Basic health and safety in construction:-
Construction still remains one of the top most industry for fatal injuries caused. The major categories include Falling, Electrical accidents, Struck by moving vehicles or objects, Slips and Trips. Apart from the fatal injury caused the construction industry has a high rate of serious and simple injuries that result in a 3 day absence at the workplace. These injuries have caused millions of work day losses annually, along with the trauma that effects the person.
In spite of all the accidents and reported injuries construction can be a safe occupation. The people involved need to be aware of the health and safety rules and should be following a proper program laid out by a competent person. Below you can find a quick guide to help you out with the basic health and safety in construction industry.
The sense of responsibility
If you are in a construction site then you have a responsibility to work safely and not to endanger yourself or others by your actions or omissions. According to the law of health and safety Act 1974 it is a duty of all the personel at the construction workplace, to safeguard themselves and not putting others in danger by their actions.
Management of Health and safety is a combination of Laws, company policy, your actions, site rules and professional ethics.
Top 10 points to follow and work safely at a construction site:
- Company should conduct proper risk assessment.
- Listing out construction site rules that everybody needs to follow. These rules may differ based on site location and other project details.
- Employees should be certified or training provided before starting of work
- Conduct regular tool Box talks
- Ensure you are trained to do your job
- Try to keep pedestrian walk ways and plant vehicle ways separated
- Wearing your PPE
- Always read your work method statements along with risk assessments
- Obey site rules
- Report to the management if somebody else is working dangerously, never ignore
On-site safety: Proper safety at a construction site can make the biggest impact on the number of injuries and effecting workday losses. It is very important that there is a set program and laid down rules on organizing the site. Specially with traffic management for all kinds of vehicles and people. Always try to keep pedestrians and vehicles ways separate. This should be done at the site designing phase itself and should be organized and followed. There are certain places where there might be a crossing of vehicle and pedestrian, it is best to be avoided though. The view of the crossing should be clear for both people walking and driving. It should be clearly marked and lit.
Protecting workers and general public on construction site with properly defined boundaries and entry points that require authorization. Even for guests or people who are for a temporary purpose like delivering etc, care should be taken that they follow the said rules. The restricted boundary should be big enough to include any falling or moving objects on site.
