Calling in the Contractors

Safety Measures Builders Should Observe

20 January 2022 by Frank Elliott

An oversight homeowners make when hiring builders is hiring the professionals based on their quotes. However, a low quote does not always mean quality work. As a homeowner, you should make further assessments to establish the builder's expertise. An area of concern is the builder's safety techniques. Below is an article detailing the safety measures that your builder should observe. 

Site Assessments

A site assessment helps the builder understand the conditions that they work in. For instance, they will know the weather and soil at the site. Besides, the inspection helps them determine how they will prepare for the building works. For example, if you intend to renovate your home, the builder will inspect the property for asbestos and structural defects. These risks could endanger the lives of builders at the site. Finally, the inspection helps the builder determine whether they need permits to build on your property. 

Using High-Quality Equipment

Builders often use scaffolding, electric tools and plant equipment when building. The rule is that the builder should use appropriate and high-quality equipment. For example, a cantilever scaffold would be ideal when building on unstable soils. Moreover, the scaffolding and plant equipment used at the site should have appropriate weight limits. The builder should inspect the equipment to identify mechanical and structural defects at the earliest possible stage. 

Employee Discipline

Undisciplined employees endanger the lives of everyone at the site. Therefore, the builder must develop site rules. For example, employees must wear safety clothing when accessing the site. Besides, they should use the equipment according to the manufacturer specifications. For instance, they should not use standards to board scaffolds. Additionally, they should not exceed a scaffold's or plant equipment's lift limits. The builder should also have an emergency plan to reduce human suffering in case of an accident. For example, some employees should have first aid training. 

Quality Control

How will the builder assess their work? There is a likelihood that a self-assessment will be biased even if everything is fine. Moreover, you may not have the knowledge to tell whether the builder follows the blueprints. For this reason, the professional should hire an independent building surveyor to appraise their work. Usually, the surveyors have a practising licence from the local council. As such, they are compelled to give an impartial assessment. The surveyors can halt construction work if something needs to be tightened or redone. A surveyor's certificate guarantees that the construction works meet the required local and nationwide standards. 

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