How to Prevent Injury on a Construction Jobsite
In a world that plays with the idea of what is “essential” and “nonessential”, there is one thing that will never change: safety is always essential, especially in the construction supply industry.
Aside from OSHA and industry-wide safety regulations, your company should also be doing their part to implement proper training, company safety standards, regular safety meetings, and equipment checks.
Why Safety is Important
The construction and building materials industry is one of the most dangerous industries for injuries and deaths—everyone on any jobsite has an obligation to ensure his or her own safety from managers to employees. As a manager, you are responsible for your team and properly training them, along with making sure the proper safety protocols are followed when working or delivering materials. As an employee, your job is to remember your training and put it to practice to keep yourself out of harm’s way for yourself and your loved ones.
Safety Training & Standards
When working on the jobsite or operating heavy machinery, proper safety training and implementation is essential. In an industry that is constantly short-staffed, it might be tempting to skip this step and train along the way—DON’T. Safety always comes first, and it’s a manager’s responsibility to ensure that proper safety training coincides with set safety standards and expectations.
Risk Assessment
Before starting any project, first your crew and site must be evaluated for any potential safety hazards. You know what they say—better safe than sorry, especially when working with and around steel. When you properly train your staff and find hazards before they happen, you can create and implement a safety plan with preventative actions to reduce risk and injury.
Safety Meetings
Does your company hold regular staff and management safety meetings? If you work in the manual labor or construction industry, creating a culture of safety needs to be your priority. Not only will your staff know that you value their safety and health, but they will also be constantly trained on possible risks and how to avoid them. If you’re just starting regular safety meetings, try choosing a different topic or hazard each meeting to cover in detail. This way, everyone will be an expert on all things safety in no time!
Fall Protection
Did you know that 33% of all construction fatalities stem from falls or fall complications? Although falls are the leading cause of both death and injury in the construction industry, there are many preventative measures you can take to reduce fall-related accidents on your jobsite.
The following are just a few ways you can help prevent falls:
- Guardrails,
- Screens,
- Nets,
- Scaffolding,
- Safety harnesses,
- Toeboards, and
- Canopy structures.
Aside from the basics (eyewear, safety vests, hardhats, protective boots), all employees and jobsites should have the proper fall protection equipment. Even if your jobsite has a low fall risk, it’s better to take precautions to avoid risk and potential lawsuits.
Equipment Checks
Whether you operate construction equipment daily or just simply walk by it on the jobsite, equipment checks should always be part of routine safety inspections. From heavy machinery like overhead cranes or forklifts to smaller machinery such as drills or saws, equipment should always be checked before use to avoid malfunction or injury.
Creating a Culture of Safety at Barton Supply
At Barton Supply, we value our people and we value their safety. From safety training and meetings to regular equipment checks, we make sure that our team is protected against possible risk at every point in the job. Give us a call today to learn more about the safety precautions we take on the jobsite and our warehouse or learn more about joining the Barton team. Remember, safety first!