Keeping Everyone Safe on the Job-site With Simple Tools
Safety on the jobsite is something that everyone can afford to pay more attention to. A commonly overlooked fact is that safety doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Some simple and affordable tools can make many jobsites safer at a minimal cost.
Two of the most overlooked tools that improve jobsite safety are tool lanyards and self-retracting cutters. By making these two simple items standard across your worksites, you can greatly improve your overall safety record.
Tool Lanyards and Falling Objects
Tool lanyards cost barely anything, but by strapping tools to a tool belt or harness you immediately prevent the possibility of a tool falling and injuring someone below a worker. This is a small cost to pay for the protection gained. Including tool lanyards, here are ten handy tips to further prevent the risk of someone being injured by a falling object on the jobsite.
- Schedule regular inspections of hardhats and other safety equipment. All safety equipment should only be used as specified by the manufacturer.
- Unless using material immediately near an edge, all building materials should be kept a minimum of three feet away from any potential drop sites.
- Encourage everyone to work together to help enforce and observe all safety procedures and protocols.
- Advise employees to not carry any items in loose pockets.
- Barricade or rope off any area where objects could potentially be dropped to avoid having employees or other people wandering into the potential drop zone.
- Always utilize and regularly inspect toe boards. All toe boards should be 4 inches tall at all points.
- Enforce a strict hardhat policy in any area where falling objects are a possibility.
- Don’t lean anything over guardrails.
- When working on an elevated surface, ensure that all tools and materials are anchored.
- Equip all employees with tool lanyards to prevent dropped tools.
Cutting Safety
In addition to falling objects, accidental cuts are a common cause of injury on the jobsite. “Smart Knife Technology” cutters are tools where the blade retracts as soon as it is removed from the object being cut. The safety feature can’t be manually overridden, which is a common problem with other safety tools on job sites.
By implementing falling object protocols and utilizing safety-conscious tools like self-retracting cutters, you can greatly improve your safety, that of your employees, and that of any other people on the jobsite.
