April 26-30, 2021 is National Work Zone Awareness Week. National Work Zone Awareness week takes place at the beginning of construction season every year to remind drivers to be mindful and careful when encountering work zones. This year’s theme is “Drive Safe. Work Safe. Save Lives.”
Work zone safety is a very important aspect of the working world. There are about 200,000 injuries that have happened in the past 5 years on highway construction zones in the United States. Around 4,700 deaths have occurred in that same span of time. Having safety precautions in place in your work zone is imperative to keep workers safe. The best way to do that is by enforcing safety rules and making sure you have the right equipment, like the Silent Beacon, to keep everyone safe.
Construction work is an important part of keeping our roads and buildings safe and secure while we go about our daily lives. There are many dangers associated with the kind of work construction workers do, and injuries are common. What’s very worrisome about work zone accidents is that more than 40,000 happen every year and those numbers continue to rise. An estimated 85% of those who die in these accidents are motor vehicle drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
These statistics are concerning but solutions like the Silent Beacon personal safety device exist in order to help work zone employees stay safe. Here are seven work zone safety tips to promote safety for construction workers.
1. Enforce Safety Guidelines And Rules
Keeping workers aware of how to stay safe and abide by workplace rules is imperative in keeping them out of danger. Hold safety-related meetings once a month, especially if your team works on roadways to remind employees of work zone safety. Be clear about the rules and make sure to enforce them fairly.
2. Maintaining Your Equipment
Machines and equipment can become very dangerous if they aren’t maintained well and kept clean. It’s important to keep the machinery functioning well because broken machinery can lead to severe accidents. This includes things like small tools and gear for workers to use to perform their duties.
3. Clear And Consistent Communication
Making sure that workplace rules are clear and consistently being communicated can help your workers steer clear of harm. If the rules are regularly explained and informative, they will remain top of mind with employees.
4. Have A Clean Workspace
Keeping the workplace clean is very important. If you don’t have a clean workplace, there are opportunities for accidents to happen, big or small! According to the National Safety Council, there are 24,700 injuries and 384 deaths that happen every year in construction work due to falls and tripping. Not having a tidy, neat, and organized space for work can be very dangerous. Making sure that your workers clean up their work area and keep hazards out of the way is imperative to keeping them safe.
5. Stay Informed About Safety Innovations
It’s always a good idea to be aware of new safety rules and regulations, regardless of the industry you are in. As technology advances each year, it’s important to keep up to date. Outdated safety regulations can be just as dangerous as tripping and hurting yourself. There are associations, magazines, websites, and YouTube channels that are dedicated to workplace safety and innovations. Those can help you to keep your workers safe.
6. Have Your Employees Use Silent Beacon While On The Job
The Silent Beacon safety device is a wearable personal safety device that can call any number, including 911, while sending multiple people your live GPS location via text and email. If an accident were to occur or if someone is hurt on the job, Silent Beacon can easily alert 911 and several important emergency contacts by connecting to our safety app. Empower your employees with Silent Beacon so they will be prepared in case an emergency happens on the job.
7. Focus On Preventing Common Incidents
It’s easy to forget the simple things when you’re working on a complex project or task. People can get a bit careless when they’re focusing on their work. They can trip on equipment, not hear other coworkers when there’s a lot of noise, and so on. Making sure that workers are aware of carelessness can make a big difference in keeping workers safe. Sometimes small things can have big consequences!
There are many things that can go wrong if rules aren’t followed. People don’t know what to do in an emergency situation. Workers could get hit by cars during highway construction and others could get hurt or worse in building construction. In addition, messy work areas can cause problems with tripping hazards.
Faulty machinery can become dangerous to use and a severe hazard to workers if it’s not maintained and cleaned properly. Not to mention, complex and inconsistent rules can make workers less aware of their own safety and perhaps the safety of others.
Most importantly, having a lack of enforcement of safety rules can be dangerous for workers in any environment. Therefore, rules need to be enforced to make sure that all workers and supervisors are able to continue their job safely. Remain abreast of safety innovations to keep your workers safe and up to date with the most current safety practices in construction zones.
Safety is an important aspect of the working world, especially in the case of construction work zones. If you work in or supervise a construction environment, follow these safety tips to maintain a safe workplace.
Want to learn more safety tips? Check out our other safety articles.
