Since every job site is unique when it comes to construction and logistics projects, there’s no single solution for reducing workplace risk, but there are steps you can take to ensure your team is safe, healthy and Ready to Work on the job site from day one.
1.Have the Right Protective Gear
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical to reducing employee exposure to hazards in and around your job site. There’s a wide range of PPE you should have and maintain at your site including:
- Eye and face protection: Choose eye and face protectors based on probable hazards and require your staff to wear them whenever they perform tasks that could cause chemicals or foreign objects to fly into their eyes, such as welding, cutting and grinding.
- Head protection: Equip your team with hard hats in areas where light or heavy objects could fall. These hats need to be kept in good condition, so inspect them frequently for dents, cracks and general wear-and-tear, and replace immediately if found impacted.
- Hand and foot protection: To your protect hands, industrial-grade gloves should be securely worn and used for their intended task. To protect your feet, safety-toed footwear should be worn when operating heavy equipment and general wear shoes and boots should have non-slip, puncture-resistant soles.
2.Ensure Operational Equipment is Safe
There’s a range of operational equipment that can expose your workforce to safety hazards. While there are too many to address in this article, we can explore some of the common ones likely to be found on your job site.
- Scaffolding: Make sure all scaffolding is set on ground footing, checked for damages, weak links, dents or wear-and-tear, and removed if those components are found. Also remind your employees to not work on scaffolds exposed to inclement weather or dangerous conditions.
- Electrical components: Ensure safety by not allowing staff to work on new or existing electrical circuits until all power is shut off and grounds are attached and by not letting ladders, scaffolds, equipment or materials come within 10 feet of electrical power lines. Electrical cords and cables should also be inspected throughout the job site, with frayed or damaged components replaced.
- Cranes: Electrical grounds should be used for all cranes that operate near transmitter towers to prevent mobile units in transit from colliding with live wire. Cranes should also be regularly inspected for a load chart and operators should be aware of the crane boom location at all times.
3.Evaluate the Workspace You Need
From handling heavy equipment to coordinating a large workforce, having enough space is critical to maintaining a safe job site.
- Storage containers: To help organize and store your heavy electrical and construction equipment, storage containers improve safety on the job site.
- Mobile office trailers: By providing enough space to work productively, mobile office trailers also help maintain job site safety from start to finish of a project.