50 Construction Site Safety Tips

Construction sites are high-risk places to work, and it's shown in the data. According to HSE statistics, you are four times more likely to get killed at work and over 50% more likely to get injured at work if you work in the construction industry.

The fatal injury rate (1.74 per 100,000 workers) is almost four times the All industry rate. Source: RIDDOR, 2015/16-19/20

There are many health and safety risks found in construction work that you won't often find in other workplaces. Demolition, work at height, excavations, machines and plant, traffic close to workers, contamination, overhead work, confined spaces, hot work. And that could all be on the same site!

Employers have legal health and safety responsibilities to control these hazards. Construction even has its own set of health and safety regulations - The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations, also known as CDM. But navigating through the various hazards, legislation, and best practices can be daunting, especially on a busy construction site. So in this post, we're going to break down several areas you can focus on to reduce the risks and keep your workers safe on site.

Setting Up

Good safety standards start with good planning. If you set up your site right at the start of your project, good health and safety standards will be easier to follow. So get safety right from day one with these quick tips.

• Create your construction phase plan. Make sure everyone on site knows what the safety arrangements and rules are.
• Assess your risks. Every site is different, so make sure you risk assess your site-specific activities.
• Display notices and signs. - There are five types of safety sign, and each one gives a visual reminder of your site rules.
• Give everyone a site induction. It's a legal requirement under CDM and provides vital safety information to your team.
• Make sure staff sign in (and out). Before you can manage safety on your site, you need to who is on your site.
• Check competency. Every person coming on to your site must be experienced and trained for the work they do.
• Provide supervision. Appropriate supervision keeps everyone safe by providing toolbox talks, checking standards, and enforcing the site rules.
• Secure your site. Control who has access and prevent children or others from trespassing.

Use the construction site set up to-do list for a more detailed look at setting up your construction project.

Vehicles & Plant

Construction sites are busy places. Right from the start of your project, you will have deliveries and machinery turning up on site. Keeping people and vehicles apart is the key to avoiding accidents on site.

• Separate people and vehicles. Protected pedestrian walkways and safe crossing places prevent collisions between people and vehicles on site.
• Use one-way routes to reduce the need to reverse and manoeuvre on the site, with designated loading and turning points.
• Mark out suitable routes that are level, stable, clear of obstructions and wide enough for the expected users.
• Enforce speed limits. The slower vehicles move on your site, the quicker they can stop, and everyone has more time to make decisions.
• Provide banksmen to assist drivers when needed to direct the movements of excavators, lorries and other vehicles on site.
• Create a construction traffic management plan and ensure that everyone on the site understands the locations of routes, walkways and crossings.
• Check vehicles are safe. All vehicles must be maintained in a safe condition - and never exceed safe working loads.
• Check drivers are competent. Only allow people with the correct training and experience to operate vehicles and plant on your site.

Use the construction site traffic management plan to plan safe routes on your site.

Demolition

Uncontrolled collapses and falls through fragile materials are just two of many things that can go wrong during demolition. Buildings can also contain live services and hazardous materials, creating hidden dangers.

• Disconnect all gas, electric, water and other services. Supply temporary lighting and power for equipment as necessary.
• Check for hazardous materials like asbestos, which can hide within the building's structure. You probably need an asbestos survey - it's the law.
• Plan a safe demolition sequence. Check the structure, assess the risk and create a method statement to prevent an uncontrolled or premature collapse.
• Assess the risk of falls of people and materials. Falls through fragile materials and from exposed edges, and falling debris are all major hazards in demolition.
• Control dust at source where possible, e.g. with damping down or extraction.
• Exclude all non-essential people. Demolition work is dangerous, so remove anyone not directly involved in the work.

Every demolition project is different. Carry out a demolition risk assessment and create a method statement for your demolition work. Make sure to include site-specific hazards.

Excavations

Most construction projects will involve some excavation work, whether it's for foundations, installing new services, or altering drainage. But there can be dangers under the ground, hidden out of sight, and it's even more dangerous when you dig a hole.

