The United States reported a spending of $1.3 trillion on construction services in 2018 alone. With numbers like these, it’s clear that the construction industry won’t be going away anytime soon. As the industry continues to grow and change, safety standards grow and change as well. It’s a necessary precaution to keep construction workers safe and healthy as OSHA regulations and code requirements change over time.
The necessity of various safety barrier solutions on a construction site cannot be overstated. These construction site barriers serve a variety of purposes, such as marking out a site, and ensuring construction vehicles don’t run rampant over the site. However, there are a number of safety reasons that safety barriers should be present on a construction site. Let’s review three of the most important reasons for ensuring your construction site barriers are up to code before you next step foot on a construction site.
Protect Your Workers
It may seem like and obvious reason, but the safety of your workers should be a top priority on a construction site. After all, hard hats and safety vests are fairly standard requirements, and safety barriers should be in the same category. These barriers help your workers know where to go, what areas are deemed ‘safe,’ and what areas to stay away from without the proper training or permissions.
Protect Pedestrians
If your construction zone isn’t clearly marked, what’s to stop a pedestrian from wandering in? Most people are considerate enough to leave an area that resembles a construction site alone, but if the site is in an area that’s commonly traversed by different people, and there are no barriers presenting resistance or warning, then it’s fair to say those pedestrians have every right to walk all over your site.
By ensuring that the appropriate construction safety barriers are in place, you not only prevent pedestrians from crossing your site, you also ensure their safety. The potential hazards of a construction zone are things that the average person is not equipped to deal with, and no safety equipment can put them in some serious harm’s way. Save yourself the headache and put those safety barriers in place.
You May Meet Insurance Requirements
Depending on the type of insurance your construction company has, you may be required to hang certain signage around your work area as well as ensure safety barriers are put in place. This protects not only your workers but pedestrians as well, and can be a lifesaver is an accident does ever happen. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially when insurance is involved.
A construction site barrier can mean the different between a safe work zone and a lawsuit. Putting up these barriers may feel like a hassle, but the truth of the matter is these barriers can save lives and avoid legal headaches. Keep your staff and those who live and work in the community surrounding a construction site safe from harm with pivotal safety barriers.
