Safety is one of the most important elements of construction.
Making sure that your construction site is safe at all times is the best way to keep things rolling forward. After all, an accident can stop everything for weeks. We’re sure you’re familiar with the federal organization dedicated to regulating workplaces of all kinds, including construction sites. It’s called the Occupational Safety and Health Organization (OSHA), and if they give you a citation, you’ll have a limited amount of time to fix whatever is wrong. There will be a penalty to pay, and chances are good that your reputation will suffer. You can’t get into the construction business without some level of awareness of how important safety is to your success!
You need to keep your record clean so that your company will have true longevity. At SITECH Rocky Mountain, we consider ourselves close allies of construction companies in Colorado, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas. That is why we work so hard to provide complete solutions to worksite organization, coordination, and safety. We also want to equip contractors with the knowledge that empowers them to take their operations to the next level. In today’s blog, we’re going to dive into some of the most common violations found on construction sites.
Could You Be Cited for These OSHA Violations?
We want you to be able to keep your business at its best, which means avoiding citations by aligning with OSHA’s requirements for the construction industry. Read through the following list of violations and see if you may be dealing with one or more of them.
Incorrect Scaffolding Processes
Work doesn’t get done if you can’t get your team up high, and scaffolding has long been the solution. Over 60 percent of workers do their work on or around scaffolds, which makes them vulnerable to a host of risks. These include falling objects, electrocution, and falling off the scaffolding itself. Correct scaffolding includes solutions to these risks, including safety nets, guardrails, and personal fall arrest systems. These safety measures must be put in place once a scaffold gets over six feet high.
Lack of Correct Personal Safety Equipment
Many hazards are present during construction, including vapors, particles, and dangerous liquids. All workers should have proper eye and face protection for whatever task they are doing. The equipment they use should be inspected regularly for compromising damages. Emphasize the importance of wearing provided safety gear and make sure your teams have the best equipment.
Using Ladders Incorrectly
It may not surprise you to learn that improperly-used ladders are the leading cause of dangerous or fatal falls. It is all too easy to use the wrong ladder, carry too much while climbing, or fail to secure the ladder correctly. All ladders should be inspected and your team should know how to use them. Training is essential! Lastly, if your team will be using electrical equipment while on a ladder, you are required to include a nonconductive side railing.
Construction safety is about more than making sure your team members don’t get hurt.
Protecting the specialists who work hard on your construction sites is important for several reasons. Just the most basic construction site activities can have extensive repercussions for your business as a whole. The way a single piece of scaffolding is set up not only defines the wellbeing of those who stand on it, but the quality of their work, the reputation of your company, and your standing with the government. It may be a bit melodramatic to put it this way, but enough crumbling or broken-down construction processes can bring your business to its knees. The fact of the matter is, no one is perfect, and all construction sites have little issues. However, if you strive for the highest safety levels, promote the importance of care to your teams, and empower workers to follow important protocols, you can keep your business on track.
At SITECH, we understand how chaotic building sites can be. That is why we provide construction management software that can be customized to fit many different types of sites. We want to help you keep your ducks in a row!
Could These OSHA Violations Damage Your Construction Business?
You are in the business of building, but violations can break your business down. Do any of the following issues sound familiar?
Handling toxic/dangerous substances incorrectly.
The term “toxic/dangerous substances” is pretty general, and it includes a wide range of materials like wood dust, silica, asbestos, lead, and treated wood. Your site may also utilize materials that contain zinc, mercury, cadmium, and beryllium, which are all dangerously toxic chemicals. OSHA requires employers to communicate effectively about these toxic materials, which means you need to have an inventory of every dangerous material on your site. All hazards should be labeled with warnings. Lastly, your team should be trained on the hazards, including how to handle them and why they are dangerous. Communication, labels, and training will keep you on-track!
Insufficient fall protection.
This likely won’t come as a surprise to anyone, but falls are one of the most common dangers on any construction site. It follows that improper fall protection is one of the most commonly cited OSHA violations! We’re talking about missing or improperly implemented safety nets, personal fall arrest systems, and guardrails. These measures are required on any surface where people will stand or walk that is over six feet high with unprotected sides. Your team should have easy access to safety measures and know when to use them. They should also be protected from objects that might fall onto them, which means hard hats.
Improper provisions for health and safety.
Under OSHA, you are required to protect your team from unsafe, hazardous and dangerous work conditions. This can be a rather nebulous concept because it covers pretty much everything we’ve discussed and more. This means that you need to focus on training, safety programs, and inspections.
Stay Safe with SITECH Rocky Mountain
Most OSHA regulations aren’t deliberately violated. Instead, rushing teams of workers fail to set up scaffolds correctly or put on the proper safety gear. Time is always of the essence in construction, but safety is more important. Turn to our equipment and construction technology for OSHA support today!