Having an organised construction site allows you to have a safe construction site.
It follows the same principle as a “tidy house, tidy mind.”
However, health and safety on construction sites require stringent planning, and site management must be put in place and maintained to minimise risks and support compliance with all health and safety regulations.
In this post, we look at ways to organise construction sites and some of our top safety tips, including construction fencing.
Getting Started
Site Traffic
It is reported that approximately seven people annually die due to injuries sustained on construction sites relating to vehicle and plant movement.
This is why site traffic management is vital for employees, visitors, pedestrians, etc., with temporary fencing providing the perfect solution.
You also need to consider all access points, where entranceways and exits are clearly identifiable and even separate for vehicles and pedestrians.
Walkways should also be created, managed, and maintained during the course of the project and works.
And you need to evaluate if people can see these entrance and exits clearly? Is visibility at an optimal level for both people and vehicles?
Do you have, or do you need to put barriers in place to control the flow of traffic in and out of the site? As well as control who has access to your site and when.
Has your construction site been designed in such a way that vehicles and equipment moving around the site pose minimal risk?
For example, do you have separate parking areas for staff and visitors? Do you have controlled access points? Are delivery and storage points in appropriate locations? Have you made high vis clothing for staff and visitors available?
Your public duty of care
As a site manager or project manager, you have a duty of care to the public to minimise the risk when construction and building work is being carried out.
To help reduce this risk, you will need to think about setting up parameters.
Using secure and temporary fencing and barrier systems to outline the perimeter of a site can help to stop people from accidentally walking in.
The temporary fencing and barrier systems that you opt for must suit the site and its location.
They must also protect the public from any hazardous situations, take into account any environmental impact or impact on local residents, and it should be used to help manage visitors to the site effectively and efficiently.
Taking this a step further you can also set up access arrangements, which could include no access to unauthorised personnel during working hours, CCTV monitoring of site access, visitors being signed in and signed out, as well as putting security guards in place depending on the levels of security required and if such measures are deemed appropriate.
Keeping workers safe
Some of the most common hazards on-site include:
- Falling/moving objects
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Excavations
- Dangerous tools and equipment
- Working at height
The Health and Safety Executive provides detailed guidance on these hazards and how best they can be avoided.
Construction site organisation relating to the HSE also includes:
- Storage and waste management organisation
- Employee welfare, making sure you meet all basic needs and requirements by providing adequate facilities
- Having robust administration processes, including health and safety procedures, risk analysis and assessment, method statements, training, accident reporting, and more.
Rules as set out by the HSE
All sites should have robust rules and procedures in place, including full inductions for all site staff and visitors.
Traffic management should be organised in such a way that moving vehicles do not pose a risk to those on or visiting the site.
Members of the public must be protected at all times, where preventing access to unauthorised personnel is vital.
Material and waste storage and management should be organised to prevent hazards and ensure safety.
Site managers and project managers have a legal responsibility to provide basic facilities to employees and personnel on-site.
Ultimately, your policies and procedures are a must!
At Site Fencing, we understand that every site is different, and therefore the organisation for each site will be unique.
The team at Site Fencing works within all health and safety regulations and guidelines, providing a range of fencing solutions to suit all specific site requirements.
Helping to keep your site organised and safe, call the team at Site Fencing today on 01274 833 396
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