When it comes to road construction, the safety of workers is of utmost importance because several hazards accompany construction. In research, it was found that almost 20,000 workers get injured every year during the construction of roads and highways. This makes it even more important to develop and follow the safety program at the road construction site.
Below are the construction tips that you should follow to ensure the safety of workers.
Identify potential hazards – You need to have a keen eye to observe the potential risks at the construction site so that you can tackle them with caution. Check the blind spots at the site and follow all the necessary precautions so that construction equipment can be moved safely on the site.
Make a transportation management plan –It is crucial to devise a transportation management plan for a road construction project. The plan should include traffic control plan to control traffic around the site to protect workers. Also, don’t forget to have a plan for the inside of the work zone so that workers can move heavy equipment and construction vehicles easily and safely.
Make it mandatory to wear safety equipment when at the construction site – As workers on the site can face injuries during construction, make sure that your workers wear personal protective equipment every day to stay safe. It is the best strategy to avoid injuries in the working zone. There are specially designed PPE kits available that include hard hats, highly visible clothing, and steel-toed boots.
Understand and use communication signals – You and your team members should understand the communication signals and must use them when required. Signals can prove to be helpful when your workers have to communicate with each other but are present at a distance from each other. Moreover, workers should communicate with each other efficiently when loading and unloading construction material.
Before starting work, have a team safety meeting every day – Make it a routine of having a discussion with your team about what measures to follow to ensure safety at the site. Educate your workers on how they can keep themselves safe at the site. Plus, regular meetings are necessary as the conditions on the working site can change as the work progress.
Ask workers to stay hydrated always – This is the most important tip that all the workers should follow at the road construction site. Working in high temperatures under the sun can lead to dehydration and for this reason staying hydrated is of utmost importance.
Have a site-specific safety program – As road and highway construction jobs vary from location to location, site-specific safety programs are important. The program should include a plan for first aid and emergency medical care.
Hire traffic control and management services – Hiring traffic control and management services is the best decision you can take to ensure the safety of your workers at the site. Professionals can provide you with customised solutions so that the traffic is managed efficiently at the location. They have experience and understand what needs to be done to manage the traffic effectively.
