Common Construction Site Hazards and How to Avoid Them
By: Safety Ray
Construction sites have proven to be one of the most dangerous places to work. While each jobsite provides its own unique risks and challenges, some risks are seemingly apparent at every location. Educating team members on these risks increases awareness, thus allowing every person on a jobsite to identify potential hazards and in turn, eliminate them. Below, five common construction site hazards are listed with an in-depth overview on how Keeley Companies takes measures to avoid them!
1. Slip, Trip, and Fall Hazards
Slip, trip, and fall hazards are easy risks to overlook. Construction sites often prove to be ridden with rough terrain, scattered equipment, and many team members. Taking precautions to effectively avoid having messy work areas and reducing slip, trip, and fall hazards can be one of the most important safety measures that is implemented. Thousands of team members across the construction industry are injured each year from a slip, trip, or fall. This might seem like a minor hazard but reducing the risk of injury on a jobsite can have a significant impact on the safety of team members.
2. Failure to Use PPE
Failure to use personal protective equipment (PPE) on a jobsite can prove to be detrimental. All PPE is safely designed, constructed, and maintained to keep team members safe in any environment. When on a Keeley Companies jobsite, certain PPE is always required – hard hat, safety glasses, safety vest, and safety-toed shoes. Wearing PPE is the difference between being safely covered and dangerously exposed. PPE is used to protect team members from any incidents that may happen on a jobsite. It is essential that programs are put in place to address the importance of wearing it PPE by creating a culture where team members monitor each other’s safety. Keeley Companies is committed to sending every team member home safely each day. Hear from Keeley’ns across Keeley Companies to see why they stay safe!
3. Driving
Driving is something all of us do every single day. Every time we step foot in a vehicle, we are taking a risk. Keeley Companies understands the risk in driving and has taken measures to help team members stay KeeleySafe while driving. With tools such as the Safety Bubble, Four Second Rule, our Risk Management Team has provided Keeley’ns with simple driving guidelines that will keep everyone safe. Click below to hear from safety directors, Rob Miller and Tim Michel, as they discuss tips to stay safe while behind the wheel!
4. Repetitive Motion Injuries
This risk may seem minor to some, but it is a risk we all encounter in our everyday lives. Team members at construction sites may find themselves with RSI injuries such as tendonitis, carpal tunnel, and bursitis through the course of repetitive movements over time. Muscles and tendons can get inflamed which can prove to be painful. One way to mitigate this risk is through using good stretching and flexing practices on jobsites. Keeley Companies’ partner, Patte Ackermann, visits jobsites to teach our team members the importance of stretching and flexing. Watch the video below as Safety Ray discusses why stretching is vital to your safety!
5. Hazardous Materials
When speaking of hazardous materials, most people think of radioactive waste oozing out of metal bins. However, hazardous materials also include airborne dust particles that are commonly produced on construction sites. While invisible to the naked eye, these particles can damage the lungs and lead to diseases such as asthma. Keeley Companies requires all team members to wear the proper PPE in these conditions to eliminate the harm that airborne particles can cause.
Keeley Companies prides itself on an incredible safety culture with the universal belief that ZERO unsafe acts is not only possible, but also sustainable. To learn more about our world-class safety culture, KeeleySafe, click here.
