The construction site is fraught with dangers like heavy materials, sharp objects, powerful machinery, and so on. With just one instance of oversight and negligence, accidents are waiting to happen. Therefore, it is essential to be aware of safety practices one can take to ensure safety for you and the people around you.
Below are some of the common safety lapses at construction sites – are you or your workers guilty of any? Learn how to keep safe by avoiding these mistakes!
Failure to deal with electrical hazards
Most of us use electricity daily without a second thought – but that does not mean it is risk-free. Many construction site accidents occur due to electrical faults, most of which are preventable by taking the necessary precautions. Electrical safety can be followed by ensuring the site’s electrical system is correctly wired with voltage regulators and circuit breakers, proper labelling of electrical parts, and sufficient training on how to operate the equipment. However, workers sometimes skip the safety practices, for example, by overloading the power outlet, out of convenience or forgetfulness. It will be too late to wait until tragedy strikes to change these habits. Apart from regular checks for the electrical system, there should also be safety spot checks for workers to see if they are adhering to safety guidelines.
Failure to use protective gear
Protective gear is an essential part of construction safety to protect workers from work-site injuries, such as falling objects, sharp nails, and high heat. While it may not avoid accidents altogether, it reduces the extent of injuries to the worker. At times, the difference between having a helmet or not can determine whether a person survives an accident. Thus, it is an unfortunate mistake when workers fail to put on their safety gear, which may include the helmet, boots, gloves, safety jacket, and safety goggles. Although it is a simple step to protect oneself, some people may forget, or choose not to put the gear on when doing simple tasks, or wear them improperly. Thus, it is essential to train workers on these safety procedures and remind them regularly.
Not carrying out a safety risk assessment
After working for a long time without incident, it can make people feel complacent and become lax in their safety habits. However, this is the time when many accidents can take place. This is why it is crucial to carry out regular safety risk assessments to check the safety of your workplace. The risk assessment can include checks on the infrastructure as well as on the actions of the workers. These assessments are vital to ensure that potential hazards are reduced, and that workers are adhering to safety regulations.
Safety is of the utmost priority in the workplace. To find out more about work safety at the workplace, you can check out the bizSAFE level 2 course that equips learners with risk management knowledge. For shipyard workers, you may consider the Singapore SSIC training course. Together, you and your workers can avoid potential disaster by practising safe work habits!