Safety at Site

Introduction

        According to Govt survey & reports, one in ten construction workers are getting injured every year (by near miss or human error) while the report suggests that there are about 15,000 construction site where accidents occur every year. Workers between the age of 25 years to 34 years are most likely to get injured in a construction site accident.

Due to the growing casualties, it has become necessary to ensure safety (by safe working practices) at the worksite right from the design phase of construction itself.

    Construction Site Safety basically includes the policies and guidelines so as to ensure the safety of the men, material, structure and environment at the site. It is the state of being protected from the risks and hazards that are likely to be encountered at the site. Some civil construction site activities are:

• Site Clearance,
• Storage of Construction materials,
• Excavation,
• Shuttering and Shoring,
• Blasting,
• Demolition and removal of debris, etc.

Importance of Safety at Construction Site

    Since the construction industry is a risky industry, utmost care must be taken. Health and safety must be given priority in every aspect of construction. Construction materials, tools, machinery, and handling techniques all poses different types of risks and hazards.

    The most common types of accidents that cause serious injury or even death in fatal cases on construction sites include near miss, falls, incidents with site vehicles, struck by forklift, collapsing materials, and contact with overhead power lines.

    Some of the major types of construction site jobs include the construction of houses, roads, bridges, dams, workplaces, excavation, repair, demolition and rehabilitation works of the various physical infrastructures. The most common fatalities are caused by the fatal four: falls, being struck by an object, electrocution, and being caught in between two objects.

        It has become a general practice to neglect safety aspects so as to reduce the cost of employing the safety equipment and procedures. Also, in many, countries the workers are mostly unaware of the importance of construction site safety and also do not get the training, toolbox talk, briefing in this regard.

Safety in
Site Clearance

i)        Safe or appropriate place to be selected for keeping materials.

ii)       Materials to be properly stacked and placed in arrange manner.

iii)      If any electrical or service connections are interfering with the site clearance job then they are to be diverted in consultation with appropriate authority.

iv)     Approach or way to the place of work should be cleared and provided at least two sides.

Storage of Construction materials

• All materials are to be stacked properly and should not exceed 4 ft above ground level.
• Safe approach to be provided and maintained from individual stack to place of work. Proper aisle to be maintained.
• No stack of materials should rest against any structure or building wall.
• Construction materials should not be kept on the edge of the pits and excavated area.
• Clear passages to be provided to the workers.
• Proper drainage to be provided so that the discharge of water, used for washing of materials, etc. flow away and do not make ground surface slushy.
• Boxes, pallets, containers, ropes, pulleys used for handling and transporting stacked materials to be checked periodically.
• Proper care should be taken for nails while stacking dismantled planks.

Safety Guidelines 

1. Before the commencement of the project, the workers must be given adequate training regarding safety measures.
2. Hazardous construction works such as blasting, excavation, etc. must be carried out under the supervision of experts only.
3. Personal protection equipment such as gloves, helmets, etc. must be kept in the proper condition and must be compulsorily provided to the workers.
4. In case of any potential hazard at the site, the workers must be warned beforehand and warning signs must be placed.
5. Smoking cigarettes at the site must be prohibited and unattended fire should not be left.
6. Any hazardous chemicals or construction materials must be stored properly in a safe place.
7. All the machinery and equipment must be maintained in the proper condition and duly checked before use.
8. Floors and passages must be kept clean. If any liquid has been spilled, it must be immediately cleaned.
9. Adequate lighting must be ensured at darker construction sites.
10. Nails, blades, and other materials must be kept properly and dumped in an appropriate place.
11. Construction workers that are subjected to extreme working conditions such as confined spaces should be provided with appropriate breathing apparatus or the working place must be provided with adequate ventilation.
12. Emergency first aid kit must be provided at the site. 
13. Operational ready rescue unit and emergency equipment must be ensured at all times.
14. The scaffolding must be properly braced and checked before use.
15. Catch nets must be provided on unprotected sides.
16. While working at heights, workers must make sure that they make use of the safety belts.
17. While working at noise-prone construction sites, earmuffs or other protective equipment must be used.
18. Workers who have consumed alcohol or are under the influence of such substances must not be allowed to stay at the site.
19. Projected nails must be removed immediately.
20. Site security must be ensured at all times.
21. The workers must be encouraged for becoming a part of the safety program at the site and motivate to make use of safety equipment and guidelines provided to them.