipment organized keeps it readily accessible, but it also helps keep the gear in good shape. Faulty equipment, due to a failure to maintain each piece, can lead to an increased risk of injury.

There should be clearly identified safety processes and procedures for each job site, and all workers need to be held accountable for following these protocols. Recognizing the hazards enables you to establish a protocol that directly addresses the risks, but supervisors should also be enforcing compliance with mandatory safety gear usage.

Make employees responsible for a culture of safety on the worksite by conducting regular safety meetings. These should be held on a daily basis, particularly if the worksite involves high-risk activities. Provide relevant statistics and real-life incident reports from the industry to make the need for safety awareness and precautions more personal. Industry-related information is more motivating to workers than arbitrary lectures on the importance of safety.

Fatigue and exhaustion can cause workers to lose workers or have slower reflexes, so it is important to enforce regular lunch breaks or other periods of rest throughout the day. Workers often want to get through the workday as quickly as possible, but skipping breaks or lunch can lead to dehydration and low energy. This increases the risk of an accident. Encourage your employees to pay attention to their health and hydration, offering water or electrolyte beverages rather than sugary or carbonated drinks.

In addition to verbally communicating the dangers of the worksite to employees, clear signage can inform third-party visitors to the site of the hazards that exist. In addition to using signs, place cones, ropes or other items to block access to dangerous areas. When possible, have all visitors to the site accompanied by a site supervisor. Safety signs are organized by meaning and color, which aids in the consistency of your safety message across the worksite.

Safety team members, project managers and supervisors should continually conduct worksite inspections to check for potential safety hazards. Have a thorough inspection conducted before each shift begins, taking care to immediately address any dangers. Have workers keep a log of the safety inspections and include the areas to be assessed. Make sure notes are made of hazards that were identified and fixed. Repeat offenses in certain areas or with certain employees indicate a weakness in the protocol. Devise a strategy for improving training or supervision in the area until safety issues decrease in frequency.

Safety training is an initial line of defense against construction site injuries, but it should occur on more than one occasion. New hires are prime candidates for thorough instruction in safety protocol, but continual training on the use of PPE and refresher courses in safety precautions helps reduce complacency in seasoned employees. Safety training should include the identification of the trained first aid responders for the crew or worksite, and clear training on the use of equipment should also be a matter of importance.

The way equipment or materials are stored on a construction worksite can contribute to accidents. Keeping a worksite clean and organized can prevent dangerous materials from being stored in easily accessible areas or in locations where the object could fall and injure someone. Have all materials clearly labeled and have designated spots for tools and other work items. Proper storage of PPE has an impact on the longevity and durability of the PPE, and each employee should be familiar with how PPE is cleaned and stored.

Workers need protection from falls on a construction site, as these are the leading cause of death for the industry. Hazards like cords or slippery, wet surfaces can do more than cause a crew member to stumble. Construction sites often involve open structures that are several stories high, scaffolding or lifts. Tripping and falling from these heights is a serious threat. In addition to fall protection protocol, equip each job site with fall protection equipment. Screen, toe boards, guardrails, nets or canopy structures can protect your site workers. Scaffolding needs to be included in the daily inspection for signs of weakness or improper installation.