A building site can be quite a hazardous environment to work in. Here are two safety tips for those who regularly work in this type of setting.
Be careful when unloading and stacking timber deliveries
Virtually all construction projects involve the use of large amounts of structural timber. As such, labourers who work on building sites will usually be expected to unload and stack timber deliveries on a regular basis.
Due to the weight and size of structural timber, this can be quite a physically demanding task, which can put those performing it at risk of injury. Because of this, it's important for workers who need to perform this job to take certain precautions to ensure that they don't get hurt.
For example, workers should be aware of their own physical limitations and avoid attempting to take too many pieces of timber out of the delivery truck at once. The reason for this is that carrying an excessively-heavy bundle of timber could not only result in them straining their back or neck but could also lead to them dropping it onto their own feet (which could leave them with a fracture) or onto the feet of those standing nearby.
Additionally, when stacking the timber in the site's storage area, workers should avoid piling it too high. If they do and the tall stack of heavy timber is accidentally struck by a piece of equipment or is blown over by a powerful gust of wind, the wood could tip over and crush nearby labourers.
Check the condition of the scaffolding at the start of each work day
Scaffolding is an essential form of access equipment which is used for almost all construction projects. It provides a stable, wide base for workers to stand on when they need to carry out construction work on taller sections of a building.
However, this equipment could potentially put workers at risk of injury, if it develops a fault which goes unnoticed (and therefore unrepaired) for too long.
For example, if several of the screws which secure the scaffolding's safety railing become loose or corroded, and a labourer then leans their bodyweight against this railing, the entire barrier could break off.
This could lead to this person falling several metres to the ground. A fall of this kind could leave them with serious head and back injuries.
As such, it is vital for those who use the scaffolding to inspect it for faults at the beginning of each workday. If any issues are identified, the scaffolding should not be used until these problems have been addressed.