• Check for underground services. Disconnect where possible, protect and mark on site. Use safe digging practices and always assume services are live.
• Check ground conditions. Consider the risk of contamination or flooding, and take the necessary precautions for your site.
• Prevent trench collapse. Use a suitable support system or safe angle. People should never work in an unsupported excavation.
• Provide safe access. People should not jump into or out of excavations, so install safe access points.
• Prevent falls into excavations. Provide warning signs and barriers, suitable crossing points and sufficient lighting.
• Check nearby structures. Excavations can weaken or undermine foundations. Buildings may need to be shored up by suitable supports if the excavation may reduce stability.
• Keep vehicles away from excavations. Plan traffic routes, use warning signs, barriers, and stop blocks to prevent overturning.

Find out more about supporting excavations in excavations and the 1.2m rule, and download the free excavations toolbox talk.

Lifting and Handling

I'm willing to bet that every construction site needs to consider safe lifting and handling. Whether you move materials by hand or using lifting equipment, take a load off your mind by following these safety tips.

• Avoid manual handling when possible. It's often better, easier, and safer to use mechanical aids.
• Risk assess manual handling activities. Consider the load, the individual involved, the task, and the environment. Think LITE.
• Train staff in safe manual handling. Make sure your team know how to lift and carry safely and within their limits.
• Plan lifting operations. Use the correct lifting gear, stay within maximum loads, and clear of obstructions.
• Never exceed safe working loads (SWL) - these are displayed on lifting equipment and accessories.

Not sure if you're lifting safely? Here's how to correct your manual handling technique.

Working at Height

Work at height is so dangerous it has its own regulations. The Work at Height Regulations covers all working at height, and these safety tips will help you comply.

• Eliminate work at height. While it's not always possible, to reduce risk, any work at height that can be eliminated, e.g. done from ground level with long reach equipment, should be.
• Select the right type of equipment for the task. There are many different options available - fixed scaffolding, towers, MEWPs and ladders. Pick the safest practical option.
• Use fall prevention methods. Like guards, edge protection, toe boards and restricting access. Preventing falls is safer than protecting falls because you stop the fall from occurring.
• Plan the safe transportation of tools and materials. Use hoists, lifts and chutes to transport materials to and from height.
• Check the weather before working at height. Never work at height if the conditions make it unsafe, e.g. wind, storms or ice.

For a more detailed look at working at height, read getting safety right when working at height.

Fire

It can be tricky to manage fire risks on construction sites. The building is unfinished, you haven't installed the fire systems yet, fire doors aren't in yet, and hot work is often needed. Check out these construction site fire tips to get your site fire safe.

• Create a construction fire plan. Plan escape routes, emergency lighting, alarm call points, location of fire fighting equipment etc.
• Provide fire fighting equipment. This will usually be fire extinguishers on a construction site. Make sure they are serviced and maintained, and train staff on how to use them.
• Plan safe storage for flammable liquids. Make sure storage areas are safe, well ventilated, away from sources of ignition and out of direct sunlight.
• No fires on site. Don't allow any burning or waste or fires for keeping warm. Even small fires can quickly get out of control.

Want more fire safety tips? Read 13 fire prevention tips for construction sites.

PPE

You might have expected PPE to be first on the list, but it's the last. Because PPE is your last line of defence, and while it's important, it's not as effective as other control measures, like elimination or engineering controls like barriers and guards.

PPE you need on construction sites includes:

• Hard hats - Getting struck on site is always a danger, and don't forget to check your hard hat expiry date.
• Safety boots - Protective footwear provides a more stable footing and protects against impact and crush hazards.
• High visibility clothing - Hi-viz vests and jackets make sure people are easier to spot when traffic and equipment are moving around on site.
• Gloves - When handling materials or working with hazardous materials, gloves provide a protective barrier.
• Dust masks - Always use the correct type of mask, as some types of dust, like asbestos, can be fatal.
• Safety glasses - Eye protection prevent splashes, debris and other projectiles from damaging eyes.
• Hearing protection - Construction sites are noisy places, some activities will exceed noise action levels.

You'll usually need hard hats, boots and hi-viz on all construction sites. Other PPE will be necessary depending on the tasks and activities you do. Your risk assessment will help you identify the control measures you need.

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