This GBCA Safety Toolbox Talk provides reminders about keeping yourself and the public safe around the jobsite. Click below to download the Toolbox Talk as a one-page handout.
Public Safety Near Construction Sites
Construction site incidents are not limited to those impacting construction workers. Many incidents involve members of the public. We protect workers through on-going training, but we need to take extra measures to ensure that the public walking or driving by, which is not trained in identifying construction hazards, stays safe near construction sites.
Maintaining a safe construction site includes making it safe for the public. It is our responsibility to protect the public by minimizing hazards on and near the job site.
What We Can Do to Aid in Public Safety:
- Maintain clearly marked boundaries between the construction zone and public space.
- When using high reaches on sidewalks or roadways, be sure to install effective barricades around and under the work zone.
- Use tool tethers to keep tools from falling.
- When lifting a load, keep the public aware of lifts overhead, and barricaded away from the lift area.
- Ensure that workers wear high visibility clothing on site and roadways.
Check the Following Issues Around the Job Site:
- Any holes near the worksite should be fenced in or otherwise guarded so no one accidently steps in the wrong place.
- Any excavations or trenches must be properly protected so no one falls in and so that the ground nearby doesn’t become unstable.
- Maintain safety netting and barricades properly so that they are effective.
- Make sure that temporary construction-related traffic pattern changes are clearly marked, and be aware of inattentive drivers who may not see the pattern change.
