In a tragic accident on August 23 last year, 22 workers lost their lives when an under-construction railway bridge collapsed from a height of around 100 metres above ground. This sorrowful incident occurred in the Sairang village of Aizawl district, Mizoram.
Experts attribute the cause of this accident to the failure of a gantry that was being launched onto the under-construction bridge over the Kurung River.
“A gantry is an overhead bridge-like structure that supports all kinds of equipment, like cranes and cameras.”
Whatever the reason for this collapse, the most important thing is that 22 families lost their loved ones. This incident also damaged the contractors’ reputation, but more importantly, it highlighted the Importance of Safety in Construction. Therefore, having practical rules is necessary to avoid such devastating accidents.
Through this blog, we will explore some of those rules and look at the equipment and tools available to make any construction site safer than ever. Now, let us proceed!
Follow These 15 Rules for Ensuring Safety in Construction
1. Give Clear Instructions
Clear instructions are a really good way to make sure you get it right.
When giving instructions, make sure they’re understood to avoid confusion. Workers must pay attention to each and every direction to avoid mishaps and accidents.
In the Indian context, language barriers can be common. That is why it is important to use simple, local languages, and visual aids. Besides, repeating key points and confirming that everyone involved understood the instructions can prevent misunderstandings that can lead to accidents.
2. Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) Reports
Job Hazard Analysis is one of the best methods to maintain safety in construction. This method aims to identify all the hazards associated with a job, making it easier to plan safety measures.
In this analysis, contractors select a job and then break it down into steps. For each step, they identify the risks and determine the safety measures to be taken for each hazard. This greatly reduces the chances of life-threatening problems occurring. It is therefore important to carry out a detailed JHA for all critical work and to prepare a safety checklist based on the report before construction begins.
3. Report Defects IMMEDIATELY
When you ignore small defects in construction projects, you leave doors open for disaster to come in.
Structural collapses may occur because of neglected minor cracks or issues. To mitigate these dangers, there must be a culture of engineering excellence and 100% vigilance.
Additionally, regular audits and inspections are life-and-death-defining factors for your project and for lives. These audits prevent small defects from stepping up. Project managers must take the initiative to listen to even the smallest message about faults or defects. The bottom line here is: encourage all your staff and workers to report defects IMMEDIATELY. This should be the thumb rule to maintain safety in construction. By doing so, you save your projects from failures, budget overruns, and, most importantly, being unsafe for lives.
4. Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Hard hats: Protect your head from falling objects.
- Steel-toed boots: Shield your feet from punctures and crushing injuries.
- Safety glasses or goggles: Guard your eyes from dust, debris, and flying objects.
- Ear muffs or plugs: Minimise hearing damage from loud machinery.
- High-visibility vests and suits: Improve your visibility in low-light or high-traffic areas.
- Gloves: Protect your hands from cuts, scrapes, and chemicals.
5. Follow Safety Signs and Procedures
Use appropriate safety signs to inform potential hazards, restricted areas, or evacuation routes. Signs must be clear, visible, standardised, and understandable to all workers.
Additionally, maintain a consistent safety signage system throughout your site to avoid confusion for workers. There are five preset types of health and safety signs for construction sites. These are:
- Warning,
- Mandatory,
- Prohibition,
- Safe condition,
- Fire equipment.
Moreover, introducing colour-coded safety signs can make a real difference in safety in construction. Be specific to colours, such as yellow for general caution and red for fire risks so that workers instantly identify and respond to potential hazards. Coupled with improving communication, these signs serve as a constant reminder of the importance of safety on construction sites.
6. Periodic Safety Training Programmes & Drills Are Must
- Excavation and Trenching Safety: Train workers on proper protective systems and ladder/ramp placement.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration Construction (OSHA) Training: Align your training module with OSHA standards and regulations. Although it is a US organisation, its guidelines and standards are respected worldwide. It offers comprehensive construction safety training covering topics such as scaffolding, fall protection, electrical safety, and material handling.
- Fall Prevention and Protection: Falls are a leading cause of death in construction. Employers must train workers on how to prevent and protect themselves from falls.
7. Check Equipment & Tools Regularly
Workers’ safety is seriously at risk from heavy machinery like bulldozers and cranes. Employers must thus set up precise and secure protocols for using these types of equipment. This involves creating precise protocols that ensure only qualified individuals operate heavy machinery. All equipment should also undergo routine maintenance and inspections to avoid malfunctions that can cause accidents or injuries.
We have written a comprehensive guide with 7 simple checklists to help you maintain and inspect your equipment regularly. Check it out.
8. Prepare a Risk Management System
It is the process of analysing, identifying, and responding to project risks. It aims to make the most of positive events and avoid negative ones to meet project objectives.
The risks can be reduced by having these institutions:
- Have an emergency response system.
- Look at what went wrong in previous accidents.
- Document the lessons learned from the previous accidents.
- Have a personal fall arrest system for every mounted worker.
- Maintain a construction safety management manual (CSMM) for each site, accessible to everyone.
Even if everything goes well, there is still a chance of disaster. For example, earthquakes, hurricanes, and landslides can harm workers. Therefore, construction companies should be ready to deal with such incidents. They should also have a risk management system to minimise losses.
