Safety at a construction site means making sure that everyone is protected from accidents and injuries. This includes following rules and guidelines, using the right equipment, and being aware of potential hazards. It’s important to always be careful and take precautions to avoid any harm.
The construction industry in Nepal is growing a lot. Many people don’t realize that there are more and more accidents and illnesses happening in the construction industry. Construction sites have a lot of accidents every day.
Safety is a rule that must be followed. All construction workers must make sure their workers are safe by law and by being responsible. Keeping people safe at construction sites involves more than just giving them protective gear. As a builder, you need to know about the different dangers to your health and safety at the construction site. To find out what could be dangerous for your health and safety, you need to do a Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) process. Here are some important things you need to do to make sure your construction site is safe.
First, you need to control who can enter the construction site. Leaving the construction site open can lead to people coming in who shouldn’t be there and taking things that don’t belong to them, like tools and equipment. Access control makes things more secure and helps keep track of how many workers are at the site. It’s important to keep track of the employees in case there’s an accident. Access control helps to stop workers and construction equipment from bumping into each other on the site. Depending on how the construction is being done, you can control who can get in by putting a strong fence around the construction site using materials like iron sheets. Sometimes, you can just use barricade tapes. In any situation, the important thing is to manage the traffic at the construction site by controlling who can come in.
Secondly, make sure all workers, even those who are not permanent, have the right protective gear. Every worker should be safe at work, no matter how much they get paid, what job they have, or how long they’ve been working. You need to wear the right safety gear, even for a short job. It is important to always have safety protection, no matter how quickly a task needs to be done. Keep the workers safe. Make sure that the protective equipment is right for the job and enough to keep you safe.
Most contractors only give workers work suits, safety boots, and helmets. Workers at the construction site need more protection like ear protection and masks to avoid breathing in dust, especially cement powder, which can harm their health. Additionally, many construction workers do not follow the rule of wearing protective gear. Contractors need to give the right gear and make sure it’s worn the right way.
PPE helps to keep workers safe and also has other advantages. PPE helps employees feel more confident and happy. Employees feel good and appreciated when they are provided with protective gear. Even regular people trust workers more when they wear protective gear compared to those who don’t. Actually, a person wearing protective gear can easily get a loan because the gear is enough security for the loan. Self-employed workers who wear PPE, like bricklayers, are more respected than those who do not wear PPE.
Third, make sure workers have things like bathrooms, places to eat, first-aid kits, water to drink, and maybe even food. Roads are being built in the wilderness, far from places where sick or injured people can get medical help. So, it is important to have First Aid supplies at a construction site to help with any injuries or illnesses that might happen. Accidents can happen at any time. Get readyAccidents can cause injuries without warning. At construction sites, workers might unintentionally step on a nail or piece of metal. They might also get bitten by snakes or insects. Employees may have various injuries that need immediate help to save their lives. Make sure your building site has first aid kits and that the workers know how to use them.
Fourth, make sure to hire a safety officer or choose a safety representative. As a contractor, you often hire temporary workers from the nearby area because your job involves working on different projects. These people don’t know much about staying safe. If there is no safety specialist at the site, accidents will probably happen. It’s really important to have someone in charge of safety at the workplace. They make sure everyone follows safety rules, they talk to workers about staying safe, and they check for any risks or hazards.
Finally, don’t forget to give fire safety equipment. A lot of things that can catch on fire, like diesel, petrol, and gas, are kept and used at places where construction is happening, like roads. Make sure you have fire extinguishers to keep everyone safe from fires. Set up a plan to deal with emergencies like a fire or a chemical spill.
We like the big buildings being built in the country. But building infrastructure shouldn’t harm people’s lives. Make sure that workers are safe and don’t get hurt or die. Safety at construction sites is not good in our country. Many contractors don’t follow our safety laws and put workers in dangerous situations. Try being a unique contractor. Take care and make sure everyone is safe at the construction site. Keeping people safe involves more than just giving them protective gear. Build things, but be safe.
Sandesh Ghimire 