Temperature as a challenge
Over the past year, we have once again seen all sorts of extreme conditions from hot weather to storm and frost at the construction site. When working outdoors in an open space, you need to be prepared for a variety of weather conditions.
The winter differed from the normal winter with a large amount of snow. Snow in itself is not an issue for work, but a particularly snowy winter brings challenges to creating a safe work environment. The most common accidents at work in summer and winter include slipping and tripping at work or commuting to work. As guessed in winter, due to snow and ice, accidents, especially slipping, are unfortunately common, and special attention should be paid to their prevention. Anti-slip action usually starts with plowing, where the areas in which areas where people move on foot are prioritized to be plowed first. Often, plowing alone helps the situation significantly, as the gravel field is already uneven as such and usually does not become a skating rink. Sanding sand and / or salt is provided at the workplaces, which can be applied to the routes if necessary. When walking on site, you can use studded safety shoes or detachable studs, which are available on site. However, n reinforcement and casting work, a large part of the day is spent walking on reinforcements that freeze as the temperature drops to minus degrees. When walking on reinforcements, studs or sanding will not help, so one must really take special care when moving on the reinforcements, and make sure you have enough breaks during the day.
Generators and other electrical equipment are kept on site in the near the work area, and the electrical wires can get hidden under even a small amount of snow. Hardstands can also have loose lifting straps or disposable slings that can be tripped over if they go unnoticed under the snow. For this reason, cleanliness and order, especially in winter, is something you need to take care of every single day and make sure your workplace is left tidy at the end of the day. In addition, nothing should be stored on the walkways and all materials are kept neatly in place.
At the other extreme, a particularly hot summer brings challenges to occupational safety. Last summer was like this. Even in the summer, the most common occupational accident is tripping. In hot conditions, the risk of accidents is exacerbated by heat-related problems, such as fainting or heat exhaustion. When doing physical work in a windless pit, you really need to take care of adequate fluid intake and breaks from work. Long-sleeved and long-legged clothing makes hot working conditions even more challenging, but it is a necessity to avoid cuts and various burns. Long clothes also protect from UV radiation of the sun, from which protection can easily be forgotten. Efforts have been made to combat the disadvantages caused by heat by taking care of adequate breaks and availability of beverages for example. In addition, for safety and quality reasons, work steps such as castings, can be transferred to work at night.
Occupational safety is an issue that requires daily review by everyone working on the site. Different conditions and rules sometimes cause challenges and sometimes frustration on the job site. However, each of us has the right to get home healthy after a working day, which is why we have the occupational safety day.
