Construction sites, while incredibly common with hundreds of thousands throughout the country, can be very dangerous zones for both the crew and civilians. Yearly, there are nearly 1,000 deaths and many more serious injuries that occur on them. While accidents can happen at any time, the most common accidents that occur are highly avoidable. Along with other basic procedures like proper equipment use, scaffold inspections, and proper lifting techniques, wearing the right attire on a construction site can reduce the chances of accident and injury greatly. Not only will dressing properly make the job much easier but safer as well.
Hard Hats
Hard hats have one obvious benefit (to protect an individual from falling debris), but hard hats actually do more than just that! They can greatly reduce the amount of electrical shock, so wearing hard hats are necessary when working around exposed electrical conductors. Any time crew members are working on a lift or scaffold, everyone should be wearing hard hats in case of dropped tools or materials. You won’t just be avoided bumps on the head, but potentially life threatening brain injury!
Eye Protection
Protective goggles or face shields are required on construction sites when there is the presence of hazards such as liquid chemicals, gases, light radiation, heavy dust, or flying objects. Be sure that your eye wear is OSHA approved and that everyone on site wears them when these threats are present.
Clothes
Whether long or short sleeves, shirts should not be baggy. Baggy clothes increase risk for injury or accidents because the extra material could get caught on or in working machinery. Noone should ever be shirtless or in sleeveless shirts. Remember, most construction crews work long days in the sun, so protecting your skin from the rays in crucial. The solution to feeling overheated should not be to work without a shirt on, but to slow down or take a water break in the shade. Additionally, shorts should never be worn on a construction site. Instead, proper attire includes long pants without cuffs at the bottom.
Foot Wear
Since falls are the most common source of injury on a construction site, it is important that all crew members and visitors have proper footwear at all times. The right boot might differ based on the kind of work being done, but the most common footwear includes steel toe boots. These offer a high level of foot protection for crew members from falling tools or equipment. A steel toe boot can withstand a high amount of pressure, so if a heavy object is dropped (which is a common cause of injury) you are way less likely to seriously injure your foot or toes.
Follow OSHA Standards
It’s important to make sure that everyone present is following OSHA guidelines (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). The standards set by OSHA are intended to increase working conditions by reducing the risk of accident and injury. Violations of OSHA standards can result in fines for the construction company, criminal charges, and a construction site being shut down or delayed. If you haven’t recently, spend a little time brushing up on the OSHA standards to avoid finding yourself in violation!
More from Your Construction Company in Austin TX
Looking for more construction safety tips and recommendations? Find more guides like this in our construction blog, and don’t hesitate to contact the Austin construction contractors at T.F. Harper to learn how we can assist with your next project.
