If you are running a construction-based business, it is your legal responsibility to keep your workers and other employees safe to the best of your financial capacity and knowledge. Unfortunately, many businesses turn a blind eye to this federal rule. This lapse not only causes financial losses to those businesses but affects the workers as well.
For example, last year in New South Wales, more than 25,000 workers were injured at construction sites due to poor management practices. Out of this number, 1400 were permanently disabled while 23 people lost their lives. These are alarming statistics for a country like Australia, and it is time we reduced these injuries. Here are a few tips that you could pick to make your workplace safer.
1. Wearing helmets
Putting on helmets is the most basic safety precaution that one can undertake. When you wear a helmet, you not just save your head, but also the rest of the body. Our head houses the brain which controls our entire body. When objects fall from great heights, they carry a lot of force. Even a small pebble dropped from the 50th floor of a high-rise can gather terrific force at the time of hitting the ground. When it strikes your head, it causes unimaginable pain and injury.
You can prevent this injury by buying quality helmets for your workers made by renowned manufacturers like WorkWear Hub. You should mandate it for everyone on your site to wear these safety devices. It matters little whether the man or woman in question is a worker or not. Please remember this thing; every life saved is an investment in your business. If you have a large number of casualties on your premises, it is going to hurt you emotionally and financially as well.
2. Safety shoes
Your safety measures don’t just stop at helmets. There is a potential danger on the ground too. We are talking about safety shoes here. Each year, more than 16,000 Australian workers are injured by nails and other hazardous material lying on the ground. It is surprising to note that many Australian managers simply do not know about the risk caused by hazardous materials lying on the ground. Nails, sharp wires, stones, loose gravel, and mud are the main causes of foot-based injuries in Australian construction sites. You also have exposed wires carrying current there.
Managers can avoid injuries caused by these objects by ordering safety shoes for their workers. These shoes have thick soles and are made of insulating material. Thick soled shoes protect the workers from sharp objects while the insulating material stops the current from contacting the feet. Make sure these soles are sturdy and will last for a couple of years. If there is a lot of rough material on your premises like stones, rocks and boulders, then your workers should wear heavy boots. These protect their feet from falling objects and other dangerous materials.
3. Gloves
Many construction based companies use electric current on their premises. Unfortunately, a large majority of these businesses do not secure their electrical connections. This leads to unwanted injuries, and in certain cases, death. Rubber gloves help your workers from coming in contact with the current. Make sure every worker who is working with wires and cables wears his pair of gloves always.
4. Eye goggles
These are used to shield your eyes during welding, soldering, etc. During welding, your eyes may be exposed to extremely bright flashes. These flashes may damage your eyes, and to prevent that, you put on a pair of safety glasses. Safety glasses or eye goggles are made of special materials and are easily available across Australia.
