Pro Netting Solutions

This article discusses: how do construction workers not fall? Pro Netting Solutions provide fall arrest nets supply and installation throughout Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Kent and London. Find out more about slips, trips and falls prevention and tips to avoid slipping on a construction site.

Top Ways Construction Workers Avoid Slips, Trips, and Falls

In the construction industry, slips, trips and falls are common instances and may cause severe head, back and neck injuries, broken bones, bones and muscle sprains and, in the worst cases, even death. 

Numerous industry fatalities in the past resulted from a fall from heights and ladders, slips or trips. In this case, we must take as many preventative measures as possible to reduce the risks at hand. 

What Are Slips, Trips, and Falls?

When working on a construction site, above all, the most significant element is the safety of your staff and potential visitors. The construction industry is a highly dangerous one, situated in environments full of safety risks and day-to-day operations that can cause accidents if managed improperly. 

Numerous dangers could lead to slips, trips, and construction falls due to various obstructions and happenstances, such as harsh weather conditions, untidy walkways, poor safety practices, inadequate slip signage, and many more. It can be challenging to prevent slips, trips, and falls on your major project or job site; however, you must aim to do the most you can to improve your commercial and residential construction company's culture of safety. 

WHAT ARE THE TOP HAZARDS ON A CONSTRUCTION SITE?

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) have categorised slips, trips and falls separately in how they relate to and cause work-related sustained injuries. The following describes different incidents that are reflective of each category:

Tips to Avoid Slipping on a Construction Site

Footwear

Proper footwear for any job is vital; however, it is all the more so on a construction project. It is one of the most effective ways to avoid trips, slips and falls when working at height or on rough or slippery terrain. Slip-resistant boots are essential for ensuring the majority of workers have the best traction on whatever surface they encounter. 

We also encourage using non-slip sole inserts to add an extra layer of protection and grip, allowing for more durability for preventing falls in different areas, whether platforms, scaffoldings, gravel, mud, etc. Steel-toe boots are also essential for those working with heavy equipment and machinery systems or completing lifting tasks. They protect your feet from crushing injuries and circumstances leading to breaks and bruising. 

Wet Conditions

Construction job sites, indoors and outdoors, are dangerous, busy environments; however, even more so during bad weather such as ice, snow, heavy rainfall and various other harsh conditions. 

You want to ensure that you have plenty of grit salt available for use, especially in the colder months when there are hailstorms and snow warnings, and be sure to clear walkways and stairs of ice, rainwater and snow periodically. 

Surfaces must be kept free from precipitation and mud that can make them slippery. Another thing that may help for unused areas is the Wet Floor Policy, enabling you to rope off specific locations until they can be cleaned and cleared. 

Walking Areas

An aspect of construction work that you must ensure is that your workspaces and floors are free of loose materials, unused equipment, debris, and gravel. Ensure they aren't scattered with anything that could trip up your workers if they were to travel around the site briskly or weren't focused on what was in front of them. Nails, glass and other forms of debris with sharp objects are a significant hazard, and you and your staff team must allocate cleaning time to rid the messiness from common walkway areas. 

Lighting

Poorly lit or dim areas can be some of the most challenging and unsafe to work in. A lack of light makes it incredibly difficult to see objects, machinery and other obstructions, like stairs and missing these while walking from one location to another could result in detrimental falls or trips.

Invest in precautions, such as bright lighting, torches and helmets with headlamps that can successfully illuminate the dangers your crew may encounter throughout their day or night. 

Signs

Safety signage is paramount on any dangerous site, especially in areas that may cause slips, trips and falls. Suppose your construction team is broad, with numerous workers working on a project for several days. 

In that case, you need to clearly mark the locations or territories with slippery surfaces, wet or uneven ground, stairs without guardrails, unprotected edges, sheer drops, etc. 

Keep signs in the centre big and clear, and locate some of them at the entrances of your site; this is helpful for visitors and new employees entering the establishment, warehouse, factory or site for the first time and immediately alerts them of the necessary dangers. 

Cords

Many trips, slips and falls occur due to the existence of cables, power cords and other similar equipment materials being in the way whilst a worker performs one of their daily tasks. 

If you cannot physically put the cables away, the best way to deal with this situation is by marking them out with caution tape or guards so that your staff team knows to avoid these areas. It ensures they don't risk tripping themselves up or pulling out critical equipment from sockets. 

Slippery Surfaces

Another way to ensure safety on-site, you can utilise floor tape and anti-skid coatings, which will make your surfaces more slip-resistant and provide a layer of friction that will ground your workers. 

Dry-release chemicals along stairs and floors are also another effective way to achieve this. Should you notice any area becoming a slip hazard due to spilt fluids, etc., it's best to take immediate steps, such as placing slip signs around the affected areas so that your clients and working staff know to be extra careful. 

Safety Training

As employers, one of the most crucial aspects of slip, trip and fall prevention is ensuring that all workers have in-depth safety training courses. Training must outline all the protective procedures you have implemented according to your risk assessments. 

Companies will also need to brief their visitors on the PPE to wear and the steps they must take to keep themselves safe while observing, inspecting or working on the site. 

The training must involve spotting minor and dangerous hazards and the best measures to put into action when working on scaffoldings, platforms, or slippery and hazardous areas.

Adhering to safety protocols throughout your building, maintenance or renovation project will ensure a lack of accidents, potential injuries and deaths. 

When it comes to providing safety equipment, tools and materials for your professional work, you want to avoid choosing the cheapest options, especially for preventative measures. 

Investing more into preventative methods and fall protection equipment will enable you to save money and time. High-quality tools are bound to offer a much longer lifespan, and you won't have to pay costly compensation to account for the damage. 

It will also improve the safety culture for your working team; they'll be more productive and feel more comfortable working around a construction site without fear of injuring themselves.