Five construction site safety tips

It’s a shocking statistic: The construction industry accounted for more than a fifth of all worker fatalities in private industry in 2015. Construction can be a dangerous industry, and anyone involved, whether as an engineering consultant or a cement finisher, must be armed with safety knowledge. Here are five construction safety tips you won’t want to miss:

Constantly be aware of your surroundings. When you are on the job site, you can never be complacent or too comfortable. If there are overhead lines, low clearances, obstructions, underground utilities or other obstructions that could prove to be a hazard, use extra care on the job to avoid an accident.

Stay balanced. Strive to have good posture and balance, especially if you handle tools If you become unbalanced, your chance of falling and hurting yourself or others increases greatly.

Protection. If you do not protect your ears and eyes, you could cause permanent damage to your body from noise on the job site. When working around scaffolding, hard hats should always be worn. Work boots are also a necessity.

Familiarize yourself. Those who spend time at construction sites should familiarize themselves with potential hazards before the job starts. Workers should never work in an area where fall protection systems have not been installed or the proper fall protection training has not been provided.

Avoid using damaged tools. Workers should examine tools before they use them to ensure they are in proper working condition.