4 Ways to Reduce Accidents at a Construction Site
The construction industry is one of the most critical and fragile sectors that exist, and their importance in the world today can’t be underrated. There’ll be no construction without the construction industry and, consequently, no building or repairs of our houses, offices, roads, and other infrastructures. However, accidents at construction sites are common. According to the occupational safety and health administration (OSHA), construction site accidents are among the most common workplace accidents as one thousand and eight worker fatalities of the total four thousand, seven hundred and seventy-nine worker fatalities occurred in the construction industry in the year 2018, making the construction industry carry about 21.1% of the entire workplace accidents.
One out of five workplace deaths occurred in the construction industry. And examples of accidents in the construction industry include falls, electrocution, caught-in/between, struck by objects, etc. We can’t eliminate accidents in the construction industry, but we can reduce their common occurrence by implementing safety standards to expose construction workers to less danger and harm. Here are four ways to minimize accidents in the construction industry, especially at construction sites.
Regular Training of Workers
Every management of each construction industry should consider conducting regular training and intensive sessions and programs for every company member. Before embarking on the construction sites’ journey, diligent exexperts should train every worker. And apart from receiving proper training on the specific work, they’ll be doing at the construction site; safety training should also form part of the construction industry’s training bulk. The workers should get trained on the health and safety standards, policies, and procedures they’ve got to obey.
Workers with more dangerous works such as rooftops constructions can observe extra-training sessions. They should always remind the overwhelming importance of keeping safety as their primary and prime concern. Apart from safety training, Every worker should receive proper training on the equipment they’re to use on the construction site. They can even practice this equipment to reduce accidents that might occur due to mishandling or inept handling of work tools and equipment.
Frequent Meeting of Workers
Depending on the job at hand, work in the construction industry generally tends to become dangerous as it progresses. Therefore safety meetings can reduce the rate of accidents at the construction sites by keeping members updated and informed. Head workers should consider scheduling regular meetings in the morning or at the end of each workday to know about the state of activities at the construction sites and encourage every worker to keep to safety standards. Daily safety meetings would also help ensure proper risk assessment and safety.
Use of Protective Clothing and Defensive Gear
Even though accidents at construction sites can get minimized, they can’t be completely avoidable. Hence, we encourage every worker always to wear their defensive clothing and gear when working at the construction sites. Proper and complete use of safety gear like hardhats, eye protectors, slip-resistant boots, heavy-duty gloves, etc., would reduce the risk of accidents. We also encourage workers to avoid wearing reflective and highly-visible clothing, leading to vehicular accidents by causing reflection and reducing visibility.
Likewise, according to the center for disease control and prevention, falls remain one of the leading causes of death in the construction industry. Thus, fall protection systems such as guard rails and toe boards should be in place. Construction workers can also use scaffolding to ensure proper installation, construction, and inspection of the scaffolding system.
Regular Breaks
The construction sites often involve intensive labor, usually in open areas. Therefore, workers should be allowed to observe regular breaks to avoid fatigue that might lead to loss of concentration and performance, causing accidents. With frequent breaks scheduled in between jobs, productivity will also increase. During these breaks, workers can take fluids like water and electrolytes replacement drinks, water purified by water filters prepared with basic skills of experienced professionals and are quite worth it, and other electrolyte replacement drinks. Workers can also rest to stay active, alert, and focused.
Conclusion
Other safety measures that the construction industry can observe include reduction in the night/late hours work, clear signage for the safer warning, and the use of ropes and pylons to mark highly-restricted areas.
Others include wearing sleeved shirts and trimmed hard hats by construction workers to prevent direct exposure of the sun to sunlight, leading to fatigue. Above all, first aid professionals and first aid equipment should be present at every construction site to reduce the severity of injuries and accidents that might occur.
