When you work a semi-dangerous to a dangerous job like construction, your boss and other leaders are always talking to you about safety. Besides what they have for rules and guidelines to keep you protected, the government agency OSHA also has rules and regulations. For example, to maintain a healthy
Running a business from your own premises can be costly, not only in terms of regular outgoing bills but also to pay external contractors to come in and conduct work, whether that is to redecorate the office or to get on the roof and clear the gutters. Whatever work is
Technical and non-technical workplace safety and performance consultancy, People Factor Consultants (PFC) is celebrating a record six months after recording major rises in the number of people taking its electrical safety and human factors courses. The consultancy firm offers a number of highly interactive electrical safety courses accredited by City
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
When you work a semi-dangerous to a dangerous job like construction, your boss and other leaders are always talking to you about safety. Besides what they have for rules and guidelines to keep you protected, the government agency OSHA also has rules and regulations. For example, to maintain a healthy and safe work environment, OSHA requires employees in various industries to participate in workplace safety training. According to the people at 360training.com, these strict rules and regulations by OSHA “…have helped workers in every state have strong protections against a wide variety of specified and general hazards in the workplace…” Without a doubt, you want to go home at the end of every day the same way you got there. Make sure that it happens with these five essential pieces of gear. Work Boots You are going to be on your feet for the majority of the day, so you want to be sure to have the best work boots that money can buy. Some of the essential factors that you should be looking for include the composition of the boot. Depending on your particular area of construction work, you may need something that is steel-toe. At any given time, something could fall on your foot. You don’t want it getting crushed because of an inadequate boot. You also want to make sure that your boots are comfortable. It isn’t easy lacing up your shoes to go to work every single day as it is. By having footwear that doesn’t cause you any pain or discomfort, it’s going to be a little bit easier to head out in the morning. Hard Hats As mentioned before, at any time something on the job site can come tumbling down. Worse than landing on your foot would be that piece of debris hitting you in the head. Even a small item falling from a far enough distance up is going to do some damage to an uncovered head. That’s why you want to have a hard hat with a reinforced top. The good ones also have rain gutter sides and are comfortable. Don’t just grab the first one you see. Try them all on and find one that fits you properly. Hearing Protection You might not think about your construction site being loud when you first get there, but it will get that way. When people start firing up power tools and hammering away on things, you’re going to want to have your hearing protected. You can wear earmuffs if you prefer, but they can be kind of bulky and challenging to put on with your helmet. Earplugs work well because they’re small and discreet. On top of that, they’re cheap, and you can buy them in bulk. Hand Protection The most significant tool in any kind of construction work is your hands. You’re going to be beating them up on a daily basis. Get yourself a good pair of gloves that can protect them, but not ones that are so bulky that you can’t do your job correctly. A good set is going to cost you a bit. You’ll find It’s worth the investment. Eye Protection Prevent dust and other debris from getting in your eyes with good goggles or a face shield. You’re going to prevent a ton of injuries this way. You can also keep liquids from splashing into your eyes. They may not be a requirement to wear all the time, but when working on something that is going to kick up materials, you’re going to want to put them on.
Running a business from your own premises can be costly, not only in terms of regular outgoing bills but also to pay external contractors to come in and conduct work, whether that is to redecorate the office or to get on the roof and clear the gutters. Whatever work is needed to be completed by contractors you need to make sure your business premises is safe enough to conduct work in, and implementing the following into your workplace is essential. Site Induction for All New Visitors It doesn’t matter how big your premises is you should always do a site induction for any new contractors that have to work on the site, and that will mean explaining to them where the nearest fire exits are, and of course letting them know where the fire assembly point is if there is a fire. There are many other safety explanations to make sure contractors are aware of. Doing a site induction may take time out of your day, but it’s something that needs to be done to ensure the safety of all visitors. Built-in Ladders around the Warehouse A lot of business premises are built around warehouse environments so you need to make sure there are numerous built-in ladders to ensure contractors can get to their place of work safely. Sometimes you may need to get roof access ladders if contractors need to conduct work on the roof, and other times you may need to look at built-in ladder options if there are roofs within the warehouse environment itself. Make Sure Working Areas Are Clean & Tidy Not only will you want to make sure your working environment is clean and tidy for your employees to work more efficiently and safe in, but when you have visitors you will also want to protect them as much as possible. In a warehouse environment, you will find that there is always banding around that can be tripped over, and plenty of other materials that can cause slips and potential injuries. Always make sure your employees keep the working environment clean and tidy as that will protect you if any other contractors come in to conduct work. Abide By Health & Safety Regulations Health & safety regulators are sometimes known to be over the top when it comes to making warehouse environments safe to work in, but following the rules is important for the safety of all employees and external contractors. If you do not follow the rules not only will you be subject to fines, but your employees could succumb to injury. Implementing the above into any warehouse environment is important for your employees and visitors. If you do not implement the above you may find workers get injured and that could be a costly expense to your business, and in some cases, it could mean you lose your business altogether. It might be a costly investment in terms of money and time to make your working environment safe, but it’s a mandatory practice and all business owners should be doing it to protect themselves and everyone working in the area.
Technical and non-technical workplace safety and performance consultancy, People Factor Consultants (PFC) is celebrating a record six months after recording major rises in the number of people taking its electrical safety and human factors courses. The consultancy firm offers a number of highly interactive electrical safety courses accredited by City & Guilds as well as its range of non-technical, human factors training. Earlier in the year, the firm launched its newest course, HV Systems Operations. This course combines eight days worth of training into one five day course and provides operators with what it describes as a ‘flexible, cost effective option’ for electrical safety training. Brian Crichton, Technical Director at PFC, commented on the company’s success: “Our portfolio of courses is extremely flexible and we have ensured that all courses are developed to meet the current needs of the industry for cost-effective training solutions. Even during the toughest times, operators have still acknowledged that we need to avoid complacency with workplace safety and that investment at this time will pay off in terms of safety and performance. “Between this year and last we’ve doubled the number of Responsible Electrical Person courses delivered, and numbers for our Electrical Safety and Situation Awareness have increased fivefold over the same period last year. Our HV Switching course, which is now incorporated into our HV Systems Operations course, has proved extremely popular with delegates. We’ve had a significant amount of excellent feedback, with one delegate sharing that he has never undertaken such effective training during his 30 years in the industry. “The success of our training courses is testament to our experienced team of specialist trainers and is a reflection of our flexibility in developing the most effective courses which offer delegates a comprehensive understanding of electrical safety.” PFC offers a portfolio of 15 technical and non-technical training courses. Many of these are accredited by City & Guild, as well as providing tailored training and consultancy services to high hazard industries across the world.
