In NSW, approximately 25,000 workers were injured on construction sites due to unsafe work practices in the past three years alone. Of these, 1700 people were permanently disabled and 23 lost their lives. These are alarming statistics — they highlight the importance of implementing preventative construction site safety measures.
If you’re a construction project manager or site manager, it’s up to you to take the right precautions and safeguard your workplace from unnecessary risks. At Hazmat Projects we’ve put together our top 14 ways to keep your construction site safe, so that you can protect yourself and your employees from unnecessary grief.
All workers must hold a current white card before they commence work on-site. Site-specific induction training should also be completed by each worker, to point out any high risk areas and provide instructions for emergency management
Due to the nature of construction work, it’s impossible to eliminate all safety risks. However, many common safety issues can be avoided by conducting regular safety audits and having procedures in place to report, assess and address potential risks.
Both office and site based staff are briefed on the process for reporting hazards. All hazards are logged and procedures for how this hazard can be prevented into becoming an incident are put in place immediately.
Both office and site based staff are briefed on the process for incident reporting. We keep a record of all incidents big or small and do everything we can in terms of implementing preventative measures going forward.
Restricted site access should not only be put in place to simply protect equipment from damage or theft. Security in and outside of work hours is integral to protect pedestrians from potential construction hazards. This includes supervision or authorised site visitors.
Strict security and safety protocols will also protect contractors from liability and negligence in the case of a safety incident or security breach.
A safe work method statement (SWMS) must be prepared for all high risk construction projects, before work commences. The SWMS should outline the scope of work involved, any potential safety issues, and how risks will be prevented and managed. By law, construction work must not commence until SWMS standards are met.
During the registration process we issue our staff with branded high-vis tops and any other PPE they don’t already have. We also ensure that when sending out job details that the site PPE requirements are clear in the messages. This helps ensure that all our staff turn up in compliance with the sites requirements.
The site SWMS should be clearly displayed at the construction site, so that all safety protocols are readily available – including a 24 hour emergency contact number and a map or directions to the site office. Visible signage should also indicate site amenities (such as toilets), entry and exit points, and first aid or emergency fire equipment.
Separate entry and exit points should be established for heavy machinery/vehicle access, to strengthen pedestrian safety at high traffic points.
Chemicals need to be stored very carefully to minimise fires, explosions, asphyxiation, chemical injury and pollution on worksites. Use high quality, compliant outdoor storage solutions such as explosive storage cabinets to segregate chemicals and reduce spillage.
Extreme weather conditions can cause serious safety hazards. Your on-site emergency plan should provide clear guidelines for workers who need to stop work in the event of natural disaster, severe environmental conditions or other emergency circumstances.
For the construction industry, it’s best practice to provide one first aid officer per 25 workers. First aid kits and equipment must be placed in an easily accessible area on site.
In many situations an employer is obligated to provide PPS such as high vis vests, safety goggles and safety harnesses to construction site workers. To find what PPS you are required to provide for a specific project, contact Safe Work Australia
It is your responsibility to secure objects onsite and minimise the risk of them falling. This video explains the risks and how they can be avoided by putting preventative safety measures in place.