Regulations For A Safe Construction Site – Construction sites are one of the most hazardous environments that we can find ourselves in. Heavy-duty machinery, dangerous tools, elevated workspaces, and the possibility of falling objects mean that there are multiple risks to health & safety. Follow these regulations for a safe construction site to reduce the possibility of accidents and to help ensure the safety of your workers.
5 Regulations For A Safe Construction Site
Use a modular building space
Temporary buildings can be hugely useful in construction projects, allowing you to assemble the majority of things off-site while maintaining high-standards of manufacture. There is also the option of modular building hire as an on-site solution to provide workers with a safe space in which to rest and refresh or complete admin tasks. You can get special fire-rated and anti-vandal models and tailor-made shapes to ensure that these temporary buildings fit seamlessly into your site plan.
Provide adequate PPE
PPE, or Personal Protective Equipment, is a must for anyone working on a construction site. PPE helps to protect your physical health in a range of high-risk working environments. For construction workers, this includes clothing designed to catch the eye like a high-vis vest, and accessories that allow you to handle equipment safely such as protective gloves and goggles. It also includes safety helmets and hard-wearing footwear.
Conduct an induction session
Before the project begins, it is essential to conduct an induction session with your team. This should include a tour of the site and a thorough explanation of how to use each piece of equipment. Make sure that even senior team members are present and participate in the discussion. You should also install safety signs around the premises, warning the public of the potential dangers of entering the site and reminding your team how to use the equipment correctly to minimise health risks.
Identify potential hazards
Particularly in the initial days of the project, take care to keep an eye out for any hazards on the construction site and make sure that these risks are raised to those in charge. Encourage your team to report any problems, whether these be small irritations or scary ‘near misses’. Identifying and fixing possible dangers at the start of the project will significantly reduce the likelihood of accidents during the process.
Perform regular inspections
Make sure that someone is responsible for performing regular inspections of your construction site. Electrical tools should not be kept lying around after use – these should be tidied away immediately into a dedicated safe space. All equipment should be reviewed as well, at the beginning and end of each day. The machinery used on a construction site is complex on a large scale, and if it breaks down the consequences could be serious. If any equipment is flagged as faulty, it should be replaced immediately and marked as off-limits until you are able to do so.