When managing a successful building project, you have the essential goal of constructing your steel building on time and in scope. However, as a general contractor, you have another, even more important mission: keeping workers safe on your construction site.
This may seem straightforward, but it’s also a needed response to a persistent construction safety challenge. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), in 2023, 5,283 workers died on the job—averaging about 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time workers. A significant portion of these fatalities occurred in construction, where falls from elevation remain the leading cause of death. In fact, of the 1,069 construction worker fatalities in 2022, 395 were due to falls.
With a few protective steps, you can safeguard your site to reduce the risk to your construction workers. Let’s discuss how to keep your Georgia construction site safe and running like clockwork.
Consider Implementing These Safety Strategies on Your Steel Building Site
While some of these tips may seem like common sense, they directly address the most common causes of worksite injuries and fatalities.
Require personal protective gear.
While any person is on your job site—even if they’re not a construction worker, even if they’re just passing through—they should be wearing a helmet, safety glasses, and any other gear that might be necessary for your site. A helmet or hard hat can transform a potentially fatal blow into a minor accident. Eyewear can help prevent severe vision loss. Required or recommended gear may include gloves and durable shoes, especially if your team works with electricity. Fall-prevention equipment, such as rails, safety nets, and harnesses, is also vital for your team.
Prioritize well-built, high-quality scaffolding.
It’s an extra step in the building plan, but it will support safe, efficient building activities for the duration of your project. OSHA suggests that scaffolding must be stable under its weight and able to support up to four times the expected load. Outfit your scaffolding with guardrails to protect your workers as they move around your steel structure.
Make sure your excavation sites and trenches have the proper support.
You can forestall the nightmare of a cave-in or collapse by following good engineering standards when building these structures (e.g., digging or building them at a safe slope or angle). In addition, double-check all supports and shields and ensure each trench or excavation site has at least one easily accessible exit.
Complete regular inspections of all equipment and tools.
The tools your workers use control their work quality—and often their safety. If a device breaks, dulls, or weakens, even a routine building task can become dangerously risky. Work with your team to establish a regular maintenance routine, including frequent inspections of their tools and opportunities for effective repair.
Educate your team about chemical hazards (and recognition of exposure symptoms).
On a steel construction job site, your workers might experience exposure to many different toxic substances. Sometimes, it’s obvious when a person has received too much exposure to a harmful chemical. Other times, it’s less clear. Every worker on your team—even those who don’t work directly with hazardous materials—should understand which chemicals can burn, which can cause breathing problems, and which can cause long-term adverse health effects. Your team should also have clean-up kits placed at strategic, easily accessible locations. And if a spill or leak occurs, a response procedure should be clearly defined and followed.
Don’t Overlook the Most Common Danger: Falls
Given that falls continue to account for the highest number of construction-related deaths, fall prevention deserves extra attention. OSHA recommends that contractors:
- Plan ahead to ensure safety when working at heights, including outlining the tasks and identifying potential fall hazards.
- Provide the right equipment such as personal fall arrest systems (PFAS), guardrails, and safety nets.
- Train workers thoroughly on how to use protective systems and recognize hazards.
Progress Is Happening—But There’s More to Do
The good news? Worker deaths have declined dramatically over the past few decades, from approximately 38 deaths per day in 1970 to 15 per day in 2019, thanks in part to stronger regulations and better on-site safety practices. Continued vigilance can keep this trend moving in the right direction—and protect lives in the process.
Rely on Peak Steel Contractors for a Safe, Effective Steel Building Project
At Peak Steel Contractors, we’re proud to assist with everything your construction project needs, from the initial design to the completion of your steel building. This includes keeping workers safe on the job site. Check out our past projects to see what we can do, and contact us for more information.