Setting up a construction site can be daunting. Everyone involved in construction work has health and safety duties. The main goal of setting up any site is to ensure that workers (and other persons) aren’t exposed to any preventable safety risks. Of course, there is the issue of reasonable practicality. All things cannot be prevented, but all measures possible should be taken to keep everyone safe and healthy. Access to sites, traffic control, appropriate working conditions, security surveillance, noise-control and much more are all important aspects of creating a safe and well-organized construction site with efficient and productive workers.
- Site Access & Security
A site should always be secure to prevent outsiders from finding their way in. This may be for the safety of the workers, or to protect valuables. It is also a safety measure for the public. An unwitting citizen may wander into the site and find themselves in danger. It is best to keep the site as closed as possible.
Of course, vehicles will need to pull in, park, and unload. They may also be needed for certain construction functions. That is why it is essential that the site boundaries are clearly marked and security is taken seriously. While you must make the site accessible to contractors, investors and “big guys”, you want to keep the public, pedestrians and curious passers-by out. Traffic from vehicles, pedestrians and the plant will be best managed with signs, physical barriers, clear vehicle paths, allocated parking areas and/or traffic controllers. Specific entrances and exits should be clearly marked.
- Facilities
All workers should be given an appropriate, clean and safe place to perform their duties. Changing rooms, meal rooms, bathrooms and wash facilities, as well as storage areas, are all essential to the success and safety of the construction crew. In addition, providing enough drinking water is absolutely essential to the welfare of your workers.
- Safety
Investing in the health and safety of the site workers and visitors is not just the right thing to do, but required by Australian law. People can be injured or killed at construction sites and, with that risk, comes the responsibility to ensure that everyone is as safe as possible. If the WHS investigates and decides that your site is unsafe, you may face fines, notices and even prosecution. Workers who are injured can also file lawsuits. The importance of keeping your site safe cannot be emphasized enough.
In order to keep your site safe, you should follow a simple 3 step process:
- Identify Hazards
- Develop a plan for Managing Risk on site
- Carry-out a WHS site management plan
- Environmental
Your responsibilities, however, do not end with minimizing risk to workers. You will also need to minimize damage or pollution to the surrounding environment. Unsafe and unethical construction practices can cause harm to waterways and wetlands, kill animals, upset ecological systems, and result in contamination of land and groundwater.
Dust-Control is very important, High levels of dust can be produced by construction, which reduces air quality, poses health risks and is not healthy for the environment. Physical barriers are the easiest option for reducing dust. Allshelter Free-Standing Shelters are an excellent way to do this, and relatively inexpensive.
Noise Control can also be a big problem for your site. If you work in an area where there are people (most places), they will not enjoy noise pollution. It can also be hard on animals in the area. A very simple to solution is to use an Allshelter Container Shelter around noisy work to create an unobtrusive work environment.
Contaminated waste is a serious threat to humans, animals and the environment as a whole. When proper steps are not taken, a great deal of harm can be done to surrounding earth and water. These types of risks are much higher in areas with water such as rivers or lakes. Use shelter for temporary storage of water and protect from any water run-off.
Construction work is complex and, general, a number of business owners (and employees) will be working at one site at any one time. There is a great deal to keep track of manage. That is why having a plan, training your staff & contractors about it and sticking to it, are so vital for construction site success.
Allshelter can help with protecting your site, employees and the environment. Contact us today to find out how Allshelter can help.
