Essential Construction Site Safety Considerations for Spring
Construction businesses are ramping up their spring projects as winter and its frigid temperatures fade away. While it may seem that the warmer season would provide favorable working conditions, it can pose many risks that you must account for on the job site. Continue reading to discover essential construction site safety considerations for spring.
Consider the Moody Weather
Weather conditions can be completely unpredictable at this time of year. While working outside, you might encounter rapidly fluctuating temperatures, rain showers, fog, and severe gusts. You should make sure someone is tracking and communicating all shifts in the weather so that you can take the proper precautions, such as moving indoors or covering equipment.
Pay Special Attention to Thunderstorms
The combination of rainfall, lightning, and electrical equipment on the job site can be exceedingly dangerous, putting people at risk of electrocution. Therefore, you should train employees on electrical safety regulations and correct Lockout/Tagout protocols. Advise workers to avoid any metal objects or buildings if thunderstorms or lightning occur.
Talk With Workers About Proper Clothing
Although springtime mornings are typically chilly, temperatures generally warm up dramatically by midday, making it more difficult for workers to determine what they should wear. Encourage everyone to dress in lightweight and breathable layers that they could potentially remove as it gets hotter throughout the day. Remind everyone they should be consistently applying sunscreen and drinking water. You should have both readily available so that they can do this.
Watch Your Portable Restroom Placement
Spring means you can start working in more varied locations, so having portable restrooms is always essential. However, you must strategically position portable restrooms at your construction site so that employees aren’t at risk of falling, having machinery hit them, or having random pedestrians walk through the area. A terrific way to avoid dangerous situations is to put some distance between the bathrooms and any equipment.
Emphasize Excavation and Trenching Safety
Winter weather can make it tough to dig through the frozen ground. As a result, the arrival of spring generally heralds the beginning of the earthmoving period. Provide your personnel with a review of proper trench and excavation safety precautions. Additionally, have an evaluation of protective systems in place.
Hopefully, these essential construction site safety considerations for spring can help protect workers from severe accidents. It’s critical to establish a safety culture and ensure that everyone feels comfortable reporting potentially dangerous circumstances they may face.
