Weekly Toolbox Talk: Hazards on the Construction JobSite

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Note to Supervisors: Read and prepare for meeting by looking over your jobsite and how your personnel are approaching their jobs. Using common sense and paying attention to detail can prevent most accidents. Carelessness is not acceptable.

Performing construction work can be dangerous for the inexperienced construction worker. Even experienced workers often forget about some of the hazards of working construction.

What are some of the hazards should you be aware of? The following are some of the events or exposures that can have a dangerous impact on you and your coworkers:

• Falls
• Contact with objects and equipment
• Transportation issues

FALLS

More workers die from falls at construction sites than any other event. This includes falls from upper levels, roofs, scaffolding, equipment, and through holes. At the Marek Family of Companies we always make employees aware of the dangers associated with working at heights and provide the appropriate training and equipment. It is important that you and your coworkers are always on the lookout for fall hazards.

CONTACT WITH OBJECTS AND EQUIPMENT

Some of the dangers in this category include the following:

• Being struck by construction material or equipment
• Coming into contact with utility knifes, being struck by a falling or flying object.
• Having a material collapse or struck by drywall
• Being caught in-between equipment and another object
• Electrocution 

TRANSPORTATION ISSUES

Workers can be injured while operating construction equipment (scissor lifts, boom lifts, electric pallet jacks, forklifts, cranes, and pickup trucks). It is important to understand how to safely operate and ride on these types of equipment to prevent injuries and death. If you operate any type of transportation equipment you should be trained and authorized with the proper license by the safety department.

Remember the jobsite you are working on may have one or more of the hazards. Talk to your supervisor or safety advisor if you have any questions or concerns about these or other hazards on your jobsite.