By Billy Wong

Read this heart breaking trial held on November 15, 2007 at Waterloo, Canada.

Stephen Rendall, a superintendent for Cox Construction, was asked what he would do if a worker on foot walked into the “danger zone” around an excavator. That’s the area around the machine where the bucket could swing in a circle and hit someone.

A worker on a construction site who walked near a hydraulic shovel excavator while the machine was still moving would be reprimanded and maybe even dismissed, said a supervisor for a Guelph company on trial in a construction fatality.

Cox faces several charges in connection with the death of Lorne Weber on Sept.14 2005.Weber was run over by an excavator on a work site.

Several people have testified that it wasn’t unusual for a worker to be walking near an excavator. But workers never approached a moving excavator without first making eye contact with the operator and then using a hand signal, the trial has heard and some employees said they didn’t feel Sittler, 78, was a safe excavator operator, partly due to his age.

This is yet another trial regarding accidents frequently happening in worksite. Let us not discuss whether this accident occurred due to negligence of Sittler who is too old to work, or the sole responsibility of this tragedy belongs to Stephen Rendall who employed Sittler a 78 year old man. But let us discuss, what are the safety measures that can be taken in worksites or at construction places.

Take Precautions of electrical equipment:

There are high chances to get electrical shocks in construction places. So it is necessary for workers to wear rubber gloves and boots, which are insulated. Electrical wiring should not be strung across the work areas and water should not be allowed in these places.

Take care of elevating equipment:

Make sure whether ladders are in proper state or not. If it is defective, it should be removed immediately or marked such that no one will use it by mistake in the work place. The ladder rungs must be kept clean with no traces of oil and grease.

Try to keep all your equipment in order:

Ensure that debris is not left lying around in the construction site. Also, any equipment that is used during work should be careful stored away after use and not left as it is, as workers might trip or slip on this equipment. Safety belts should always be worn if a worker is working at a height, as this is one of the main reasons for death during construction.

Proper Lighting:

If you are working inside a closed area that too at night, make proper lighting arrangements. The rate of construction site accidents skyrockets when working at night due to insufficient lighting. Proper lighting may include floodlights, barricade lights and especially lights on head gear.

Make full use of modern gadgets:

Other than hand signals use walikie talkies, signaling devices, radios to communicate with one another at construction sites.

Follow these safety measures and reduce risk of accidents at your construction places. Let us try to minimize these accidents and trials in future.

About the Author: The Craft Projects International (CPI) a Hong Kong based Co. has been providing the clients with quality, innovative and hassle-free construction solutions since 1995.Visit here

cpint.hk/projects.php

to get more work details of the largest and most prestigious steel and cladding projects.

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