Safety First

The pressure is growing. You’re behind schedule, and the heat is on to finish this job. You trust your construction crew, but you need them to work double-time if you’re going to catch up. Now the pressure is on them and on you. While walking by the scaffolding you notice that something doesn’t look right. The guardrail is missing, and the structure looks wobbly. You ask the crew to fix the scaffolding, and they give you two options: spend time building the scaffold or spend time building the house. Which do you choose?

Your instinct may be to let the scaffolding issue slide and let them focus on the house; after all, staying on schedule puts money in your pocket. The sad reality is that falling is the number one cause of construction-related deaths, so don’t think of time spent on safety issues as wasted time—putting safety first is critical for preventing accidents, legal actions, and financial damage. Familiarize yourself with best practices for fall prevention, and you can help to prevent many of these accidents. OSHA is your best source if you’re looking for specific safety regulations, though sometimes the best way to remember what to do is to know what not to do. The following examples of what not to do may seem unbelievable, but they’re not uncommon.

Top 5 Unsafe Practices NOT to Do

	This worker isn’t using a scaffold at all. Instead, he’s balancing on the framing and leaning out and up across the wall while using a nail gun. Using a scaffold would allow him to have secure footing, mobility, and two free hands.
	This walkway is an unacceptable way to access a scaffold.
	This makeshift scaffold obviously isn’t safe. It has no guardrails and inadequate planking. It shouldn’t be used as a work platform.
	The platform of this boom lift has no guardrails, and the workers aren’t wearing personal fall arrest systems (PFAS). If the platform moves suddenly, or if one of the workers loses his balance, both workers are likely to fall.
	This is an example of bad footing and can cause the structure to be unstable.

Neglecting to take the necessary safety measures can have serious, even deadly consequences. As if that’s not bad enough, there are financial consequences that come with shutting down a construction site, as thousands of dollars are lost each day that the site is closed. There will also be an OSHA investigation of the death and possible fines if their regulations weren’t followed.

The next time you’re faced with a choice between safe scaffolding and getting the job done on time, know that you have a third choice—one without second guesses. Choose safety first and know that you made the right decision.