August 28, 2020 Construction Safety: How to Protect On-Site Workers

Employers need to take steps to ensure construction sites are safe for their workers.

Construction sites can be dangerous environments, with a lot of potential for injury. With so many people moving around, large vehicles, power tools, and equipment in operation and supplies being moved around the site, employers need to take steps to ensure that sites are safe for their on-site workers. Improving site safety will allow your team to work more efficiently, confident in the safety measure you have in place. This means that you can complete jobs quickly, without cutting corners, and move onto the next job sooner, increasing your bottom line in the process.

The last 11 years have seen the number of people working in the construction industry in Australia rise by 33%, while at the same time, injury rates have been on the decline. This is a testament to the Australian construction industry’s commitment to on-site safety. However, the construction industry remains a high-risk industry, accounting for 12% of total work-related fatalities, despite making up just 9% of the overall Australian workforce. More needs to be done to keep on-site workers safe when they are at work and with the right approach, you can make simple changes that will benefit the well-being of your employees.

Let’s take a closer look at just a few changes you can make to protect your on-site workers and create a safer work environment for your team.

Inspect Equipment Regularly

To ensure the safety of your construction workers, you need to, first, take care of the tools and equipment that they will be using. Your workers rely on their equipment and tools to work safely and efficiently. A broken electric hoist, mixer, power tool, or any other piece of construction equipment poses a serious risk for your employees. To avoid a potential safety issue, be sure to inspect all of your equipment regularly to ensure it is safe to use.

Display Signage

Displaying signage at Australian construction sites is a legal requirement that you must adhere to. Compulsory signage is used to highlight mandatory guidelines that must be followed by anyone on-site. For example, signs with a white drawing inside a blue circle indicate what safety equipment is required in a particular area of the construction site. Make sure that all signage is clearly displayed so that everyone knows what safety protocols need to be adhered to.

Ongoing Training

In order to work on a construction site in Australia, you must complete an introductory safety training course prior to starting work. The ‘General Construction Induction Training’ program, commonly referred to as ‘white card training’ provides workers with the training required to work safely on site. As an employer, it’s important that you ensure all employees have completed this base level safety training to optimum on-site safety.

Protective Gear

Supplying your on-site workers with the right protective equipment is crucial. Employees who are wearing the appropriate protective gear for the work they are doing are much less likely to suffer an injury at work. Personal protective equipment (PPE) can include but is not limited to: earplugs, goggles, gloves, boots, hard hats, high-vis clothing, facemasks, safety harnesses and sunscreen. To improve the safety of your workers, make sure that they are wearing the right protective equipment to keep them safe in their role on-site. PPE should also be maintained and stored properly, and repaired or replaced as required.

Create A Safer Site Environment For Your Workers

Ensuring the safety of your on-site workers should be a top priority for any construction company or contractor. Creating a safe working environment, minimising risk and providing the appropriate protective equipment will help to protect your workers from potential injuries. A safe construction site will allow your workers to operate more efficiently, be more productive and produce better results for your clients. With more satisfied customers your construction business will continue to go from strength to strength as you take on more jobs over time.

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