Project supervisors and managers aren’t overseers as much as they are influencers. That’s why an effective construction safety culture begins at the top.
The J.J. Keller® consultancy firm specializes in safety and regulatory compliance. Additional environmental, health and safety (EHS) professionals offered input for a whitepaper for the company’s Safety Management Suite of software. Construction companies will find it a valuable source of information.
“OSHA’s standard at 1910.151…is just three short paragraphs that don’t offer much detail,” says Keller’s EHS authority Ed Zalewski. He says one of the paragraphs raises more questions than it answers:
In the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital…
a person or persons shall be adequately trained to render
first aid. Adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available.
Project managers should thoroughly research and have access to trained, available and nearby first responders for medical events. If the professional service is iffy, identify another paramedic/service provider.
Or an onsite employee.
Some OSHA requirements state a trained, medical/first aid responder must be available for all work shifts and others specify onsite-at-all-times. It can get confusing at best.
Construction Safety First Aid Kits
You must determine how many first aid kits you need and where they are placed. Class A kits contain basic supplies for common, minor injuries. Class B first aid kits have more advanced supplies for higher-risk working environments.
- Onsite first aid/CPR training/certification personnel is required for:
- Dive teams qualifications
- Electric power generation, transmission/distribution
- Logging operations
- Permit-required confined spaces
- Power transmission/distribution
- OSHA says first aid cabinets can be locked, but also must be easily accessible in an emergency. Issue several keys to different people. Always let employees know who has keys.
- OTC (over-the-counter) medications should be in single-packet doses inside tamper-evident packaging. No medication side effects should include drowsiness.
- Some companies have been cited for expired items; periodically check the supplies. Consider one person for tracking/maintaining first aid supplies.
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