9. If in Doubt, Ask Instantly
When in doubt, don’t!
This is an American proverb, which means that when you find yourself in a state of uncertainty, it is often wiser to refrain from taking action or making decisions until you gain clarity or a clearer understanding of the operation. Therefore, ask questions for clarification if you need them. Believe that there’s no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to safety.
On the other hand, if you are a supervisor, encourage workers to ask questions immediately if they don’t understand something about what they should be doing. In India, where questioning is difficult due to hierarchical systems, creating a supportive environment is essential for construction safety.
10. Innovative Safety Equipment and Practices
Do not hesitate to invest in innovation that improves safety in construction. Some of the current innovations are:
- Smart helmets that monitor vital signs and alert workers to potential collisions.
- Safety vests that track biometrics to detect heat stress, blood pressure, and muscle strain.
- Augmented reality (AR) glasses that show computer-generated safety information in real time.
- Drones are used for inspections, surveillance, and monitoring of worker safety on construction sites.
- Smart tags and IoT sensors in PPE and equipment that detect hazards and send safety alerts.
Safety technology can make workplaces safer, reduce accidents, and help workers be healthier and more productive. The initial cost may be high, but it will pay off in the long run with fewer injuries and safer workplaces.
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Other Key Rules to Maintain Safety in Construction
- Fence off the site to prevent access by people not working on the site. Provide safe access to work areas (scaffolding, roofs, trenches, etc.) by using protected walkways and access towers.
- Mark the whole site, indicating the routes for vehicles. Mark the areas for pedestrians and vehicles on the ground, keeping them physically separate where possible. Moreover, use appropriate signage to indicate that unauthorised persons are not permitted to enter the site.
- Provide hygiene and rest facilities that meet the needs of all those working on the site. Establish emergency procedures by installing the necessary fire-fighting equipment (extinguishers, evacuation routes, etc.) and first aid.
- Take measures to reduce noise exposure. Priority should be given to isolating noisy machinery and using PPE (ear muffs and ear plugs). Store hazardous substances safely, following the instructions in the safety data sheets.
- Install collective fall protection where necessary (railings, gap covers, and safety nets). Identify roofs and fragile parts of the work and protect the gaps with marked and fixed covers to prevent falls.
- Fire prevention and extinguishing measures are essential on construction sites. Hence, place fire extinguishers in strategic locations, establish clear evacuation routes and conduct regular fire drills.
Construction Safety Equipment & Tools List
- Helmet, Gloves, Safety Shoes, and a Dust Mask: These aren’t optional! They shield workers from everyday dangers on the site and make them more visible.
- Apps for Work Safety Instructions: Mobile apps provide instant access to safety protocols and emergency procedures. They’re like having a safety manual in your pocket, always updated and handy. Go for existing apps like GoAudits (https://goaudits.com/health-safety/) or develop your own app.
- CCTV Cameras Installation: These watchful cameras keep an eye on activities, discourage theft, and capture footage for accident investigations and future safety improvements.
- Safety Sensor Implementation: These high-tech tools, powered by the “Internet of Things” (IoT), detect hazards like gas leaks or unstable structures. They’re your early warning system, giving workers time to react before danger strikes.
- Use of Material Handling Equipment: Forklifts, cranes, and hoists take the strain off workers’ backs. They’re not just about efficiency—they’re crucial for preventing injuries from manual lifting and moving.
- Use the Right Portable Electrical Equipment: Proper electrical tools with insulation and grounding prevent shocks and fires. Always choose equipment rated for your specific job site conditions and inspect regularly.
- Safety Wearables like Watches Give Instant Messages: These devices go beyond telling time. They allow workers to send hazard alerts, track important health signs, and even call for help in emergencies.
All these gadgets empower all workers to help build and maintain safety in construction.
How Can NYGGS Construction ERP Software Help?
India’s construction sector is booming! It employs 7.1 crore people, making it the second-largest employment generator. Also, this thriving industry is set to employ 10 crore by 2030!
Therefore, the more people you employ, the more safety practices you need to follow. To make it effortless, NYGGS Construction ERPsoftware is the ideal tool. Here are some key ways it can help:
- This ERP can integrate safety gear like hard hats, vests, and sensors to keep workers safe.
- ERP software can analyse data from multiple sensors implemented on sites to identify potential risks and suggest ways to avoid them.
- These systems can help create digital checklists and share them across job sites.
- ERPs help you track equipment usage, allowing you to monitor their health and optimise their working hours.
- ERP dashboards show site managers what’s going on with their projects, when things might go wrong, and how safe their workers are.
- The systems put all the safety manuals, protocols, and other important documents in one place for workers to easily access.
- ERP software can also send alerts to stakeholders about safety issues, incidents, or policy changes.
In India, NYGGS construction ERP also helps you adhere to safety rules set under the “Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996.” In short, these safety features of ERP help contractors maintain safety in construction, reduce accidents, and complete projects without harming workers.
Lastly, if you would like to learn more about how this software can help you improve site safety, please request a demo.