Construction-Site Safety 101

It's no secret that construction sites can be hazardous places to work. Typically, there is a lot going on and a ton of moving parts, all working together toward one end goal: a successfully executed project. Amid the seeming calamity, however, it's important to keep a few tips in mind so that your crew is staying as safe as possible. Here, we lay out a few essential safety tips, as provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Provide easy access to first aid and medical care.
As we mentioned, construction sites tend to be risky territory where injuries are not all that uncommon. Help to mitigate the seriousness of any accidents by providing proper first aid on-site. If your site is not within reasonable proximity to a medical facility, be sure to have at least one person with valid first-aid training on-site at all times.

Supply all employees with protective gear.
If they need protective gear to do the job, it's your responsibility to provide it. This includes helmets, gloves, goggles, breathing apparatus … anything an employee might require for the task at hand.

Maintain all fire protection equipment.
This might seem like basic knowledge, but one misstep can be the difference between a mishap and a disaster. Keep fire extinguishers full and abundant, and establish a fire preparedness program so your team knows what to do in the case of an incident.

Regularly remove debris.
Of course, it's a construction site, so there are bound to be regular buildups of rubbish as work progresses. But it's important to keep worksites clean and, when it comes to combustible debris, a safe means for regular removal must be provided.

Make sure scaffolding can bear the weight.
Don't take any risks when it comes to scaffolding. This construction staple should be able to hold at least four times the maximum amount you intend for it to hold at any given time.

Implement a workflow tool.
It may not seem like it, but having the right workflow tool can be essential to operating a safer construction site. For example, using our Wireless Forms, which comes with a Form Workflows feature, can help to make sure your team is staying on task as they take on various projects. With the ability to share forms between colleagues, you can mandate that workers have the proper signoff on each leg of any given project before moving on to the next step. This helps to prevent careless accidents from occurring due to mistakenly skipped steps along the way.

For even more helpful advice (as well as regulations), just head over to OSHA's website. With the right tools in place — plus a little common sense — you can help make sure your construction site is as safe as possible.

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