The United States construction industry is important to the American and global economy. The U.S. market has 10% of the global market, making it the second largest on the planet. The problem is that many construction sites can be dangerous places to be and to work. There are things, as a construction business owner or manager, you need to do to make your sites and your people safer. From taking advantage of the different safety clothing options such as reflective safety hoodie to making your site as safe as you can, there are things you can do to prevent injuries in your workplaces.
- Make sure care is taken when they get into and out of heavy equipment. This is one of the easiest things you can do to keep your workers safe. This may not fall into the same category as wearing a reflective safety hoodie but is actually more important. Many injuries that are sustained on a construction workplace happen when workers are entering and exiting their heavy equipment. The good news is that there are things you can do to make this a safer thing to do. Tell people to take their time getting in and out of equipment, the problem is a lot of people try to hop in and out and that is when they fall. Using step ladders, when needed, making sure gloves and boots are free of mud, and asking for help when they can use it are all ways to make this activity safer.
- Make sure they use the right gear. First, they need to have the right safety clothing. There are a number of types of safety clothing. You can get everything from reflective safety hoodies to high visibility long sleeve shirts. The kind of clothing depends on the job that is being done and where. For instance, there are instances when you will want your people wearing reflective safety hoodies and there are times when that may not make any sense. Workers should also be encouraged to take care of the safety clothing they have. It should be stored in a dry spot. You should also make sure you have first aid kits and fire extinguishers in places that are easy to get to on a job site.
- Make sure care is taken when equipment is loaded or unloaded. It does not matter where the job site is or what kind of work is being done, there is always the risk of some equipment rolling over during the process of loading or unloading it. You need to take care when you pick the ramps for this process. They also need to be placed in a way that is straight and clear. People should leave some space between themselves and the equipment during this process as well. This is not a job to be left to one person alone. Your workers should work in teams when doing this.
- Get the right equipment to prevent falls. A worker does not need to be too far off of the ground to have a fall that has serious consequences. Because of this, you need to have the right equipment on site to keep people safe when they have to climb ladders or work on scaffolding. You also need your workers to take the time to check over everything at the start and end of the day to see if anything needs to be replaced. Make sure you get the right equipment for the job you are doing. Getting the wrong sized ladder can have serious consequences.
- Be careful about overcrowding. After getting in and out of equipment or falling off of a high spot, the overcrowding that happens from time to time can cause serious safety problems. Often, people like to just watch it when the larger equipment pieces are being used. Make sure people who are not involved with a particular task are not around when it is being taken care of.
Getting the right gear such as reflective safety hoodies and making people take more time and care when doing their job may seem like a hassle but it can prevent injuries and forced downtime for your business when they occur.