Health and safety precautions that site engineers should keep in mind

Site engineers are always subjected to risks and dangers. It is a part of a site engineer’s daily life as the construction site is full of big equipment, machinery and hazardous materials. Apart from that, there are concerns of height, high temperature and sharp edged materials and tools. Thus, it requires a site engineer to be always aware of their environment and take precaution to keep away from disasters. If this is your first job as a fresh engineering graduate, there is more the reason that you should know about the various safety regulations that should be usually followed. Here are some of the precautions and safety measures that a site engineer to keep in mind while working in a constructions site:

·         Use protective gears all the time

Make it a habit to wear proper protective gear every time you are at the construction site. Protective gears will help to alleviate any misfortunes and protect your vital parts of your body. Make sure that you wear only certified gears from reputed suppliers and do not compromise with your safety. Be safe from head to toe with hard hats, safety eyeglasses, protective gloves and bright coloured overalls. Also be sure that all these protective clothing fit well and are not loose. If they are loose you might trip on them or not get the required protection.

·         Get to the know the site

Perform a thorough walk through of the site with someone who knows the site well to get familiar with it. Most of the disasters happen because someone is at the wrong place at the wrong time. Get to know the timing and the place of different activities that take place at the construction site. Check out for any scaffoldings or ladders that are wobbly or weak and if any construction area which might have the danger of falling debris. Replace the equipment in question or keep away from those areas.

Keep an eye out for anything that is suspicious and proves to be unsafe. Check out if there are any hazardous materials and potentially dangerous equipment lying out in the open. Inform your seniors or the person concerned with maintaining the safety of the work site. Also, find out emergency exits in case of fire and ask your supervisors about fire fighting resources.

·         Look out for any air pollutants

Often in some industries like oil and petroleum exploration and chemical manufacturing, site engineers are subjected to risk of hazardous gaseous substances. So be prepared and always wear protective masks and such gears that help in the prevention of inhaling such gasses. Do a regular risk assessment and let the safety management team know if there are any issues related to such hazardous substances.

·         Be aware of the electrical connections and equipment at the site

Construction sites are usually full of electrical wiring for running equipment and lighting. Be vigilant of any open electrical connections and be cautious while utilising these connections. If there are any open connections, let the electrical engineer know about it.

Various equipments are used during constructions and if you are required to handle any equipment, get proper knowledge and training before handling it. Be sure that there is no one who also might come in harm while using it.

·         Keep first aid ready

Make sure that you have the sufficient first-aid ready at all times so that you can handle any accidents if it occurs. Also be assured that you and your fellow site engineers get proper education on how to use first-aid properly whenever it is needed. Most of the injuries if treated immediately helps in limiting the danger and reduces the risk of infections.

·         Be aware of the health insurance and other health benefits provided

Before joining a company, know about their health insurance policies and benefits that are provided. Contractors and companies should provide the necessary health benefits and medical insurances to its employees. Not only that they should maintain highest international standards of safety practices at the constructions sites. Learn about all this and then only agree to a contract.

As a site engineer, be on your toe and limit your risks by following all the standard safety procedures. Remember that prevention is always better than cure and make safety your priority while working at a construction site.

Author Bio

Hasib is a professional writer working with the job portal –naukri.com and often writes articles related to career and education. He is an avid reader and lives for two things – football and food. If he is not involved in any of those, you can find him contemplating existential issues. Follow him @ twitter, Google+, LinkedIn

About Author:

I am Thomas Britto here to share my experiences in the civil engineering field to all my readers.Today many students are struggling to buy books at high prices. So I decided to start a blog and share my experience and knowledge with all my readers.

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