Health and Safety On Construction Sites

Between 2021 and 2022, 30 deaths occurred on construction sites here in the UK, making it the most dangerous industry to work in. This might be alarming, but as long as you learn from it and put measures in place to make your construction site safer, you can help fight the statistics. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some important construction site health and safety tips.

Wear relevant PPE at all times

Before you arrive on site, you should be provided with all of the necessary PPE to keep yourself safe. You never know when an accident might happen, so it’s vital that you wear your PPE at all times while you’re working to ensure you don’t put yourself or anyone else in danger. A hi-vis, boots and a hard hat are standard across all sites, but if there are any other, more specific pieces of PPE provided, make sure you wear them.

Your induction is important, don’t start without one

A site induction is your opportunity to learn as much as possible about the role you’ll be performing, the tools you will be using, and the environment you will be working in. Make sure you don’t start any work without a proper induction, and if you received an induction but found some things unclear, don’t be afraid to speak up and ask. Holding your tongue to save face is an extremely risky move when working in such a hazardous environment.

Keep your site tidy

Construction work is extremely complicated, with lots of people, materials and deadlines to manage. This can make for a very frantic and, at times, messy environment, so it’s important to stay on top of the cleaning to ensure that no additional hazards are created. Try to get a cleaning programme squared away before the project begins. This way, everyone knows what their role is and no finger pointing can start!

Make sure you report near misses

Near miss reports are just as important as accident reports, so if you were nearly involved in an accident on site but managed to avoid it, make sure that you report it as soon as possible. If you fail to report a near miss, someone else may find themselves in the same scenario further down the line, but they might not be so lucky.

Familiarise yourself with safety signs

Safety signs are positioned on site to ensure that everyone is aware of any immediate hazards, or reminded of actions they need to take. Some signs are clearer than others, so if there are any that you’re not familiar with, make sure that you ask.

Be wary of hazardous materials

Materials like lead and asbestos can still be found on some construction sites, so it’s absolutely essential that you are aware of them and take the necessary steps to protect yourself from them. If you are working with these materials, you will certainly be issued with the proper grade of mask, so make sure that you wear it at all times.

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