Permanent and Temporary Works at Construction Sites

Every day, millions of people work in various construction sites in our Country. By its very nature, a building or heavy construction site is not a safe place. There is always the danger of some accidents, dust and dirt, contamination, burning, hearing damage, and many other issues. So, let us see today how you can maintain your personal safety and hygiene in a construction site.

A. Eye Protection: There are lots of dust and small particles floating on air in a construction site. Some of them are quite damaging to your eye and retina. Therefore, you should always wear protective eyewear in a construction site. I mean actually wear them - not just hang them on your neck just because it?s a regulation!

Additionally, you have to wear special eyewear where welding is going on in a building site. The light of the welding is extremely bright. Looking directly at it can substantially damage your cornea.

Furthermore, you should take proper care of your eyewear. The eyes are a very vulnerable area of your body and they can get infected easily. For this reason, always clean your eyewear thoroughly before and after wearing it. Also, make sure the device is in proper working condition. Replace a damaged eyewear immediately.

B. Ear Protection: A construction site is always full of noises. There are cranes and other heavy machinery working, pumps and generators running, saws cutting steel, welding going on, and whatnot. For this reason, proper noise suppressing headphones are supplied to workers in such situations. Wear them! They are not just for show.

Many times, in widespread large construction projects, communication headsets double as protective earphones. This serves the team to stay in contact with the supervisors at all times and be protected from harsh, loud noise as well.

Sometimes, instead of using noise-suppressing earmuffs, the company supplies disposable earplugs. Do not reuse these! They get very dirty with all the earwax and they also absorb the oil. So, washing them is futile - they will still be dirty.

C. Other Protective Equipment: Other parts of your body can be in harm?s way as well. Helmets for protecting your head are extremely important. They are so common that it?s become symbolic of construction workers. Also, you should wear heavy protective boots on your feet. When dealing with chemicals or raw cement, thick protective gloves are mandatory. Also, light facemasks can be needed when there are a lot of particles floating on air.

Your safety harness is your lifesaver when working in tall structures. Make sure you connect it to a safe anchoring point. Remember, a bamboo scaffold is not a safe anchoring zone! Always consult your supervisor when working with the harness on.

D. Personal Hygiene and Care: Even after wearing all the protective gear, your body will accumulate a lot of dirt from a construction site. Therefore, you should always remember to clean your hands thoroughly before meals and personal hygiene needs. Many cases of stomach issues and UTI come just from dirty hands.

Also, try dressing in tidy and all-covering clothes, even though it makes you sweat a bit. There is no sense in keeping skin exposed.

When you are injured, seek first aid immediately! At the very least, cover the wound with a clean cloth at once. The heavily dirty air in a Construction site is ripe with microbes and chemicals. Just a tiny bit of them is enough to infect any wound, no matter how small. Also, just in case it turns into something big, do make sure you record the incident on log.

Often you need to lift heavy objects in a construction site. Make sure you use the correct posture to lift heavy stuff. Otherwise, you may injure your spine, or lose balance, or get a muscle pull. Don?t forget to breathe! There is no shame in asking for instructions if you don?t know how to do something, remember that.

Last but not least, consumption of any kind of intoxicating agent like alcohol or drugs - even smoking - is both highly dangerous and immoral. Indeed, this is outright banned in many workplaces, not only in construction sites. For medical reasons, if you have to take any drugs that have noticeable side-effects, do make sure your supervisor is perfectly aware of this.