Keeping hazards out of the work zone is part of what it takes to ensure safety for construction workers. Distractions aren’t always obvious hazards, but investing the time to identify and control them goes a long way toward protecting your workers.
Avoid Distraction of Speed
Schedule jobs with ample time for completion to avoid pressuring your crew to rush. A focus on speed distracts your workers from safety and encourages them to take potentially dangerous shortcuts. Avoid incentivizing fast work over safe work, and remind your supervisors not to push the workers. After all, accidents and injuries cost more time than providing safety for construction workers.
Remind Workers About Safety
Workers who perform the same task repeatedly have a natural tendency to run on autopilot and skip safety procedures because the task is so familiar. To prevent this problem, keep safety guidelines fresh in the minds of your crew members by holding frequent safety meetings.
If your crew is working at night, hold a safety meeting at the start of every shift and check the crew over to be sure everyone’s well rested. This is especially important for crews working between midnight and five in the morning when human alertness is naturally at its lowest.
Inspect Regularly
Conduct regular walk-throughs to make sure workers are wearing proper safety gear and using equipment correctly. Keep an eye out for workers who seem distracted or tired and could use a short break. Make your inspections frequent enough to be unremarkable or the stress of a rare inspection becomes a distraction in itself.
Consider Nutrition Needs
A worker who is hungry and tired can’t fully concentrate on what they’re doing. Poor eating habits are a major cause of post-lunch drowsiness and overall fatigue, so remind your workers to choose healthy foods. On hot days, the ideal meal is something light and low fat, such as salad, sandwiches, a vegetable dish or fruit. These foods provide a burst of nutrients, but are easy to digest, making the afternoon slump less likely.
For more tips on safety for construction workers, contact us at Construction Monitor.
You have shared great tips here. I like all especially “Remind Workers About Safety” in the post because it is very important to educate people how they can avoid dangerous distractions on the construction site. Thanks
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