Saturday, September 3, 2011

A Few Tips To Consider To Improve Construction Safety

By Ben Pate


It's well-known that construction is a highly dangerous job. Every year, fatalities reach over a hundred and injuries are in the thousands. These injuries occur in many forms. Many of them happen alongside roads (which makes high visibility vests so important). They happen just as often to machine operators as they do to people on the ground. People with years of experience are often the ones injured. So what can be done to keep these scary statistics down and ensure the safety of construction workers?

Construction Safety

There is some good advice out there concerning constructions safety. Because of the preventable nature of construction injuries and fatalities, they can significantly help you and your fellow workers. One of the most important things you can do as a construction worker or as someone overseeing a construction site is to be equipped with the proper safety gear. Thanks to websites that offer all the safety gear you need in one spot, it's easy to do. Safety vests are required by law and can be ordered online in bulk to save time and money. Vests need to be FHWA certified ANSI Class 2 or 3 safety vests, and there needs to be one for every person, as they can drastically increase safety when construction is taking place near a busy road, at night, or in bad weather. In addition, you can invest in lighted traffic cones, hard hats, hand-held spotlights, safety t-shirt, and more, which can all be found online.

Machinery Safety

Getting on and off machinery is one of the most common sources of injury on construction sites. Even though it doesn't seem like it would be that big of a problem, many factors can be attributed to this problem: low-traction boots, short footholds, lack of handholds. To prevent this type of injury, be sure to always have a secure grip with both feet and hands, and make sure gloves and boots are in top shape.

Equipment

Loading and unloading equipment can be blamed for many construction injuries. There are many things that can make this job hard: slippery ground, surfaces that are difficult to hold traction on, uneven surfaces, and more. When conditions are less than ideal, additional safety steps are important.

Conditions

When construction sites are crowded, chances for injury increase drastically. When heavy machinery is involved at a construction site, it can get even worse. It's important that workers maintain a safe distance when working around machines, as backing-up, repositioning, and transporting materials is difficult enough without having to worry about workers straying to close. Prevention of this potentially disastrous problem is easy; don't let workers near the machines while they are being used.




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