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At times, building construction sites can be treacherous places. Therefore, we have created a guide to help you protect the health and safety of yourself and others. From maintaining a tidy site to following the recommended procedures, adhering to the following plan will help create a safer environment for you to work in.
Upon entering the site, ensure you have the required, relevant PPE with you. PPE is vital, as it can protect you from becoming seriously injured. Better your hard helmet bears the brunt of a knock, than your skull. At dusk, dawn and all times in between, hi-vis jackets, vests or bands will ensure you are visible to plant operators on site. Safety boots will help you keep your balance on slippery surfaces and protect your feet from heavy equipment.
If you do not make wearing PPE a priority, you could end up getting badly hurt in an accident which you could have otherwise avoided.
Every site is unique, consisting of different hazards and work approaches. Ensure you are fully aware of the procedures, where you will be based and where to sign in, so that nothing is unexpected. Construction sites are legally obligated to conduct inductions, so ensure you have one before getting to work.
Ensuring that you work safely at all times is vital, particularly on construction sites where one wrong move could cost someone their life. It is your responsibility to conduct yourself safely at every moment during the course of your shift.
With so many tools, equipment and materials around, construction work can create a lot of mess. Although trip hazards may not appear serious in comparison to other high risk work, they can be very dangerous, nonetheless.
Make it a priority to keep the area you are working on, as well as escape and access passages, tidy to prevent accidents from occurring.
Site safety signs and procedures should be, or should have been, explained to you in detail whenever your induction occurs, or occurred. Furthermore, it is important that your employer undertakes a risk assessment for any activities that you will have involvement in.
The correct procedures have been established to ensure you are safe from harm’s way. Take note on whether or not these are in place, so you can adhere to them if they are not, before starting work.
If you are aware of an issue, do not let it escape your attention. Bring it to the awareness of your supervisor. Fill in an incident report, near miss form, or inform a superior. Whatever system has been set in place in your place of work for bringing problems to attention, use it.
If you do not inform your superiors as soon as possible, your colleagues could be at risk.
If something is not functioning as it’s supposed to, or appears odd, alert management. Do not try to use or change something if you think that something could be wrong.
You should never take away machine guards, remove scaffold ties or guard rails, or try to repair problematic machinery. This is something you would only be permitted to do with the required qualifications and permissions.
Ensure that your work area is free from hazards and ensure that you are always aware of what is happening elsewhere on site. You should not work high above the ground without any form of fall prevention measures or guard barriers. Ensure that access routes are free from hazards and that you do not walk beneath heavy crane loads or other precarious objects.
On a building site, there is a diverse variety of equipment with multiple purposes. Using the right tool for the work being performed will ensure it is performed efficiently and safely. Prior to use, make sure you closely inspect the equipment to make sure it is fit for use.
If you are unsure about something, stop what you are doing and speak to a supervisor. You should not worry about looking uninformed and there are no silly questions.
Get in touch with our helpful team today if you need any further construction health and safety advice.
