How can you stay safe this construction season? Everything from slowing down near road construction to simply wearing a hard hat on the jobsite helps ensure safety among workers and bystanders. The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports almost 18% of all worker fatalities last year occurred on a construction site; to combat this statistic, it is necessary to plan ahead, wear the protective equipment, and be cautious of your surroundings.
Top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards violated in the 2012 fiscal year:
- Scaffolding, general requirements
- Fall protection
- Hazard communication standard
- Respiratory protection
- Control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout)
- Electrical, wiring methods, components and equipment
- Powered industrial trucks
- Ladders
- Electrical systems design, general requirements
- Machine guarding
Source: www.osha.gov
During construction, the following steps should be taken on your project site:
- Perform risk assessment and routine safety compliance inspections by the designated safety director.
- Conduct monthly safety talks on a relevant topic.
- Use personal and protective equipment (PPE), including hard hats, steel toe boots, ear plugs, reflective vests, safety glasses, gloves, and respiratory devices, worn by project team members as shown below.
Pictured: Wessler’s in-house Safety Director, Andrew D. Gordon, P.E., C.F.M.