As a contractor, part of doing business involves being proactive in taking care of your workers. After all, if you are keeping your worksite clean and safe, you are decreasing potential liability concerns and workers compensation claims. If you are looking for contractor’s insurance near you in California, then it is important to understand the things you need to keep in mind to minimize claims and keep your insurance costs down.
With that in mind, here are six ways to avoid slips, trips, and falls during the fall season that will help you to minimize potential claims.
Keep the Worksite Clean of Leaves
One of the biggest realities during the fall is that leaves are covering everything. If your construction crew is going to be working outside, then those leaves have the potential to be a hazard for slips, trips, and falls. Therefore, it is important to make cleaning these leaves off of your equipment, ladders, and scaffolding a regular part of your routine.
Keep Up Housekeeping
Even though it can be easy to do cleaning at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day, the truth is that good construction housekeeping skills is key to keep your crew safe and avoid potential hazards. That means having someone who consistently walks the site and picks up nails, sweeps away leaves, and keeps stairways and surfaces clear of potential trip hazards.
Indoors, that same person could also be sweeping throughout the space and doing other housekeeping tasks to limit potential tripping hazards.
Use Sand and Salt Where Necessary
With the onsite of fall, there is a shift in temperature. You might be working during the warmer part of the day, but at night, ice and water can build up on the site, causing potential slipping hazards. Keep salt and sand on hand that can be spread to reduce slipping. If you are indoors, then make sure that non-slip mats are available. Make sure that your workers are frequently cleaning off their shoes, especially if they are going in and out of the work area. They can bring in dirt and water, which can turn into slipping hazards.
Create Barriers Around Holes and Openings
Depending on where your work site is, you may have holes or openings that are necessary to complete your construction work. To avoid falls, clearly mark the holes and openings using cones and flags or other barriers. OSHA defines a hole as a “gap or space more than 2 inches wide in any horizontal working surface, and an opening as a gap or space at least 30 inches high and at least 18 inches wide in a vertical surface through which a person could fall.” Covers, railings, and toe boards are also available to prevent falls and trips.
Train Employees to Identify and Address Hazards
The truth is that all your employees need to be active in addressing potential hazards. Train them to look for hazards and to deal with them promptly. Doing so can help to avoid falls, trips, and slips. Make sure they understand that speed and progress is not as important as keeping everyone safe throughout the course of the project.
Have Contractor’s Insurance in Place
Another way to protect your business and employees is to have contractor’s insurance in place to make sure that you have coverage if an accidental trip, slip, or fall were to occur. Our team can walk you through your current coverage and help to determine if you have enough of the right coverage. Contact us today to review your current coverage and your insurance needs.
Top Contractors Insurance Services is a full-service contractor insurance agency handling workers compensation, general liability, construction bonds, and auto quotes.