How to Maintain Safety in Road Construction Sites
Maintaining good roads is one of the most common projects done by the government; whether it is a road renovation project or constructing brand new roads. Just like other construction sites, road work also involves both people and heavy equipment working in an area.
Aside from that, there are still other people around the worksite such as vehicles passing by and pedestrians walking through. As a construction manager, one of your utmost priority is the safety of everyone around the work site.
There are plenty of risks involved in road construction – from collision to non-collision accidents. Either way, it is a sad fact that a lot of construction workers are at risk while they are doing their job on the road. However, there are actually some steps you can implement to maintain the safety of your road worksite. Here’s how to do it.
Create a Plan
A road construction plan should be made before starting any road project. You should have a precise plan on how to control the transportation and people around the worksite. You could create a traffic plan that guides the workers and vehicles on the path that they need to follow as they approach the work zone.
This should be done both on the outside and inside of the construction site to keep everyone safe, not only your workers but also the pedestrians and drivers around. If you need a well-designed road construction traffic management plan, seek the services of a professional traffic control company.
Control Traffic
Once you already have a traffic control plan, you need to implement it properly as well to make the most of it. You could do this by putting up signs and early warning devices to guide people around the area. You could also use traffic control devices such as barriers and cones to properly mark certain areas. When people are well informed, they know what to do and how to move around safely in the construction site.
Wear PPE at All Times
Workers should wear personal protective equipment or PPE at all times while they are at the worksite. This includes highly visible clothing, a hard hat, hard-toed shoes, and earmuffs to protect the ears especially when working around noisy equipment.
Be Mindful with the Surroundings
When moving around a construction zone, you should always be mindful of everything that’s going on around you. As much as possible, stay away from heavy equipment to avoid accidents in case the unexpected happens. If ever you really need to walk past a vehicle or heavy equipment, be sure to stay at the operator’s line of sight. When you can’t see the driver, most likely you’re at his blind spot too which is really dangerous.
Those were just some of the basic safety measures you can apply when managing a road construction zone. Be sure to keep everyone safe and lessen the risk of accidents and injuries in the work zone by incorporating these measures into your safety protocol.
