Are you a home builder? Are you up to date on the latest construction safety tips?
Construction safety can do more than lower the risk of work-related injuries and accidents at your construction site. It can save you valuable time and money and create a more trusting environment.
Here are some of the most important safety tips for home builders.
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Get Insured
Most builders are required to have general liability insurance, which can protect your business if someone gets injured on a property you’re working on and sues you.
You’ll also need worker’s compensation insurance, which can ensure that your employees will get the benefits they need if they’re injured on the job.
Many builders also invest in builders risk insurance. This can help protect businesses under construction from damage due to unforeseen circumstances. These could include fire, explosions, or vandalism.
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Make Sure All Workers Wear Safety Gear
Keeping your employees safe is a top priority. Make sure they are wearing helmets, hearing protection, and protective gloves. They’ll also need full-face shields when performing activities like cutting, grinding, or chipping.
Your workers should have safety-toed footwear with slip-resistant toes. All equipment should get inspected regularly to make sure it’s in good condition.
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Beware of Equipment Placement
When you set up your equipment, you’ll want to be mindful of how hazardous you’re making the construction site. You won’t, for example, want to place a stairway in an area that gets a lot of falling debris.
Make sure your stairs are covered in treads. All your scaffolding should be capable of holding up to four times its weight. Make sure you inspect scaffolding before you use it and don’t set it up within ten feet of power lines.
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Inspect Your Equipment
Be sure to inspect any equipment carefully before setting it up on your construction site. For example, make sure ladders aren’t bent or missing rails. Check to see if your scaffolding has full planks and is ready for weather conditions.
Be on the lookout for faulty breaks and tire pressure when it comes to your construction vehicles. You’ll also want to check for any loose bolts, screws, or fasteners. Make sure any glass or windows belonging to any of your construction equipment gets repaired immediately. You can Join coretrade training course.
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Check for Electrical Safety
If your construction site isn’t properly protected, your workers could incur burns, shocks, and even electrocutions.
For optimal safety, make sure to check all electrical cords and tools for defects before you use them. You should also secure any wires, cables, and cords. Also, when using electrical energy, make sure all of your employees are wearing the proper protective equipment.
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Train Your Staff
Your employees should all get trained in the latest safety practices as it will prevent accidents as well as help you avoid liability.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a great place to start. OHSA provides training videos, on-the-job training, and even on-the-site opportunities for your people to learn about keeping themselves safe on the job.
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Have Workplace Safety Meetings
Workplace safety meetings give both you and your staff the opportunity to assess whether or not your construction sites are using optimal safety standards.
Make sure folks know how they can get involved in keeping your workplace as safe as possible. Regular staff meetings let your workers know that safety is a top priority at your company.
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Keep It Clean
A messy construction site can welcome accidents. Make sure you have a regular procedure for cleaning your site, and that your employees are involved in tidying up after each day’s work.
Any tangled cords, disorganized tools, or broken windows can be real hazards on your site. Make sure all dust gets cleaned off of windows and tools regularly. And keep all of your tools in good repair.
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Empower Employees to Report Safety Concerns
Encourage your employees to report any safety hazards or concerns to upper management. Oftentimes, an accident could have been avoided if someone had spoken up.
Use safety meetings or orientations to remind employees that they should raise awareness of safety problems right away.
Workplace Accidents
It’s critical for construction sites to train workers for safety since the job is often high-risk.
Some of the most common types of accidents on construction sites are slips and falls. These could result in bruises, cuts, and sprains. While not as serious as other accidents, slips, and falls can be avoided if proper signage is provided, and as long as clean up gets done properly.
Heavy lifting can also lead to sprains and strains. These can lead to back and muscle injuries. It’s important for employees to adhere to safety requirements when moving something heavy.
Electrical accidents could lead to minor shocks and burns, or they could result in a fatality. Education and safety warnings are critical to keeping your employees safe.
Chemical injuries, including skin burns and chemical inhalation, are also common. This is why it’s so important for your staff to wear proper protective equipment. Chemical malfunctions can lead to burns, explosions, and other serious injuries on your workplace site.
Construction Safety Tips
Construction safety tips are more than just a good idea for builders. They could mean the difference between a thriving, healthy business and one that fails miserably. To keep both your workers and your bank account intact, make sure that you are up-to-date on all of the latest standards for safety.
Don’t stop getting savvy now. For more great business advice, read the rest of our blog today.
