Working in the construction industry can be dangerous. Most of the accidents that happen on a job site are caused by carelessness, lack of training or not following required safety regulations.
Companies are required to comply with many regulations to meet federal, state and local laws in addition to any safety policies they have created. Policies and regulations are to train employees in good safety practices as well as warning about hazards on the work site.
Fundamentals of Safety
The fundamentals of safe work practices that everyone working in the construction industry needs to know can be summarized into eight basic points. These fundamentals should become "automatic" to everyone on the work site.
1. Use tools, equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) as it was designed to be used.
2. Wear PPE when it is required.
3. Inspect your equipment prior to every use.
4. Know your company's safety rules and policies
5. Only perform jobs that you are trained to do.
6. Report or correct all unsafe conditions.
7. Adopt the "zero accident" philosophy.
8. If you don't know something, ask!
OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a section of the Department of Labor, a federal agency that provides guidance and information, and enforces safety policy, keeping millions of people safe on the job every year.
OSHA was established in 1971, and since then the accident rate for worker's injuries has been cut in half. OSHA's policies or regulations are called standards. Some standards, called general standards, apply to all industries. Other standards may be industry-specific.
Hazard Communication and MSDS
Hazard communication (HAZCOM) is a program and an OSHA standard that directs employers to communicate the hazards of materials used by employees. Using hazardous materials incorrectly can cause serious personal health problems. Other materials may react violently in specific conditions or when combined with other materials. Corrosion, fire and a reactive explosion are all possibilities. Employers are responsible for informing their employees of these hazardous materials.
Every material used on your job site is required to have an accompanying material safety data sheet (MSDS). It is the employer's responsibility to ensure the MSDSs are available. It is the employee's responsibility to become familiar with and understand the information on these sheets to protect themselves before using or exposing themselves to the material.
PPE
PPE has been designed to protect individuals from injury on the job site. A construction site has numerous conditions that can cause bodily damage if the employee's PPE is not worn correctly.
Examples of PPE include safety glasses, hard hats, gloves, hearing protection, respiratory protection, safety harnesses and safety shoes. Some PPE will be required to be worn by employees anytime they are physically on the job site. Other PPE will be required to be worn when performing a specific task, such as a welder's hood or safety harness.
Job Site Safety and Communication
Creating a safe work site is the responsibility of all employees. Ensuring the proper signs, barricades, tags and other visual aids are placed where needed is critical to communicating hazardous conditions to employees and in some circumstances, the public.
OSHA has several standards describing the effective use of signals and signage in the workplace. An OSHA job safety poster, emergency phone numbers and health protection poster are all required by OSHA to be posted in a conspicuous place for employees. Signs should be written in simple language or use symbols instead of words to mitigate poor reading skills or language barriers among employees.
Training is essential in the effective use of alarms, horns, whistles, etc. Employees must be able to recognize the alarm for it to be effective. Backup alarms on trucks are a universal alarm and understood by most, but the evacuation alarm for an oil refinery may be unique to that plant, so every individual should be trained on that alarm, and the alarm should be tested periodically not only for functionality, but for the employee's benefit as well.
Barricades, equipment tags, orange cones and signs are all effective ways to communicate hazardous areas or conditions within a workplace. Ensure these devices are removed when the hazard no longer exists. If unneeded signs are prevalent, employees will become complacent.
Accidents
Accidents often result in injuries. Injuries result in needless pain and suffering for individuals and their families, and cost businesses and individuals money. Safety starts with each individual. Participating in unsafe acts or accepting unsafe conditions are the two primary causes of accidents.
Accidents can be very costly. Everyone involved is affected by the event. The company loses financially through increased insurance costs, delays of getting the job done, employee medical care, property or equipment damages and investigation costs/fines. The employee loses through increased insurance premiums, lost wages from not working, limited family contribution, etc.
Best Practice
Best work practices are the methods and policies that have provided the safest way to do a job right within an industry or practice historically. Using best practices is a very pro-active way to work safely. Understanding the job and identifying the risks and mitigating those risks prevents potential accidents.
The best work practices are used by individuals that follow all of the rules, regulations and policies for the job they are working on. They never start a job until they have reviewed what is going to be required and have completed a risk assessment at some level. The employees that emulate best work practices are those who mentor others and correct unsafe actions or situations when they see them.
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