It is always necessary to follow the many safety rules. On a construction site there are common hazards of which workers should be especially aware. These include:

• back injuries from lifting, bending, moving the wrong way

• eye injuries from not wearing eye protection

• cuts—be aware of nails

• tripping or slipping—watch out where you are going at all times

• fires

• moving machinery—be aware when there is moving machinery around you and operators must pay extra attention when there are workers around

• ladders, scaffolding—make sure that these are tied off and secured properly

• hearing loss from not using ear plugs or other forms of hearing protection

• chemicals—pay attention to materials you use—know and remember your WHMIS training

• electrical shock—be aware of loose wires or low hydro lines

• cave-ins—make sure trenches are shored properly and never work alone

Many injuries result from poor housekeeping. Management, supervision and workers must cooperate to keep storage, travel and work areas clear and well organized.

Safe housekeeping requires:

• daily jobsite cleanup program

• disposal of rubbish

• individual cleanup duties for all workers

• materials pile, stacked, or otherwise stored to prevent tipping or collapsing

• materials stored away from overhead power lines

• work and travel areas kept tidy, well-lit and ventilated

• signs posted to warn workers of hazardous areas

What to do:

• gather up and remove debris as often as required to keep work and travel areas orderly

• keep equipment and the areas around equipment clear of scrap and waste

• keep stairways, passageways, and gangways free of material, supplies and obstructions at all times

• do not permit rubbish to fall freely from any level of the project. Lower by means of chute or other approved devices

• store pipe securely, especially along open edges where loose or rolling pipe may fall

• stack on level sills

• stack reusable pipe according to size and length

• support pipe at every 2 metre (6 foot) span

• cross-pile or put lagging between layers when the pile will be more than 5 feet high

• chock or band to prevent pipe from rolling

• when removing pipe, work from the ends of the pile, not the side

Fire prevention and protection is a part of safe housekeeping. Fire extinguishers must be accessible, regularly inspected, and promptly refilled after use.

Extinguishers must be provided:

• where flammable materials are stored, handled, or used

• where temporary oil—or gas-fired equipment is being used

• where welding or open-flame cutting is being done

• on each story of an enclosed building being constructed or renovated

• in shops for at least every 300 square metres of floor area

Don’t wait for a fire before learning how to operate the extinguisher in your work area. Extinguishers have a very short duration of discharge—usually less that 60 seconds. Be sure to aim at the base of the fire to eliminate the flames at their source.

Fire extinguishers are classified according to their capacity to fight specific types of fires. For most operations, a 4A40BC extinguisher is adequate.

Class A Extinguishers—are for fires in ordinary combustible materials such as wood, paper and textiles where a quenching, cooling effect is required

Class B Extinguishers—are for flammable liquid and gas fires, such as oil, gasoline, paint and grease where oxygen exclusion or flame interruption is essential

Class C Extinguishers—are for fires involving electrical wiring and equipment where the non-conductivity of the extinguishing agent is crucial. This type of extinguisher should be present wherever functional testing and system energizing take place.

Health and Safety

Company Policy Statement, Roles and Responsibilities ● Injury Prevention ● Common Job-site Hazards, Housekeeping ● Emergency Procedures, First Aid Treatment ● WHMIS ● Assessing the Degree of Hazard, Working with Hazardous Gases ● Common Health Hazards in the Mechanical Trade, Workplace Specific Information ● Worker Statement, Sub-contractor Statement