Making your construction site safe for kids

Construction sites are busy places. With the hustle and bustle of workers, equipment, deliveries coming and going, and more, as adults, we can become accustomed to it all. Noticing the different stages of a building project, understanding the various equipment, the uniforms of different tradespeople, etc. However, for children, construction sites are fascinating places that, unfortunately, for children pose a lot of risks. 

Children don’t perceive danger like adults do. Unfortunately, every year children are hurt when sneaking onto construction sites with their friends – and it is a project manager or site manager’s responsibility to keep your building site/project as safe as possible. 

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Taking all preventative steps that are deemed necessary and reasonable. 

In this post, we look at steps you can take when it comes to construction site safety for kids. 

1. Talk to kids and help to answer their questions about what a construction site is and what work is carried out behind those security fences. Construction sites can be filled with wonder and awe, as you wait to see from behind the security fencing just what is taking shape and what is being built. At this stage, it’s an excellent opportunity to speak to kids about how a construction site is run, the planning, the different types of trades and workers on-site, how everyone stays safe, and more. The more kids know about the ins and outs, the better they will be at staying safe.
2. Keep to robust daily safety checks. What we mean by this is leaving keys in pieces of operating machinery or even leaving dangerous equipment lying around on-site can be hazardous to anyone who walks in. However, it can pose an incredible risk for children as the temptation can be almost too much. Checking all equipment and machinery is not only correctly turned off but securely put away, should become part of a construction site’s regular daily safety checks.
3. Does your employer have a “bring your children to work day?”If so, do they have a policy in place to ensure everyone’s safety? All guidance must be followed at all times, setting a good example for everyone involved. 
4. Security solutions must be used to prevent access to sites completely. The most effective way to prevent access to sites is through construction fence panels. Good quality and durable construction site fencing solutions should be installed around the perimeter of the site. Making it impossible to climb or scale, with mesh fencing and hoarding also being difficult to cut – keeping all unwanted visitors out and keeping local kids safe. Fencing in this capacity also needs to be maintained and checked regularly (ideally daily). This allows for any damage to be spotted and repaired immediately. And if any damage has occurred, you can put additional security procedures in place and ensure no one is trespassing on your site out of hours. 
5. Technology is a great help! If your site isn’t operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, installing things such as video surveillance systems can be extremely valuable. Using this type of technology enables you to receive direct alerts if someone has inadvertently wandered on to your site. Of course, having security guards on-site out of hours can also be an option, but isn’t always the most cost-effective solution.
6. Make sure you have the right signage in the right places. Placing warning signs, trespassing signs, and information relating to hazardous and dangerous equipment inside does help act as a small deterrent to people wandering onto sites uninvited. 
7. Follow all relevant health and safety guidelines. Robust guidance and policies for construction sites must be followed and adhered to under the Health and Safety at Work Act. This includes taking all necessary precautions to keep people safe and unable to access your site. Carrying out continuous risk assessments, identifying hazards, and putting in place mitigations to avoid these situations will prove you’ve taken the necessary steps to prevent accidents and injury.
8. Standard CCTV can not only act as a great deterrent to warn off potential thieves and opportunists; it can also help you spot potential dangers and kids on site when they’re not supposed to be. This allows you to keep a watchful check on everything 24/7, all remotely, any time, day, or night.  You can also notify the authorities asap if something isn’t quite right or someone needs assistance quickly.

For project managers and site managers, it’s essential to demonstrate that you have taken all safety measures onboard and acted accordingly throughout the project’s length. 

Armed with information, sound policies, and suitable construction fencing, your building site can be safe and secure. 

Do you want to keep your building site safe? Click here to check out our range of temporary site fencing, suitable for a variety of situations and sites. 

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Reference video: HASpod