Project Safety Information Every Crew Should Know

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When mobilizing onto a project, there are several site-specific safety items that your crew needs to know and understand.  This is IMPORTANT for them, for you, & for your relationship with the client.

I have listed a dozen important considerations I’ve addressed over 35 years as a safety professional, but as you know, depending on scope of work and where you are, there can always be more.

1. Whose rules apply – This is pre-mobilization.  About half of US states have their own state-administered OSHA plan rather than falling under federal OSHA jurisdiction.  In these states (www.osha.gov/stateplans), some regulations may differ from federal OSHA and the OSHA poster that is required to be displayed on the job may be state-specific.  Beyond this, you may be working for a client who has their own safety rules that are more stringent than OSHA’s. 

Leading up to the job, make sure your crew knows of any rules that vary from what their normal protocols or previous training was based on.

2. General site – Make sure your crew knows these general safety items… for their own benefit and in the event they are interviewed as part of a safety audit or OSHA inspection.

1. Drinking water – Make sure your crew knows where it is & that it is provided for them (even if they bring their own).  Instruct supervisors to keep it close to work areas so that it is quickly accessible & encourages frequent hydration.  In hot weather, be aware that some states may mandate a minimum quantity.
2. Emergency plan – No one expects an emergency to happen, but if it does will your crew know what to do?  What is the emergency # to call, what is the address of the worksite, where is the 1^st aid kit, is there an AED onsite, who is trained in 1^st aid/CPR, what is the evacuation signal & rally point?  Go over this information with your crew upon mobilization & if any of it changes.  Make sure your subs know it too.
3. PPE expectations – OSHA frequently cites for lack of PPE in construction.  Make sure your crew knows what PPE is required for the job and make sure your supervisors have an adequate supply on site.  Be aware that if a respirator (including dust masks) is required for any task, those wearers must be medically evaluated, trained, & (most) fit tested.
4. Power line locations – When cranes, lifts, ladders, scaffolds, or heavy equipment is being used, adequate clearance to energized power lines is critical.  When mobilizing (& regularly afterward), assess the site for PL location and whether work may bring your crew into proximity with them.  Identify the lines, communicate minimum required clearance, and specify expected safety protocols.

3. Fall protection – Likely your biggest exposure on the job relates to falls.  Fall protection is a national emphasis of OSHA’s, and while the concept is not difficult, compliance can be complicated with different rules for different exposures on different jobs in different states. 

Make sure your crew knows what the plan is for their work on THIS job.  This should be reviewed at least every morning as part of the job huddle.  Make sure they know what is required, when, and also how to inspect, install, & use it.  Provide on-site training, if needed.

Ensure supervisors know they are responsible for conducting a pre-shift inspection to identify fall hazards, ensure FP is in place, & ensure work surfaces are stable.  They are also responsible for having a rescue plan (if using personal fall arrest system) and for enforcing FP expectations.

4. Heat illness prevention – During hot weather, treat this as seriously as fall protection and understand that this is also a national emphasis of OSHA’s.  (In fact, some states already have their own heat illness prevention standard.)

Make sure your plan addresses availability of cool drinking water, provision of shaded or cooled areas for breaks & heat relief, and a protocol for hydration/cool-down periods.  Make sure your crew is trained in recognizing symptoms of heat illness and knows how to react. 

You may have additional measures built around employee heat management, but make sure your crew takes this – especially hydration – very seriously.

5. Lifts – Make sure operators have been trained on the equipment being used and that they are inspecting it and the work area before use.

1. Aerial/scissor lifts – Aerial lifts are now OSHA’s #1 cited for steel/metal building system erectors.  Make sure your crew is provided appropriate fall protection for aerial lift tie-off (usually class 2 retractables for the harnesses) and that they know whether tie-off in scissor lifts is required on this job.  Note that standing on toeboards & railings are considered fall protection violations (even if tied-off). 
2. Forklifts – Make sure operators are trained, wear their SEATBELTS, and have had their skills evaluated within the past 3 yrs.  They must know load weights, how to read load charts, and lift manufacturer limitations on attachments and rigging to the lift.

