We have created a complete guide on safety on the construction site to explore and educate you on what you should know about protection before you come on site.
We all need to go home safe and sound by the end of each workday.
In our culture, everyone is encouraged to take care of their safety and be responsible for empowering others about how they behave onsite.
This could be from wearing protective equipment according to industry standards (and, if not yet certified, learning what it takes) or following simple instructions such as "don't touch!"
This comprehensive information guide has been created to help you understand basic protocols while working at construction sites.
There's also advice available regarding exactly where things shouldn't happen when doing jobs within these environments.
General Safety Tips
Working in construction can be dangerous, and there are several things that you should be aware of to help keep yourself safe.
Wearing the appropriate protective equipment is essential, and you should also be aware of potential hazards around the site. Following simple instructions such as 'don't touch!' can also help to keep you safe.
If you are unsure about anything, please ask a member of the safety team or your supervisor for guidance. We all want to go home safe and sound at the end of each workday, and we can make this happen by working together.
We hope you take this advice and ensure your workers follow our guidelines for safe working conditions both now and in future projects!
As contractors who work with Spades Construction, we ask if YOU can also help us out by implementing these same standards into any upcoming job sites or new ventures.
They may be employed because good contractor relationships lead directly toward customer satisfaction which translates onto better project outcomes - what could go wrong?
In short, we ask that you uphold our workers' safety by ensuring they have the proper equipment, follow safety procedures, and work in conditions that meet or exceed industry standards.
We know that you share our commitment to safety, and we thank you in advance for your help in ensuring that all workers go home to their families at the end of each day.
Safety is not learned by accident; it is all about culture and habit.
Hard work is the key to success, but it can also be dangerous.
As a labour-hire worker, you'll need safety precautions in place so that your well-being and those around you are cared for at all times - even when working alone!
A hardworking individual must always ensure safety by following industry standards for proper attire or equipment use.
This includes wearing protective gear such as gloves which help keep hands free from injuries caused by friction between objects placed against one another (like wood panels).
There may come moments where no matter how much attention we pay, everything happens suddenly: an uncontrolled action, a missing step.
This is why it's always important to take a break, assess the situation, and, if possible, ask for help from a colleague.
Spades' workers should follow three rules when facing a hazard:
⚠️Slow Down: be calm and relaxed even during your busy routine at the workplace.
⚠️ Step Back: taking risks should be avoided.
⚠️ Sizing up the Stakes: risk should be sized to check whether it would hurt others workers.
Our non-negotiables principles
Construction site accidents can happen anytime, and there's no telling what type of accident may occur. For this reason, all safety measures must be met or exceeded before workers begin working onsite.
The non-negotiable list includes things like ensuring proper ventilation around equipment so as not to cause workers respiratory problems from inhaling toxic fumes, using protective footwear, wearing goggles & dust masks when necessary (and available), etc.
There are many hazards and risks on any construction site that you might face daily, such as:
Operational hazards
1 - Heat stress.
The company has developed a detailed policy to manage heat stress for all workers to stay safe. The consequences can vary from mild and moderate, such as tiredness or difficulty breathing.
However, it could also lead to more severe cases like fainting, which require immediate medical attention.
Different elements that are considered under the heat stress category by the company are:
✅heat stress treatment.
✅preventing heat stress.
✅symptoms of heat stress damage.
✅working in the heat.
2 - Hand and power tools handling.
The manual handling of materials is a risky business.
While we're sure you've seen it repeatedly happen on your job site, there are protocols in place to help protect workers from hazardous situations like electrical shocks or falls caused by material that may be dangerous for their health.
Safety equipment has been designed specifically with these risks considered! If followed correctly, however- even without protective gear-manual handlers can still prevent many injuries by following some basic principles such as keeping busy hands free from dirt/grime, etc.
Use good foot traction when stepping onto surfaces not too high off ground level, so they don't slip, and be constantly aware of their surroundings.
The points that should be kept in mind while using hands and power tools are:
⚠️ Adequate PPE following the task.
⚠️ Always have guards in place.
⚠️ Calibration of power tools must be up to date.
⚠️ Good overall conditions and ergonomics.
⚠️ Always follow manufacturers' instructions.
⚠️ Only use tools that you consider yourself competent in using.
⚠️ Pay serious attention to your surroundings.
⚠️ Ask questions and instructions if not clear.
3 - Maintaining physical fitness.
The company has developed fitness policies and protocols for employees because physical and mental well-being is crucial to increasing work efficiency.
Strict implementation of these criteria by the business will help them maintain their health and improve it, which ultimately leads to greater productivity daily or even hourly if you're working with someone who isn't fit enough already!
The list goes like this:
Fatigue (inability to get up often during long hours).
Illness. Laziness/frustration caused by lack of motivation due to many misses at home etc.
Key points regarding fitness protocol include:
⚠️ Alcohol consumption.
⚠️ Fatigue and stress.
⚠️ Consumption of alcohol or drugs or their purchase and sale.
⚠️ Medications.
⚠️ Testing for Consumption of alcohol and drugs.
⚠️ Loss of license.
⚠️ Fitness to work.
⚠️ Confidentiality of results.
⚠️ Authorized events.
⚠️ Regulation and adherence to set policies.
