Injuries due to falling are quite common at construction sites. One in ten workers experiences an injury every year. It’s because the safety standards are often overlooked at construction sites which often lead to fatal accidents.
It’s extremely important for the construction companies to maintain a safe working environment for their employees. Not only will it reduce accidents and falls, it can also help companies avoid the legal consequences of overlooking the safety standards.
In the US alone, around 300 workers lose their lives every year in workplace accidents. Here are some quick tips to improve working conditions and prevent falls on construction sites:
1. Improve Working Conditions
If an employee suffers an injury due to unsafe working conditions, they can sue you. In order to avoid workers’ compensation lawsuits, you should opt for fall protection systems.
You should make it mandatory for the workers to wear fall protection harness at all times. It will protect them from potential injuries if they trip and fall.
Also, you should plan the project beforehand. If you forget to define a timeline for different tasks, you may need to rush the workers when the deadline is near. This will only increase the risk of falls and injuries. By carefully planning the construction project, you can also ensure the success.
2. Fall Protection
It’s the employer’s responsibility to provide the workers with a safe working environment. However, if there’s a risk of falls and injuries, it’s best to get fall arrest anchors.
Always invest in high-quality equipment for the protection of your staff. Fall arrest and roof anchor equipment can break a fall and keep the workers safe. It’s also referred to as safety tie-back anchor, u-bar anchor, and davit anchor.
Aside from protecting workers at construction sites, this equipment is often used by window cleaners to perform their duties in a safe way.
Regular maintenance of this equipment is also essential, since it keeps the stuff in good condition for long.
You should also take preventive measures to eliminate the risk of falls. Travel restraint, safety nets, and guardrails can protect the workers from injuries.
3. Employee Training
60% construction site injuries occur during the first year of employment.
Not many companies invest in employee training, but it’s a lesser known fact that on-site accidents can be reduced through regular training. If the workers understand what they should do in case of any emergency situation, it’s possible to save precious lives.
If employees have fall protection gear, but they don’t know how to use it, the equipment won’t be of any use. You can arrange training sessions for employees to inform them about safety standards in the workplace and train them how they can wear fall protection equipment to stay safe.
Keep in mind that a clean space is a safe space. So, make sure you keep the site clean so that the workforce can carry out the tasks in a safe manner. The entire site should be cleaned at the end of each workday to keep the risk of falls at bay.