Dust and debris both have the potential to be dangerous to construction workers. Dust and debris on site may lead to breathing issues, eye injuries, slick walkways and other problems that lead to worker injuries.
Whether you are a contractor or working directly for your employer, it’s important that you know the risks of working around dust and debris. You should receive safety training to help you understand how these hazards could lead to falls, illnesses or deaths. Since dust and debris is likely to gather on your site, you should also know how to mitigate it.
How can you reduce the amount of dust and debris on a construction site?
To make your construction site safer, it’s important to address the amount of dust and debris there. Some easy ways to do this include:
· Watering down the site, which helps cut down on the dust in the air
· Adding polymers if there is no vehicular traffic at the site
· Setting up barriers in indoor spaces to help separate the job from areas producing dust or debris
· Using good ventilation in indoor settings
· Wearing the right personal protective equipment
These are excellent options for lowering the amount of dust and making sure dust and debris stay at safe levels.
Understand the importance of good PPE
By wearing the right amount of personal protective equipment (PPE), and the right PPE, you’ll save yourself from many health conditions. In dusty areas, wearing a mask and using good ventilation techniques is essential.
Having footwear that has good traction also helps. This is because dust and debris may make it more difficult to walk through the construction site safely. Fortunately, added traction helps prevent falls, so that you can keep working safely.
It’s your employer’s responsibility to encourage safe work practices. If you work in a place where dust and debris are likely to cause problems for you, then it’s your employer’s job to get you safety training and to make sure the dust and debris are managed at safe levels. If you get hurt because of these hazards, then you may have a claim against a third party or employer.