Due to the strenuous nature of the work, employees within the construction industry are exposed to much higher risks of accidents. For this reason, employers must equip employees with the appropriate safety knowledge to keep them out of harm’s way. Safety on a construction site requires every employee to be vigilant at all times. Your diligence will ensure not only your own safety, but the safety of those you work with. Here’s how to keep your employees safe in a busy factory:
Slips and Trips
Whether the walkway is elevated or not, precautions must always be taken to ensure that the environment is clear from any hazards that could injure employees. From fabricating shop built tanks to carrying out hot work, it’s important to minimize any risks to prevent slips, trips and falls. This can be achieved by reducing wet and slippery surfaces, keeping the work areas clean, and removing cords or hoses from walkways or across doorways. Ensure that adequate lighting is available for your employees, health and safety signs are visible, and always disallow improper footwear to be worn.
Fall Prevention Safety
As a manager, you are required to assess all surfaces, develop and implement a fall protection plan, provide training, and regularly evaluate the program. A fall from any height can cause serious personal injury, so you must ensure that your employees are using the correct techniques and safety measures while climbing. Fall protection must always be provided for each employee on a walking or working surface with an unprotected side or edge. Remember, ladders should be inspected for cracks, or defective parts before each use.
Tools and Machinery Safety
In order to provide the safest and most productive experience for your employees, all tools and machinery that are used should be of the highest standard. Employers are expected to run risk assessments, place guards on dangerous machinery to protect fingers and limbs, arrange for maintenance when equipment is not in use, and ensure the use of employee’s personal protective equipment (PPE) as necessary.
Lifting Safety
Some employees in the construction industry will lift various heavy items throughout the day. Appropriate lifting techniques can prevent sudden injuries and reduce the chance of repetitive motion injuries that can occur overtime. Ensure employees are aware of the best techniques, including spreading their feet to shoulder width while bending to pick up an object, keeping a straight back, and depositing the object as close to the final destination as possible.
Fire Safety
Fires can happen suddenly on construction sites and grow at a rapid pace. While all employees should take suitable preventive measures at all times, they should also be trained to handle a fire should one occur. Approved fire extinguishers should be provided, mounted, located and identified in a way that they are made readily accessible to employees to act fast. Designated personnel should conduct monthly visual inspections of all fire extinguishers on site, as well as annual maintenance checks by an outside extinguisher firm.
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