Health & Safety in the Workplace: Construction
The number of accidents at work within the construction industry is often higher than in other industries. Frankly, it is not hard to see why the threat to your safety is clear between the hazardous environment and risks. That being said, there are a few things that you can do, especially if you are in a management position, to ensure your own health and safety and that of those around you. Keep reading to find out more.
Become a Role Model
First things first, you should always lead by example if you want to encourage others to take their health and safety seriously when working on a building site. Always use the best tool in order to reduce your risk of injury and encourage others to do the same. As a worker, you might be asking yourself, ‘Do I need a construction phase plan?’ and the answer is every job site needs one, but unless you are in a management position, it is not your responsibility to create it. However, they are a great resource when it comes to keeping yourself and others safe.
Increase Awareness
One of the best things that you can do for your health and safety and others is to increase awareness of the risks. Everyone needs to be aware of the potential dangers they face on-site to avoid them. Risk assessments can come in handy here, as can regular training refreshers too. Practising good spatial awareness can also help to ensure that you are aware of what is going on around you and, therefore, less likely to stumble into any hazards.
Wear the Right Safety Gear
The next thing that you need to consider when trying to protect your own health and safety on a building site is whether or not you are wearing the right protective gear. A number of hazards on a building site can be mitigated with the right safety wear. For example, falling debris could be fatal, hence the use of hard hats. Dropping heavy things could lead to broken bones in your feet which is where steel toe capped boots come in. If the other workers can’t see you, then there are more likely to be accidents, which is why you should always wear a hi-vis. Consider your job on the site and what pieces of gear you should be wearing.
Follow Procedures
The management team on your site will have put together health and safety procedures for your well-being and the well-being of everyone on the site. Make sure that you have been trained on these procedures and that you understand the importance of them and when they apply. Then, take them on board because they can affect not only you but everybody else on site too.
Summary
All businesses are legally obliged to protect the health and safety of their employees. However, the nature of the construction industry does mean that there are perhaps more hazards to look out for. This is why educating yourself on the hazards and risks on the worksite is important. Be sure to take steps to protect yourself.
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