High Winds can become a major safety concern for construction workers in many ways. We all know how powerful winds can affect our neighborhoods by blowing trash cans and various materials all around and in some cases causing damage to vehicles, homes and businesses.
Now look at the construction site. We have materials that are staged in temporary positions such as wood and light metals, to name a few, that may be unsecured from being blown around and possibly striking surrounding property or workers on the site. If you have ever seen sheets of plywood becoming airborne and flying at high speed as if they were playing cards being flung into the air and scattered about, you would understand why it is important to secure all materials that can be blown away. Not only is it a job in itself to recover scattered materials but it is a situation asking for trouble if not addressed before the winds cause damage and unsafe conditions.
What about scaffolding? Many scaffolding accidents occur due to wind load lifting from underneath the scaffold paltforms and tipping over the whole system sometimes injuring workers or damaging neaby buildings and vehicles.
And last, hoisting materials and working at height. An assessment of the job tasks for the day should be reconsidered if high winds are present or expected
. Jobs that involve hoisting of materials or having workers working on elevated surfaces should be controlled or eliminated to prevent tip over of equipment, failure to hoist safely, or worker falls to lower levels.
These are just a few topics of concern when dealing with high winds. There is so much more to consider. If high winds are occurring or are expected at your worksite, you should be asking yourself, is it safe to proceed with the work we have planned today?
For more information on High Wind Safety, or other construction industry safety questions or concerns, please contact PGM Safety Services, an affilia
te company of Pro Group Management, and we will be happy to assist when you visit us at
www.pgmnv.com
or call (800) 859-3177.
