Keeping your crew safe on a construction site can not only help ensure that your workers avoid accidents and injuries, but it can also reduce workers’ compensation claims. Construction sites present unique risks compared to other fields of work, and have many moving parts that need to be coordinated. Therefore, being organized and ensuring that your entire crew receives adequate safety training is crucial. As is providing the right kinds of personal protective equipment and signage warning of dangers. Keeping an eye on weather can help you prevent injuries from lightning and extreme heat. And finally, performing routine maintenance on large equipment and machinery can also help prevent injuries on the site. Keeping these things in mind can make your entire job site much safer for yourself and your crew.
Keeping Your Crew Safe on a Construction Site: Preventing Accidents and Injuries
Training
One of the most important factors in keeping your crew safe on a construction site is to make sure that everybody receives extensive safety training. You should make sure that workers who are using large machinery get specialized training, and that those who are not authorized to use the machinery stay clear. Revisit training often, allow crew members to ask questions to clarify things they don’t understand, and monitor the worksite to make sure that safety protocols are being followed.
Safety Gear
Another important aspect in keeping your crew safe on a construction site is to require or provide adequate safety equipment. Use signage to indicate hazardous areas, and make sure that areas where hard hats are required are clearly marked. Workers might need to wear reinforced boots, safety gloves, or ear and eye protection. Crew members working at height will need harnesses as well.
Weather
Weather is a significant factor when it comes to risks on a construction site. Workers are out in the elements, and keeping an eye on the weather is key for their safety. Approaching storms can pose risks for flooding or even electrocution. Additionally, those working in summer months are subjected to extreme heat, and will need to have plenty of water, shade, and breaks to avoid heat exhaustion or dehydration. Icy conditions can also lead to slips and falls as well as machinery malfunctions.
Maintaining Equipment
Finally, one often overlooked aspect of keeping your crew safe on a construction site is maintaining large equipment and machinery properly. Making sure that large trucks, saws, power tools, and other machinery is working in peak condition will help prevent accidents and injuries. Malfunctioning equipment can pose an extreme hazard to the work site itself as well as any employees nearby. Your workers should receive training on how to properly care for all equipment.
Keeping your crew safe on a construction site is important for their well-being as well as for your construction project itself. Dealing with workers’ compensation claims, injuries on the job, and preventable accidents can slow your project down, put people at risk, and can be very costly. One of the first ways to prevent accidents is to ensure that all employees receive adequate and ongoing safety training. They should also have any personal protective equipment and safety gear necessary to prevent injuries. Staying weather aware can help protect crew members from hazards like lightning, flooding, extreme cold, and heat exhaustion or dehydration. And finally, performing routine maintenance on your machinery and tools can also help avoid accidents. Hopefully, by keeping these things in mind, you can help your crew members avoid accidents and protect your job site and bottom line.