Safety on a construction site does not always come first. Many companies treat this issue very formally, if not casually. And in vain. With a good organisation of labour protection, a high-quality production result can be achieved in working with and instituting a occupational health and safety management system. And with poorly adjusted safety technology, you can get yourself a lot of problems.
What is construction safety?
At first glance, the answer is obvious: rules that are needed to protect human life and health. However, if you look more broadly, you can understand that safety in a construction site is designed not only to save an employee but to protect the work process from material and human costs, no matter how cynical it may sound.
What can be considered a dangerous factor in construction?
A hazard is any circumstance that results in injury or other sudden deterioration in health. And the construction site, of course, is a high-risk area. Therefore, safety standards and regulations apply to all types of construction work without exception. And for all employees, regardless of the departmental subordination of organisations.
All engineering and technical personnel of construction companies and construction projects, as well as foremen, should not only know well but also strictly observe the instructions on the responsibility of administrative and technical personnel for safety and industrial sanitation, defining the procedure for implementing labour protection measures.
Ensuring safety in construction
Often, several organizations, such as Construction Security, are involved in construction at once, each of which performs its own part of the work. In addition, as the facility is ready, the environment and working conditions of workers are constantly changing, so compliance with safety rules becomes a rather difficult task.
1. Labour discipline
Newly arrived employees are allowed to work only after they undergo an introductory (general) safety briefing, as well as safety briefing directly at the workplace. In addition, they must complete an approved program for the first 3 months.
Safety in construction cannot be achieved without adherence to labour and production discipline. Workers must be clear about what rules and regulations they need to follow to prevent accidents. Therefore, for each employee performing their functional duties, individual safety requirements are provided or their job descriptions are prescribed.
2. Personal protective equipment
In addition to knowledge, workers in hazardous and harmful conditions must be equipped with personal protective equipment and protective clothing that protects against the influence of harmful environmental factors. This is extremely important to ensure construction safety.
According to the current legislation, the obligation to provide personal protective equipment, the proper use of it, as well as the very control over its condition falls on the shoulders of the employer.
3. Visual agitation materials
Safety in construction largely depends on how well workers have learned the safety rules. Compliance with standards must be brought to automaticity. Therefore, for quick and successful assimilation of the material, memos and visual agitation in the form of banners or building site corflute signs should be hung near workplaces, in household premises, etc.
4. Requirements for technological processes
To successfully solve this problem, you need a high quality of design solutions and a detailed study of work production projects, including flow charts.
Ideally, it is necessary that the materials, products, structures and construction machines (mechanisms) used initially meet all quality requirements, and the inventory devices and installation equipment used in construction meet the safety requirements.
Conclusion
Safety in construction and labour protection is a life textbook that every worker should study independently. Of course, the state should take care of the welfare of the working population, and the management of companies should strive to create ideal working conditions. But we ourselves are responsible for our life and well-being. Take care and be safe.