The Guide That Makes Improving Construction Site Safety Simple

In the US, workplace injuries account for nearly 15 deaths per day.

This is why safety is a top priority for everyone, especially on a construction site. But if you’re just starting, it’s difficult to know where to start. This guide will help you find the best ways to keep your employees safe and avoid fines or lawsuits.

You’ll learn about OSHA regulations, how to create an accident prevention plan, what types of safety gear you might require on-site, and more. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting with your construction firm or have been doing it for years – this guide has something for everyone!

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about construction site safety.

Best Safety Practices to Avoid & Prevent Accidents on the Job

Construction sites are inherently dangerous.

There are countless ways for accidents to occur; especially if your employees don’t follow safety procedures or use proper construction site safety gear. Even experienced professionals can get injured or killed when they go on-site without the right precautions!

Neglecting safety standards is a good way to get fined or worse, be responsible for a serious injury or death. The best safety practices in the construction industry include:

• Using the right tools
• Having an accident prevention plan
• Wearing the right gear
• Practicing safe procedures around machines and equipment

OSHA Regulations that Affect Construction Site Safety

Falls are the number one cause of construction site deaths, accounting for 20% of fatalities every year.

One common cause is failure to use proper safety equipment while working at heights – even experienced professionals can fall off roofs, scaffolds, or ladders if they don’t have the right safety procedures in place.

OSHA has strict regulations on how employees should handle working at heights. You should keep a copy of these regulations at your mobile office trailer. If your site does not currently have one, you can check out the benefits and learn more about them.

Construction Site Safety Gear Your Employees Need to Use

There are certain types of safety gear required by OSHA for every kind of job – from those who work with ladders to those who work near heavy machinery or high voltage equipment.

It’s important that your employees understand the hazards of their job, and what kinds of safety gear they need when they go on-site. Here are common pieces of construction site safety gear:

Construction Site Safety Vest

This is mandatory for anyone working in an area where vehicles or pedestrians are present. Whenever someone is working in an area where they may get hit by a vehicle, you need this type of vest.

Hard Hat

You must wear these whenever someone is working with machinery or electrical equipment at any kind of job site. Even if you’re just doing demolition work, wearing a hard hat can prevent serious head injuries.

Safety Goggles

Anyone who is working near any machinery should wear these, and also when using power tools like a chainsaw or circular saw. Eye protection is one of the most important pieces of construction site safety gear!

Ear Plugs

Noise levels on construction sites are often dangerously high, which can lead to long-term hearing loss. Make sure everyone on your team is wearing ear protection!

Safety Precautions to Put in Place for Every Job

Your employees need to follow certain safety precautions when they’re doing any job, from cleaning up a construction site debris, transporting materials in a truck, or using machinery.

These safety tips may seem trivial or obvious, but they are important to enforce on the job site – people get maimed or killed when they failed to observe even basic safety regulations.

Every new member of your construction team needs to go through a thorough training session so that they understand what workplace safety precautions to follow on construction sites.

Here are some important things your employees should know:

Do not share safety equipment: Each member of your team should have their safety gear – this means you shouldn’t share any hardhats, goggles, or other items.

Never work under the influence: Even prescription medication can impair judgment and coordination, so workers mustn’t operate machinery while they’re on prescription drugs.

Make sure any open flames are at least 10 feet away from flammable materials: This may include wood shavings, dry grass, or even the exterior of a building!

Shut down all equipment: Every member of your team should know how to shut down all heavy machinery completely before walking away or leaving for the day.

Secure all machinery: You should block all heavy machinery in place so that there is no risk of the machine moving while someone is working underneath it.

Construction Site Safety Procedures You Need to Enforce

Now that your workers have safety equipment, it’s time to learn how to properly use this gear on-site! There are several safety procedures you need to enforce that will keep your employees as safe as possible. These include:

Working in pairs, or with another person nearby at all times. Not only is it safer to have a partner looking out for you – if anything happens and one person needs to leave the worksite, but the other can also remain and continue working until help arrives.

Using the proper equipment for each task. For example, if your team is demolishing an old building – they must have helmets and goggles on when they are smashing windows or doing any kind of hammering or demolition work.

Allowing only trained professionals to use heavy machinery. Even heavy-duty earth-moving equipment can be deadly if it’s not handled correctly. Make sure you have a dedicated foreman who is responsible for supervising the use of any heavy machinery on your site.

Maintaining full focus at all times. It’s easy for workers to become distracted when they are doing repetitive tasks, especially if someone else begins talking or making noise near them. Make sure everyone focuses on the task at hand so that nothing slips their attention and endangers themselves or anyone else.

Safety Tips for Employees: Keeping Yourself Safe and Injury Free

At the end of the day, every member on your construction site wants to come home safe and injury-free. Use this guide as a reminder of the things you need to do every day on your worksite.

We hope this guide gives you the peace of mind you’re looking for. If you want some more safety tips for your business, be sure to check out the rest of the articles on our blog!