Saturday, September 3, 2011

Learning To Make Sure You Stay Safe On The Construction Site

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 safety 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 a plethora of useful tips out there that can help reduce accidents, especially since so many of these injuries are preventable. Through teamwork and awareness, everyone can watch out for each other and maintain efficient yet safe working conditions. The first step in moving towards a safer job site is by making sure everyone is equipped with the proper safety vests, which is very convenient to do, thanks to online stores that offer bulk pricing and fast shipping. Workers need to be in FHWA-approved safety vests. These vests must be ANSI Class 2 or Class 3, and everyone needs to have one. Simple visibility is a huge advantage on site, especially when construction takes place along a busy road, at night, or in the course of bad weather. There are even more tools you can invest in to increase safety, such as lighted traffic cones, hard-hats, spotlights, safety t-shirt, and more.

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

As you might imagine, crowded conditions can instantly increase the danger factor on construction sites, especially when there's heavy machinery being used. That being said, it's important to keep workers away from machines. The operator is focused on the job at hand at can't possibly keep track of all the people wandering around the site and maybe those who get too close to the machine for comfort. Backing up or repositioning the machines can be cumbersome and difficult, even more so when there are people standing around. The best way to prevent this sort of issue is to simply not allow workers near the machine while it's operating.




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