6. Erection plan – A good erection plan maps out to your crew and client how your erection work will be carried out, and in the process, how OSHA concerns will be managed. 

There is a great sample erection plan template in the members section of MBCEA’s app/website.  Check it out!  Make sure those involved in rigging & crane signaling are both trained and qualified for their assigned tasks.

7. Scaffolding & ladders – These are broad categories that generate many OSHA construction fines… mainly because users either do not know or ignore the regs governing their use.

Both have specific training requirements.  Make sure your crews have received this training and that the equipment is being inspected before use.  If they will be using scaffolding, make sure they are trained in the proper inspection, set-up, use, & tear-down of the specific system.

8. Tools & equipment – This relates to the previous topic but is expanded in scope.  Make sure…

1. Tools & equipment are being inspected prior to use and are in good condition.  Make sure all guards & safety devices are in place and are properly adjusted.
2. Anyone using a tool/equipment has first been trained in its proper & safe operation.
3. Cords have ground prongs (except double insulated tools).  Make sure all extension cords are plugged into a functioning GFCI (unless an AEGC program is used). 
4. Driven motorized equipment have back-up/motion alarms that are audible above surrounding noise levels.
5. Welding electrodes are not left in unattended holders.

9. Hot work permits (HWP) – Make sure your crew knows HWP expectations for this job and what work tasks constitute “hot work”.  With OSHA, a HWP is required if hot work occurs within 35 ft. of something that can burn and requires a minimum 1-hr. fire watch.  Client, city, or other jurisdictional requirements may be more stringent &/or require a lengthier submittal/approval process.
10. SDS & product labels – Make sure you have SDS for all products you bring onsite.  Make sure everyone has ready access to these – employees, other contractors, & client personnel.  This means these people do not have to go through a supervisor to gain access.  As they work, your crew should be ensuring containers have legible labels that show what’s in the container & associated hazards.  Fuel cans often are missing these and can lead to costly fines (several thousand $$)!
11. Silica dust mitigation – This is usually not your biggest exposure but it’s likely present on your job.  It is very important to OSHA as it is one of their national emphasis topics and associated fines are costly.

Silica dust exposures must be controlled – think cutting, sawing, drilling, grinding, jackhammering, or anything that creates concrete, grout, masonry/brick, asphalt dust.  Use water or HEPA vacuum – dust masks alone are not acceptable.  Make sure your crew knows what activities create silica dust exposures and what they are expected to do to mitigate it.

12. Clarify expectations – Rules, plans, & training are important but can be limited in effectiveness if expectation and accountability are lacking.

1. Crew – Make sure your crew understands that safety is foremost about their ability to make a good living and then go home to enjoy it.  While OSHA compliance is important, it is secondary to your commitment to their wellbeing.

Make sure your crew understands expectations relating to STOP WORK AUTHORITY and FIX or REPORT concerns.  If they are unsure what to do, what safety precautions are needed, or how to do something safely, they need to ASK.

FIX or REPORT relates to hazard identification.  Make sure your crew knows to walk the site with their eyes open and, if they spot a concern, either fix it or report it.  Hazards left for the boss to find often will first result in injury or fine.

2. Supervisor – They have the responsibility to ACTIVELY manage safety on the project.  Make sure there is a process in place to account for this (inspections, daily huddles, JSAs, etc.). Competent person’s inability to manage safety on the job is one of OSHA’s top 10 citations in construction. 

Also, make sure they remember that when it comes to OSHA, what they DO & SAY is on behalf of your company.

3. Everyone – Always assume you’ve been under surveillance.  The second we think no one is watching, someone usually is.  Make sure everyone understands your expectation in terms of doing the right thing even when no one seems to be watching.  Again, this is foremost about their wellbeing, but we also can’t afford injuries, being thrown off the job, or regulatory fines.

While there is so much to unpack on a topic like this, I hope this provides some guidance to get started.  Good luck!

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