So many things can happen on a job site and while you need to be aware of them, preventing them whenever possible is even more important. You want to make sure your employees are as safe as possible at all times.
Here are 6 safety tips for your jobsite:
Fall Protection
Statistics show that falls are the leading cause of worker deaths in construction. As an employer, be sure to assess job sites and implement systems to protect your workers. You are required to provide a fall protection system when your workers are walking or working on surfaces with unprotected edges or sides that are six feet above a lower level. Protection systems can include guardrails, safety nets, and personal fall arrest systems.
Workers also need to be responsible in this areas and familiarize themselves with all potential hazards on the job that a fall could occur from. Any system in place to prevent a fall should be inspected by the workers prior to using them to make sure they are working properly and free of damage.
Safe Scaffolding
Approximately 65% of all construction workers perform work on scaffolds. Due to this, they are exposed to falls, electrocutions, and falling object hazards.
Be sure your employees are wearing hard hats when working on, under, or around a scaffold. They should also wear sturdy, non-skid work boots and use tool lanyards when working on scaffolds to prevent slips and falls and to protect workers below. Another step they should be taking is making sure the scaffolding is clean and dry before getting on.
Make sure any scaffolding is professionally erected with guardrails, midrails and toeboards put up, and that it is at least 10 feet away from power lines.
Ladder Use
Improper ladder use is one of the leading causes of falls for constructions workers resulting in injury or death. Reasons for ladder falls include using the wrong ladder for the job, failing to secure the ladder, and attempting to carry tools and materials while climbing. Be sure the foreman at the job inspects all ladders before use each day. Any that are deemed unsafe should be removed immediately and repaired.
Safety Training
Your employees should be able to recognize safety hazards and know procedures to follow to minimize these hazards.
Make sure your training is done by someone competent to teach employees what to look out for. Topics of the training program should include the nature of fall hazards present on the construction site, how to ensure scaffolding and ladders are safe, use of fall protection systems and personal fall arrest systems and the role of the employee in safety monitoring and the fall protection plan.
Keep a certification record of any trainings as well as a list of when retraining is required.
Face and Eye Protection
OSHA requires that workers be provided with and wear face and eye protection when there are eye or face hazards present on a job site. When flying object hazards are present, eye protection must be equipped with side protection or be fitted with detachable side protectors.
Head Protection
Hard hats are second nature on a job site. They protect workers from a number of safety hazards. Hard hats should fit snugly and not come loose during normal movements or work activities. They should be kept in good condition and be replaced immediately if they suffer a heavy blow or electric shock.
Be safe out there and if Contractors Insurance can help you in any way to be sure you
have the coverage you should for your business, please don’t hesitate to reach out.