Construction sites are dangerous. This is no secret to hardly anyone, but especially to you as a construction worker. The most common hazards on construction sites include:
- Falls
- Scaffold collapse
- Trench collapse
- Failure of personal protective equipment
- Electric shock
- Repetitive motion injuries
You know that you encounter potentially hazardous circumstances like these every day, and the data is there to back it up. The deadly injury rate in the construction industry is higher than the nationwide average for all other industries. So, how do you stay as safe as possible while working in construction? Here is a safety checklist for construction sites to prevent on-the-job accidents.
Safety checklist
- Wear hard hats on worksites.
- Routinely inspect hard hats for cracks, dents or deterioration.
- Replace hard hats after an electrical shock or heavy impact.
- Ensure you place scaffolds on sound footing.
- Do not erect or move scaffolds within 10 feet of power lines.
- Avoid working on scaffolds during high winds or inclement weather.
- Never use boxes, barrels, buckets or ladders on a scaffold to elevate work height.
- Do not load a scaffold with too much weight.
- Make sure scaffolds are fully planked.
- Wear face shields or safety glasses during work operations.
- Wear work boots or shoes with puncture-resistant and non-slip soles.
- Wear footwear with safety toe material.
- Wear snug gloves.
- Use the proper gloves for the specific job (i.e. heavy-duty rubber gloves during concrete work, and insulated gloves when there is a risk of electrical hazards).
- Replace any damaged, frayed or worn electrical cables or cords.
- Maintain electrical equipment and tools in a safe condition.
- Regularly check electrical tools and equipment for defects and take them out of service if you find any.
- Make sure electrical tools are properly grounded or have double-insulation.
This is by no means an all-inclusive list for construction site safety tips, but following this list will help you be a safer construction worker.