Four Tips to Implement Safe Construction Practices

Construction laborers are an important part of our country. They are responsible for safely designing and building our homes, businesses, and roadways. The construction laborer job is extensive, hard labor, and it can be dangerous. Construction laborers can easily become harmed if they do not follow state and federal regulations. These regulations are set in place to protect workers, ensuring that they are handling the construction equipment properly and safely. As a construction laborer project manager or shift leader, it is important to enforce the following safety plans to protect the construction workers on your crew team.

Ensure that all construction equipment is in full working order. Construction equipment should have regular maintenance and inspections done on them frequently. This ensures that everything is in safe and proper working condition. A simple broken part on a large machine, such as a crane or web slings can be dangerous for a laborer. Also, when a machine is in need of repair or work, it should never be used until it is properly fixed.

Teach workers about proper regulations and precautions. An employee who is unaware of safe work methods is unlikely to practice them. When bringing on new employees, it is important to provide them with the expectations and the regulations, regarding safety. For example, OHSA uses a three step process to prevent dangerous falls and save lives. The steps are plan, provide, and train. The training piece is important to enforcing these life saving plans. Workers should also be taught about proper assistive devices, such as web slings, that can help protect the worker during tough jobs.

Take regular fall protection courses. State and federal safety regulations can and do change. You, as the crew leader, can stay up to date on these safety tips by attending regular fall protection competent person training courses. These courses are designed to notify you of changes, but also to give you the effective tools to instill these precautions into your crew. Workers who are six feet or more above lower levels are at risk for serious injury or death if they should fall. To protect these workers, employers must provide fall protection and the right equipment for the job, including the right kinds of ladders, scaffolds, and safety gear. Web slings and chain slings may also be used for further protection.

Implement a fall protection system. OHSA requires that fall protection be provided at elevations of four feet in general industry workplaces, five feet in shipyards, six feet in the construction industry, and eight feet in long shoring operations. The crew leader is responsible for establishing the appropriate amount of fall protection and at what level is best for their workers. This fall protection system should be shared and enforced with all of the team.

Require safety certifications of team members. This is a preference of the crew leader. Crew leaders can choose to require safety certifications of each of their team members. The construction laborers will be taking similar safety classes as you, the crew leader does. They will also learn about safety standards for specific pieces of construction equipment, including crane service, forklift operator, and other types of laborers. They will also be taught how to effectively use assistive equipment, such as web slings.

Working in the construction industry can be risky and dangerous. Construction workers are climbing high heights, building walls and roofs, and operating heavy machinery. A construction crew leader is in charge of the safety enforcement of its team members. They can encourage safe practiced with their crew by requiring safety certifications, including safety regulations in on board trainings, and keeping up to date on new safety standards.