The New England construction season is heading into high gear as the weather gets warmer. In construction, sometimes it is impossible to completely avoid working with polluting materials. To keep your crew safe, take precautions to protect them from exposure to dangerous site pollutants.
- Make sure workers are well-trained.
Every time a new worker joins your crew or your crew works with materials that are new to them, make sure that they get the proper training for safe handling. This keeps your crew and everyone else in the area safer from exposure to pollutants.
- Provide proper protective gear.
Make sure that everyone who works on your site has the personal protective equipment (PPE) that they require to protect themselves from pollutants. In some cases, it’s appropriate for workers to bring their own. In other cases, you should have protective gear on-hand. Make sure that those who are not wearing adequate protective clothing, including respiratory protection, chemical splash goggles, protective gloves and other items, are not permitted into sensitive areas of the work site. Additionally, make sure that people are wearing appropriate clothing underneath their PPE. Long work pants, shirts with sleeves and sturdy work boots should be required at all times.
- Keep accurate and up-to-date safety data sheets.
Chances are good that your Environmental Insurance policy and state law both require these forms be displayed. By ensuring that all pollutants are noted, you can make sure that those working around them are aware of them and able to take proper precautions.
As employers, you have a responsibility to both your workers and your clients to keep job sites clean and keep people safe from construction site pollutants. By taking precautions at every step, you can keep the environment around your site clean and keep your workers safe from exposure.
