Lucy - BQ Magazine EditorAs a construction business, you’re a key player in the essential infrastructure of modern-day society. That comes with a lot of responsibility, not only to provide high-quality, structurally safe buildings but also to keep your workers safe on-site.
For those who have just started, this topic can be a bit of a minefield, so it’s important to begin with the basics.
Beyond local rules and regulations, you have the equipment you’ll use – a key element for how safe day-to-day operations will be. To get you started, here are three equipment categories you should know about for maintaining the necessary working environment.
Lighting
Many accidents that occur on a construction site are down to the individual simply not seeing a hazard that’s right in front of them, and that’s why a well-lit environment is so important. Lighting should be one of the very first categories of equipment you invest in and an aspect of the site you set up immediately when a project starts.
Many different types serve a variety of purposes – everything from the small headlamps builders wear to illuminate darker indoor areas or those underground, to a light tower that powerfully floods the whole site. Do some research online to find out which types are most applicable to you.
Fall Protection Systems
Falls are a major cause of fatalities for those working within the construction industry, so you should do all you can to mitigate the risk as much as possible. Fall protection systems offer a lot of value: they comprise a mixture of different mechanisms such as safety nets and harnesses to protect the individual if they fall, and are highly customisable to the job at hand.
Workers will need training on how to properly utilise these systems, but while there’s a fair amount that goes into getting things up and running, it’ll be worth it in the end. Using fall protection offers both you and your employees peace of mind that maximum effort is being made to ensure safety.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
One of the most important basic safety measures is personal protective equipment (PPE). Like fall protection systems, this umbrella term covers many different items that may or may not be specific to the job: PPE could include high-visibility vests, gloves, goggles, hard hats, face masks, and more.
Make sure you’re clear on the local and government rules surrounding effective PPE, and beyond what is required for the base protection, be sure to implement any special measures for specific situations (perhaps your workers are exposed to chemicals on one particular job, in which case a certain set of gloves and goggles may be needed separate from those used in basic construction).
Wrapping Up
Hopefully, this short list has kick-started your efforts to set a high standard of safety for your construction business. Safety should be at the very core of all you do, so get organised, stay vigilant, and make sure you get things right from the get-go.