The construction industry is without a doubt one of the riskiest industries in terms of employee safety. A proper construction company will prioritize the heath and safety of all workers at all times. Though it should be procedure to consistently review and practice proper safety techniques, it never hurts (no pun intended!) to refresh your mind on some key safety tips that can get forgotten. Below we have outlined what we believe to be some extremely important worksite safety pointers that should always be on your mind!
- Never use damaged tools! Be sure to examine every tool before you use it, even if it was just used yesterday. You never know if something happened in only the last few hours that could make it dangerous for you to pick up or turn on. This applies to tools big and small- take extra precaution when handling anything that could cause you or a coworker harm.
- Never use scaffold in bad weather! Even though you may think some light rain won’t cause a lot of problems, you should still be wary of slippery surfaces. Avoid scaffold in any sort of rain or snow storm, it’s definitely not worth the risk of trying to work through it.
- Wear a mask at all times! This is especially important if you’re working indoors as certain buildings may have poor ventilation. Though you might not notice the effects right away of not wearing a mask, they will start to become more obvious in the long run. Protect your lungs and body from harmful chemicals or even things as simple as dust. It takes only a couple seconds to put one on!
- Keep your arms and wrists neutral! This might not be an obvious one but body alignment is extremely important. The more neutral and aligned you keep your posture the smaller the chance you have at developing diseases like carpal tunnel syndrome. Another good posture suggestion is to sit instead of squatting all the time when working on something at a lower level.
- Always have extra room to move your equipment or vehicle! You always need enough room to be able to turn around or move out of the way when need be. Also be sure to inform those surrounding you about your next move or stop.
No matter how long you’ve worked in the industry we think it’s still important to be reminded about safety as often as possible. Be sure to prioritize your own safety and the safety of those working around you on every project!
Any workplace safety stories you want to share? We would love to hear about it on buildboom.com!