Safety Information

Safety Tips That May Keep You Alive

Every year many Construction Craft Laborers get injured at the workplace because of unsafe conditions that could have been corrected. These injuries cause time off from work and lost pay. What’s worse, these injuries often cause medical problems that may limit the kinds of jobs we can do. Here are ten safety tips that can be used to prevent accidents and help protect workers on the job.

1. Come to work prepared for the type of conditions where you work. Wear a good work boot with proper ankle support and use proper clothing for the job you're going to do. Loose fitting clothing can get caught in machinery and equipment causing accidents and injuries.
2. Prepare mentally for work. While on the job site, look where you walk, keep your mind on the job, and watch for unsafe conditions.
3. Keep your work area clean and free from clutter. Many workers become injured every year because of slips, trips, and falls in the work area.
4. Use the proper tool for the job you're doing. Don’t use broken or defective tools or equipment and tools that are not designed to do the job you are using them for. Broken tools and equipment should be either repaired or removed from the job site so they can not injure workers.
5. When a job calls for safety equipment use, use it, and make sure that you use the proper safety equipment for the job you're doing. If your safety equipment becomes damaged or broken, have it repaired or replaced immediately. Always use the safety equipment in the proper way.
6. Inspect areas where you work, making sure there is nothing in the area that might endanger safety. If you are required to enter a tight area, make sure before entering that you can get out safely. Don’t get on scaffolding or ladders until everything has been properly inspected.
7. Work carefully around electrical equipment, making sure the tools or equipment you use have proper safety precautions built in. Electrical cords must have three wire connections and equipment must have a three wire connection or be double insulated. Don’t work in water with electric tools.
8. Watch for heavy equipment. Don’t walk under loads and keep your distance from trucks, cranes and backhoes. The operator may not see you, so if you have to work in areas where equipment is operating, tell the operator where you are going to be working so they can watch out for you.
9. NO Horseplay. The job is no place to fool around. Foolish acts can cause injures to Laborers.
10. Think about safety and practice safety. Don’t put yourself in danger by forgetting about safety just to get the job done faster.