This article will cover just some of the things you need to do before the inspector comes calling to your site.
Personal Protective Equipment
There are a couple of things you need to go through in this category in order to be ready for an inspection:
- Are safety glasses and/or goggles available and being used? - Are face shields available for big liquid tasks? - Is there protection for hands, feet and hearing available? - Does everyone use hard hats on the site?
Electrical Safety
Sometimes people forget that electricity plays a big role on a construction site. Here are a couple of things to put on your checklist:
- Are all electrical panels labeled correctly? - Is the strain relief integrity for cords and plugs intact? - Have all electrical cords been inspected with the prongs intact? - Are all electrical tools double insulated and grounded?
Excavations
There’s no doubt that excavations can be found everywhere on a construction site. You can find a couple of questions to pose yourself below:
- Is there sufficient protection from potential cave ins? - Are all excavations inspected on a daily basis?
Ladder and Stair Safety
Construction sites can require personnel to reach great heights. For this reason, there are no shortage of ladders and stairs to assist on work sites. Below is a checklist of things to deal with before inspectors come around:
- Do you have safe ladders which are inspected daily? - Do you have stairs and ladders provided for access points which are high above the ground? - Are stair rails provided on stairs which reach great heights?
Material Handling
This category refers how to site personnel move material on the site. Below are some things you must check before an inspection occurs:
- Are all personnel trained on using the equipment available? - Is wire rope without deterioration used for lifting? - Do hooks used for lifting have a safety latch in place?
Emergency and First Aid
You certainly do not want to leave out this important part on a construction site. Make sure you deal with the following questions:
- Are emergency numbers posted and known by everyone? - Is there a first aid kit available on the work site? - Are all fire extinguishers available and have they all been inspected? - Are all exits marked and not blocked?
If you are able to answer the questions posed throughout this article, you should be in a good position for a successful construction safety inspection.
Ensafe Planning Solutions has created a downloadable construction safety program for construction contractors who do not possess the knowledge, money or time to come up with their own. The plan complies with current US OSHA legislation and can be quickly and easily customized to any site in the United States. http://www.myconstructionsafetyplan.com/
Tags: legal