Why is Health and Safety important on a construction site?

In construction, as with most sectors, health and safety is always the leading concern when setting up and operating in a construction work site. Ensuring the safety of work personnel is paramount, so necessary precautions need to be put in place, which still allow staff to carry out their responsibilities in a timely and effective manner.

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Working in construction is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world because of the countless risks and hazards of building sites. Building sites pose the risk of falling objects and collapsing structures. Alongside this, operating dangerous machinery, working from heights, mobile plant handling heavy loads, and working around potentially hazardous substances and materials (e.g. asbestos) could expose construction workers to the risk of injury and work-related health problems. Furthermore, tasks like cutting, soldering, welding and many other activities that involve using heat or open flames are also key areas to assess as potential construction health and safety risks.

It most certainly goes without saying that the conclusive success of any construction project will depend on having the right tools and equipment for the job, so be sure to put arrangements in place to acquire the necessary and correct equipment ASAP for your workforce. Moreover, it is crucial to establish a workflow and daily routine that permits the project to be completed efficiently and on budget, whilst simultaneously adhering to the associated health and safety regulations.

Due to a relative lack of health and safety protocol in the past, and the general factor of building sites being a dangerous workplace, the related statistics of accidents and injuries in the workplace are quite alarming, with approximately 54,000 non-fatal injuries to workers each year in the UK (including but not limited to falls, slips, manual handling, trips and falls from a height).

Construction projects of any size must have a comprehensive health and safety plan in place. This ensures all relevant health and safety elements related to the project have been thoroughly analysed. As well as this, health and safety criteria need to be accessible to any and all workers on site, with close monitoring by site supervisors, depending on the scale of the construction project.

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