Employing over 7 million workers, the U.S. construction industry creates over $1 trillion in structures annually. While a lucrative business, active construction sites contain numerous health and safety hazards, such as falling objects or materials that may be harmful if inhaled or ingested. Companies who create a culture of safety and implement a comprehensive safety program can minimize their risk and potential for employee accidents.

Establishing job site behaviors and guidelines can prevent accidents and improve your organization’s safety program.

Construction Job Site Safety Guidelines

• Prohibit worksite horseplay; workers must maintain focus on the task at hand.
• Encourage employees to report safety concerns or violations immediately.
• Mandate personal protective equipment (PPE) be worn at all times.
• Be aware of footing and discourage running at the jobsite.
• Promote sanitation, including keeping the worksite clean and free from debris.
• Encourage workers to know their limits. This includes uncomfortable heights that make an employee sick, dizzy or too nervous to safely perform the job.
• Never allow employees to perform work they are unauthorized to do.
• Implement worker visibility standards, especially during night work or near motor vehicle traffic.
• Communicate the importance of non-workers’ safety. Pedestrians or bystanders can be seriously injured or killed if construction workers do not practice caution.
• Train and practice for on-the-job and natural disaster emergencies.
• Share and communicate knowledge of job risks and ways to be safe.
• Leverage the insight of seasoned employees as they can spot potential safety hazards that new employees might overlook.

We're Here to Help

The construction market is full of risk. As one of the top industries cited by OSHA, establishing job site safety guidelines not only creates a culture of safety for your crew, but also keeps you in compliance. If you have questions about these guidelines or other risk mitigation strategies, connect with a member of our team.