Construction Safety Checklists exist since safety is paramount in any construction job. There are many dangers present in a construction site that could lead to disasters that are best avoided. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance that the principal contractor for a certain construction job make sure that the usual hazards are watched out for. It is a principal contractor’s obligation to keep aware of the many risks he or she must avert before starting and also during construction work. A Construction Safety Checklist would definitely come in handy when just about to start on the construction job. This would significantly lessen the chances of the principal contractor to miss identifying some risks in the construction site, especially those that are most frequently identified in the other construction jobs. Furthermore, it is a way to more easily check whether a construction site complies with Workplace Health and Safety Regulations.
Given all this, it is good practice to build a Construction Safety Checklist and continually add on to this as a principal contractor gets to identify more potential hazards to look out for in construction work.
One might wonder what it is that would most usually comprise a Construction Safety Checklist, so to satisfy that curiosity, below is a list of the essential things that are to be included in a Construction Safety Checklist:
– Site Inspections – Walk around the site and check for any small structure present on the site that wasn’t included in the plans and may need to be demolished, a depression that could possibly indicate the presence of something that has been buried in site or this may even lead to discovery of an underground tank that would require EPA involvement. You may also choose to hire an independent contractor to do the site inspections for you.
– Employee site orientation – Prior to starting construction work, the workers must be made aware of the unique risks and hazards present in the site. Knowing what to look out for in the site would greatly help avert disasters.
– Worksite fenced off – Placing a fence around the site would keep away outsiders from getting in and exposing themselves to the potential dangers in the construction site. Also, these trespassers may end up taking equipment or materials needed for the site. A fence would be a decent barrier that would prove difficult to go through.
– Protective equipment – After having assessed the risks in the site, the principal contractor must make sure that all protective equipment has been provided and that all workers are properly making use of such equipment.
– First aid – Verify that first aid facilities and first aid equipment are readily available and accessible in the work site. First aid response must be quick and done properly.
– Construction signs – Placing signs to inform the general public of the potential hazards of being in close physical parameter to the site would be very helpful to outsiders.
– Tools and equipment used for construction – Testing tools and equipment to verify that they are working properly is another measure that needs to be taken just before construction work starts. This must also be applied to all electrical leads or outlets. The list above is merely something to start off with and build up on. Construction Safety Checklists could have many more things included. This may very well prove to be a good starter Construction Safety Checklist for new contractors to build up on though.
Know that the checklist above is merely a list to start off with and build up on. Again, many more things could be included in this. This may be a good start though for any new contractor intending to build up a reliable Construction Safety Checklist.