HOW TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF WORKERS AT CONSTRUCTION SITE
The construction industry is a dangerous business around the world, and the workers put their lives on the line when they shoulder this work. Dealing with bricks and walls using heavy machinery, and occasionally facing firepower in demolishing assignments means living with a constant threat to their well-being. And the nature of this work often makes it hard to find suitable replacements for the job.
Even the contractors begin to address this problem and express their concerns regarding the safety of their men. That has led to the involvement of remote equipment that users can pilot to execute most heavy-duty tasks. The industry itself has also established detailed safety protocols and regulations to ensure the prevention of accidents. Besides that, private contractors make their improvements to these and require several other precautions for their men’s lives. That shows an active effort in minimizing the risk for workers while at work.
Technology, on the other hand, also plays a significant role in overcoming these obstacles. Advanced drone technology and carefully designed bodysuits for workers allow them to perform their job not only with lesser risks but also eases it. Software programs and simulations for construction before setting the plan in motion also makes a notable contribution in enhancing security.
Being a participant in the construction industry, it serves your interest if you already haven’t invested your thoughts in this area. Here’s what you can do to ensure the safety of workers at construction sites.
- PRIMARY & BACK-UP POWER SUPPLY
Most jobs at a construction site use generators to meet their power requirements for equipment, like elevators, hand drills, and chainsaws. Krugerpower is a trusted name in the industry to provide for these needs. They are crucial to the setting if you want to minimize the manual labor and ease the burden of your employees. Also, it can help avoid several health problems arising from the strain of this job.
Additionally, the use of this equipment won’t be of any consequence if handled with care, but the situation can escalate in case of a sudden shutdown. And the resulting magnitude of the problems remains unprecedented, which is why a primary and backup power supply is so important to ensure the safety of workers at a construction site.
- PROTECTIVE GEAR FOR SAFETY
Next, you need to equip your employees with the right protective gear to ensure their safety at construction sites. Helmets, heat and electrical resistance gloves, goggles, kneepads, hi-vis jackets, and all other wearable items fall under this category.
Keeping them on the entire time is a necessity, and employers need to take responsibility to provide them. It may seem unnecessary, but in the case of an accident, it could make the difference between life and death.
- TRAINING & WORKSHOPS
Sending in inexperienced men without giving them proper training for the job puts them at a disadvantage in this setting since the beginning. Avoid making this mistake and make sure that you prepare your workers both physically and mentally for the job. Inform them of the risks and the standard way of performing tasks through training programs and workshops. Share a plan of action in case of emergency and impose protocols to follow under those circumstances ensuring their safety on site.
- RELY ON TECHNOLOGY
Learn to rely on construction technology for heavy-duty tasks and teach your men the same. Acknowledge the limitations of your workers and try to aid their jobs with remote equipment and safety apps. Everyone owns a mobile phone, and you can use that to your advantage. Using an app to track your workers and allowing them to sound a distress signal can help save their life in time.
Similarly, using drone equipment for high altitude site inspections and robots to go in dangerous areas instead of men is also preferable. That should ensure their safety at the construction site.
- INSPECTION OF TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
Any safe construction work is the result of workers and the efficient use of their tools. However, faulty equipment or roughed-up tools are not something to trust with your life in these surroundings.
It is the responsibility of the employer to make sure that the tools and equipment used by their workers aren’t outdated or defective. Neglecting this aspect or saving some money from repairs is equivalent to endangering the lives of their workers and welcome accidents purposefully. That is why it’s best to perform the timely inspection of the tools to ensure the safety of workers using them.
- STRUCTURE PLANS & DESIGNS
Any construction site is as secure as the plan proposed by the engineers for construction. A defective design with errors and loopholes would not only result in financial damages on site but also risk the lives of people involved in working on it.
To avoid this, contractors need to hire competent engineers to devise these plans. Adequate use of scaffoldings where needed and running safety simulations against their work should be a priority. Also, repairing any inconsistency in them should take precedence.
Making reliable structures for a firm footing and support during work enhances the safety of workers and make the working conditions more favorable for them. That is why contractors need to put careful thought into them.
SUMMARY
These are some useful ways through which you can ensure the safety of workers at the construction site. Try to bring them into practice, and keep an eye on any updates about improving the security of construction workers to stay ahead of the situation. That should help minimize the risk and increase the value of life for them while working for you.
