Construction sites present dangers not usually seen in operational sites. The reasons these dangers exist include:
• High density of workers. Generally, it takes more people to build a plant or facility than to run it. Sometimes, it can be several multiples more.
• Various trades working in close proximity. An operating plant typically has mechanics and electricians and maybe a carpenter and a machinist. Projects using those trades tend to be small enough and far enough apart to prevent “working over each other.” By contrast, a construction site may have a dozen projects being worked in a small area; trades may include masons, sheet rock workers, painters, pipefitters, millwrights, welders, etc. All of them bring materials, equipment, and tools that must fit into an already congested space. Each trade, in the execution of its work, may add another type of danger (e.g., grinding dust, extension cords, welding arcs, etc.).
• High levels of material movement and temporary storage. Lots of stuff moving around means many more opportunities for tripping, being struck by falling objects, and machine-to-people collisions.
• Floor openings. Covers over the floor penetrations in multilevel sites can be inadvertently moved. Sites might have pits, trenches, or similar dangers. These “should” be properly roped off or covered, and proper signage “should” alert you. Don’t count on “should;” look carefully where you are going.
• Equipment testing. Functional testing and operational testing run concurrent with construction activities. Pay attention to testing notifications; a given test could render your work area temporarily unsafe. Know the dangers of a given test and how to protect yourself. Often, the solution is: “Don’t be there.”
• Cranes and other heavy equipment are moving and operating. You don’t have the right of way. You must yield to the operator. Never ask them to stop for your “walk through” convenience; go around.
Unsafe acts
Because OSHA puts so much emphasis on the duties of the employer, it may be easy to think the safety program is all about reducing or eliminating physical hazards on the site. As the preceding list shows, many hazards are just part of construction. They can’t be eliminated, and you can take reduction only so far.
The key to safety lies within the individual worker. Most injuries occur because of unsafe acts. That is, people get hurt by making the wrong choices. Generally, unsafe acts result from dangerous attitudes and poor practices. Arguably, the most dangerous attitude is one of trying to see what you can get away with.
Let’s look at some choices that spawn unsafe acts and create unsafe situations:
• Inattention. A conversation can distract you just enough to trigger a mistake that has lethal consequences. Focus on the work. If a coworker wants to have a distracting conversation, stop working. State that this isn’t good timing for a personal discussion. If your foreman or other supervisor starts talking to you while you’re working, stop what you’re doing. The supervisor will get the message that you can talk or you can work, but not both. If any other distraction interferes with your ability to focus, address that rather than risk inattention.
• Rushing. When you get in a hurry, you make mistakes. Your boss tells you “they” really need this part of the job completed today. Fine, do your best. But don’t start “saving time” by skipping important safety steps, such as inspecting cords before use, verifying de-energization, cleaning clutter out of the work area, or properly securing your ladder.
• Failure to seek and follow safety directions. Checklists, work procedures, product labels, MSDS, and posted signs contain important safety information. Don’t take the unsafe attitude that you’ll refer to these information sources if you have a problem. Refer to them in advance, so you avoid a problem in the first place. If anything is confusing or unclear, discuss the issue(s) with your supervisor.
• Assuming rather than verifying. Opening the breaker does not ensure a circuit is de-energized (always verify with a meter) — you could have the wrong breaker or there could be another power source. Nor does it ensure the equipment is de-energized; electricity is only one energy source. Other sources include steam, compressed air, hydraulic pressure, springs, and mechanical position (kinetic energy).
Safely entering an area
Following these six steps when entering a given area will protect you from many kinds of potentially lethal surprises:
1. Ask “what.” What are the dangers, and what can I do to protect myself from them?
2. Ask “how.” How do I implement the work methodically, and how do I implement needed protection effectively?
3. Look. When you enter an area, scan with your eyes methodically rather than simply checking the center of the space. You should have a good idea of what to expect in that area, so look for what is out of place; that is a red flag for danger.
4. Listen. Many dangers audibly announce themselves. Don’t be chatting as you approach your work area. Listen for hissing, humming, and other unusual sounds. If the background noise changes, stop and try to determine why. Protecting your hearing with the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential to having the ability to listen; wear it as needed off the job, too.
5. Observe. Be consciously aware of your surroundings. What other people are doing can affect your safety, and what you are doing can affect the safety of others in your area. Know what is happening around you and who is there.
6. Act. Make sure you do what needs doing. Simply “knowing the rules” won’t protect you.
Clear communication
Sloppy communication is a common source of safety problems on construction sites. Communication gaffes happen more than most people think. Part of this is due to poor listening skills, and part is due to poor speaking skills. People often misuse words or mispronounce them. It’s not rude to seek clarification, especially when a misunderstanding can cost the company money or cost another person his fingers. But even when the speaker is perfectly clear, the hearer may misunderstand.
Consider using the following practices, just to ensure everyone is on the same page. Using these consistently will help establish you as a person who wants to get things right the first time, and it will improve your safety.
• Don’t yell. If you have to yell because of background noise, you are in too noisy of an area. Misunderstanding is almost guaranteed. Similarly,
yelling to overcome distance reduces the verbal “legibility” of what you’re saying. Try yelling sounds like “k” or “m” and compare the results to when you yell a long “a” or any other vowel. When you yell, your consonants tend to be muted relative to your vowels and some more so than others. You may as well be talking with marbles in your mouth.
• Listen attentively. We tend to anticipate what the other person will say. Consequently, we may be thinking about what we thought they would say and not hear what they actually said.
• Repeat what you heard. First, repeat exactly what you heard. Then express the thought in different words. For example, “You said to close the disconnect for this motor. I just want to make sure you want me to energize this motor. Is that correct?”
• Confirm the response. For example, “OK, I’m going to close the disconnect so this feeder pump motor will run. You want this motor to be able to run now. Is that correct?”
Never assume the other person understood you, either. Ask him or her to repeat in a similar manner. Avoid simple yes or no answers. “Yes, I want you to close the disconnect” is much more reliable than “Yes” (but I thought you asked about opening it).
Building good construction site habits
Because of its nature, a construction site makes safety a moving target. You can’t possibly memorize a list of rules to keep you safe. Instead, you must develop safety habits, such as paying attention to what’s going on around you, looking for potential dangers, looking for ways to protect yourself from potential dangers, and communicating clearly whether you are the recipient or sender of the message.
You can develop these habits only if your attitude is centered on how to be safe rather than seeing what you can get by with. Make a conscious decision that you want to build good safety habits by always making the right safety choice. The consistency will pay off.
Lamendola is an electrical consultant located in Merriam, Kan. He can be reached at [email protected].
