Managing your first construction site? Or have you been in the business a while? The question is how up to date you are with managing all aspects of your work site. Specifically, have you done all you can to ensure that everything not only runs smoothly but keeps everyone safe?
Remember, you have to have certain measures and safety steps in place to take care of those working on your site. This is because in most cases you’re held liable for any injuries. These safety steps include managing safety gear, a roof hatch, roof ladders and instructions in case of an emergency. And that’s only the start!
Since it’s your job to prevent any accidents from happening, help yourself by using this checklist to see how up to date you are.
Table of Contents
Safety Equipment
When you’re managing a construction site, you have to make sure that all the right safety equipment has been installed. Have peace of mind that you’ve done your duty and show your concern for your team on site.
This process involves managing the following:
- Roof ladders
- Roof hatches
- Precaution signs
- Correct installation of equipment
The right team will make sure that any safety equipment that is installed, is installed correctly. So, it’s not only about the equipment you pick, but how it’s implemented on site. This shows the importance of partnering with the right service providers.
Safety equipment management should also involve instructions on how to use it correctly, no matter what it is. What’s an obvious safety measure to you, may not be so obvious to someone else. So, making sure everyone is aware of how to use the equipment is important.
Using a powerful piece of machinery or a height safety structure in the wrong way can easily lead to injury. As the person in charge, you should be strict about who uses equipment and ensure they have the correct training.
Protective Gear
As important as safety equipment is, protective gear should be the first thing you take care of. Not everyone on your construction site will need the same gear and so you will need to make sure that your staff wear what’s relevant to their work. Protective gear like hard hats should be worn at all times, regardless of what job your staff members are performing.
If you’re unsure about what they should be wearing, take a look at the breakdown of PPE relevant to your industry and the different jobs performed by your team. This is vital in protecting your staff from any work-related injuries and keeping your site’s health and safety policies up to par.
Emergency Exits
Hopefully you’ll never use them, but you can’t ignore the fact that something can go wrong and you’ll need to get your team out fast. You need to make sure that you’ve gone through the right checks to ensure that all emergency exits are laid out correctly. Signs that show your emergency exits should be put up for everyone to see while safety drills should be practiced regularly so the procedure and people’s responsibilities aren’t forgotten in those sorts of situations.
Having the right signage in place can save a life. You may have a visitor on site who doesn’t know the area well. A sign can be the only thing helping these individuals reach safety.
It’s also extremely necessary as you can be sued for someone’s injuries if you sidestep the importance of emergency exit layouts and instructions.
Protocol Instructions
If there is an emergency or accident, there should be a step-by-step protocol that needs to be followed which everyone should know of. For example, these instructions can explain what should be done during certain emergencies, how to properly handle firefighting equipment or to take initiative to guide in emergency services.
These steps can be printed and placed on site so everyone can see it at all times. It should be taught to your staff as well so everyone is clear about what needs to happen. This can prevent further injuries and problems.
Final Thoughts
It can be extremely daunting when you think about running a construction site due to how much responsibility is put into your hands. But with the right steps you can make a success of it, while keeping people safe.
Remember, chaos can make people confused which can lead to a more dangerous situation than what is actually going on. But empowering your team with information will help them handle a bad situation in the best way possible.
As a site manager you want to look after your staff as well as your business. It’s important to look at things from every angle and researching more on the topic will give you a good perspective, turning you into an even better manager on site.
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