Health hazards
To ensure the safety of their employees, Spades labour hire has implemented some policies that are meant not only for physical health but also for mental well-being.
With construction projects being so diverse in scope, there's no one size fits all solution when it comes down to managing these risk factors within an organization.
Each company needs its tailored plan accordingly depending on what type of work they do or how many people will be involved at any given time during job site conditions.
1 - Dust
The company has set some requirements that must be fulfilled to ensure safety while working in dusty areas.
Different dust particles at the site include; cutting wood, burning smoke from fires, and construction material which can cause harm if not avoided by taking proper precautions.
To prevent possible health issues due-to inhalation of acceptable debris during prescribed activities such as carpentry tasks or landscaping projects, it is advised to practice good ventilation and mask usage when necessary.
2 - Sun Exposure
There are many reasons for the high rates of skin cancer in Australia, and one major cause is UV radiation from sunlight. These rays can be considered carcinogenic if exposure continues long enough.
They're included on lists with potential health hazards at workstations! Workers who spend most of their time outdoors will likely face ten times more damage than those assigned indoor jobs.
This includes everyone working outside, like traffic controllers or construction workers. There's a greater risk that you'll get burnt by sunburns too soon and then heal before it becomes dangerous (and perhaps even lead to later development of other types).
3- Chemicals and solvents
The Spades labour-hire company has developed a protocol to prevent severe health damage from occurring in the event of an accident. This guide provides instructions for every type of hazardous material that might arise during manufacturing or other processes so everyone can stay safe!
These substances include:
✅ Solvents and glues.
✅ Fuels.
✅ Chemicals.
The steps to take when handling hazardous materials are very important and should not be overlooked.
It is crucial for personnel, themselves, and anyone else in contact with the substance or depending on them, like first responders, who will do everything they can so that you're safe throughout this process - even if it means protective gear!
Following are the requirements that are listed below:
✅ Risk controls.
✅ Disposal.
✅ Risk assessments.
✅ Emergence management.
✅ Identifications of hazardous materials.
Safety basics include
1- Professional protective equipment.
The right PPE is vital in keeping yourself safe on the job. The type of protection required will depend largely upon what you're doing and where any potential hazards may be found, but it's always best practice for workers in these fields to wear their prescribed masks when they work so as not puts themselves or others at risk!
✳️Mandatory at all times:
✅Hardhat/helmet.
✅Steel cap boots/shoes.
✅Hivis clothing (reflective for night shift).
✅Safety glasses.
✳️Not mandatory, but necessary depending on the task:
✅Pants/long-sleeve shirts.
✅Respiratoy protection.
✅Ear protection.
2- Fire safety.
Being familiar with the emergency evacuation procedure for any job site is crucial. For example, suppose a fire closes one exit from a building. In that case, there must still be at least one other means available to get everyone out safely and quickly in case it isn't covered during Training or instruction on how best to handle these situations."
We train workers on fire safety procedures such as:
⚠️ Fire fighting
⚠️ Fire evacuation
⚠️ Discovering a fire
⚠️ Evacuating the job site
3- First aid.
The first-aid trained professionals on site will immediately be notified of any injuries or illnesses.
All job sites should have a first aider who can assist you in case an emergency arises during your workdays, such as fires and natural disasters, among other things that could happen at any time!
In addition, they'll also help with evacuating if necessary, so don't hesitate to get them notified immediately because sometimes time matters more than ever before when it comes down to this type of Hazard.
4- Management of health & safety system.
There should be systems in place that includes components of the security system:
⚠️ Hazard & corrective action
⚠️ Inductions
⚠️ SWMS
⚠️ Training
⚠️ Safety plans & compliance
⚠️ Insurance
⚠️ Mental health and well-being
⚠️ Alerts
⚠️ Human resources
⚠️ Incident
⚠️ Chemical
⚠️ Reporting
⚠️ Contractor
⚠️ Site Attendance
Machine operations
It would be best never to use equipment until the operating person gets proper Training and a certificate. The machine only works when authorized personnel with certification use techniques that require this access, so ensure you're certified first!
Before using any equipment that needs Calibration or another formality testing, be sure it is correctly calibrated according to the tags and functioning emergency stop switches.
One should also make particular the machine will not cause injury before operating them.
For example, by checking to wire for leaks and reporting these findings immediately if they exist so as not to risk harming someone else nearby with contaminants in their bloodstream due to insulation damage from electrical shock.
The following three rules can help every day onsite conserve lives and prevent injuries:
Always work safely - you should refuse to do anything beneath unsafe conditions; use PPE following your task (if any); don't execute tasks/jobs that haven't been trained or equipped by yourself because they could result in accidents.
Stand up for safety - if you see any potential risks or hazards, report them to your supervisor immediately. Everyone is responsible for making the work environment as safe as possible!
Support safety initiatives - this means being an advocate for change and raising awareness about unsafe practices. Help develop policies and procedures that will keep everyone safe!
Final thoughts
Thank you for going through our safety guide. We hope that these critical points have clarified how important safe practice is!
Please download our PDF file for more information and comprehensive details on the safety tips and procedures as we dive deeper to explain and educate our workers and clients on the best safety practices.
At Spades labour hire, the most important thing we care about is the safety of our partners.
