Construction is one of the most dangerous professions. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that one in ten construction site workers are injured yearly.
Mitigate Safety Hazards
Employers and construction workers need to work together to mitigate safety hazards. This requires:
- Awareness– Ensuring the safety of the construction workers and everyone on the site should be the number one priority of any construction manager. Understanding the perils of a construction site and sustaining a perpetual state of alertness is perhaps the number-one best way to prevent accidents.
- Training– The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other organizations publish resources to help businesses train new laborers on standard safety and security practices, including pamphlets, guides, training videos, and even on-site training.
- Communication– Construction firms should equip workers with devices, like smartphones, walkie-talkies, or headsets, which allow fast and efficient communication among team members.
- ProperEquipment– Not only should each piece of equipment on the job site be ideally suited to the task at hand, but construction firms need to ensure that all machinery and material are properly maintained.
- ProperSupervision– Every construction site must have a strong supervisor who is willing and capable of enforcing safety standards with no exceptions. This construction supervisor must keep track of all site employees throughout the day and immediately correct those who fail to commit to proper construction site safety procedures.
OSHA’s Most Frequently Cited Standards in Construction
- Electrical (wiring methods, design, and protection) – Check all electrical tools and equipment regularly for defects.
- Excavations– Use a protective system for trenches of one foot deep or greater. A worker should never enter a trench that is unprotected.
- Fall Protection – Consider using aerial lifts to provide safer working surfaces for elevated platforms.
- GeneralSafetyandHealthProvisions– Construction workers should wear work boots with slip-resistant and puncture-resistant soles.
- Hazard Communication – Make information accessible to employees at all times in multiple languages and formats.
- Hazardous Substances — Use an effective employee training program for handling hazardous substances.
- Head Protection – Use hard hats, safety nets, and body harnesses at all times.
- Ladders – Avoid ladders with metal components near electrical work and power lines.
- Scaffolding – Fall hazards can occur when scaffolds are not deployed properly.
The best way to reduce the number of construction accidents is to keep workers aware of safety issues, train them on safety, communicate safety plans, and continuously discuss innovative ways to improve safety. In addition to these steps, workers must be provided with the right equipment and proper supervision.
For more information on how LA Creed is having a positive impact on mitigating construction safety hazards in your community visit https://creedla.com.