PROJECT SAFETY STARTUP GUIDE 9
9.3 SAFETY BULLETIN BOARD
Safety bulletin board is an excellent way to communicate project safety information to the crafts, which in turn helps to improve employee safety awareness . The board should include safety bulletins, safety newsletters, safety posters, accident statistics, safety-related educational materials, government regulatory agency citations, OSHA 300A summary logs, and safety awards . Depending on the project location, bilingual posters may be required to be posted .
The safety bulletin board should be installed in a prominent location where all workers will see it . It could be at the jobsite trailer entrance, site orientation area, or in the lunch tent . Each location has its benefits; however, the important thing is that the employees should have access to this board to review safety related information .
Projects should ensure compliance with DOSH safety bulletin board requirements (WAC 296-800- 19005), and all other applicable local, state, and federal posting requirements . According to WAC 296-155-115, “there shall be installed and maintained in every fixed establishment (the place where employees regularly report to work) employing eight or more persons, a safety bulletin board sufficient in size to display and post safety bulletins, newsletters, posters, accident statistics and other safety educational material .” Common materials that should be posted on the bulletin board include:
Federal Employment/Safety Posters ο Federal Minimum Wage
ο Employee Rights – Employee Polygraph Protection Act ο Unemployment Benefits
ο Federal Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act
ο Your Rights Under USERRA – The Uniformed Services Employment ο Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Poster
ο Employment Rights on Government Contracts ο Equal Employment Opportunity
ο Employee Rights and Responsibilities Under the Family and Medical Leave Act ο DOSH Citations and notices (if received)
ο OSHA 300A summary form during February 1st to April 30th
State-Specific Employment/Safety Posters ο Washington State Minimum Wage
ο Your Rights as a Worker in Washington State ο WISHA poster
ο Notice to Employees—If a job injury occurs ο Your rights as a nonagricultural worker ο Washington State Self-insurance poster
Recommended Safety Program Information
ο Company Safety Policy or Mission Statement ο Site Specific Emergency Procedure Plan
ο Emergency Contact Information – site contact, fire, hospital, DOSH, EPA, and other regulating agencies .
ο Names and Contacts of First Aid/CPR or EMT Certified Employees ο Key Site Supervision after-hours contact information
ο Designated Medical Provider Information/maps to clinic
ο Safety meeting minutes including accident information and lessons learned ο Weekly activity information
ο Names of safety committee members and work phone numbers
ο Notices for upcoming meetings, training, or other safety-related events
Some projects will last several years, and it is important to ensure that the information on the board is up-to-date . It is important to receive safety/employment posters from reliable organizations such as trusted vendors, AGC, which can be trusted to notify you when new posters are developed with updated information .
Figure 9-1: Example Safety Bulletin Board (Picture Courtesy BNBuilders) 9.4 SITE SIGNAGE AND FENCING
One of the first things to do before the start of actual construction activities is the installation of a temporary construction security fence to delineate the construction area . Sites where it is not possible other types of barriers should be considered . It should be followed by ordering and posting the following signs on the site fence, as needed:
DANGER Construction Area – Keep out
Construction Site - No Trespassing Signs
NOTICE Authorized Personnel Only
Hard Hat Area
NOTICE – All Visitors Must Report to Site Office
All activities monitored by video camera
Safety Rules Signage
Safety Warning Signage
Note: Depending on the project location, bilingual warning signs may be required to be posted . 9.5 SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND FIRST AID SUPPLIES
Construction projects get busy once you break ground . It is important that the project team ensure that adequate and ample safety equipment and supplies are available at the project before the need arise . A lockable storage cabinet or Knaack box should be used to store extra First-aid supplies and safety equipment . The readers should ensure the project complies with all DOSH first-aid supplies requirements (296-155 WAC and 296-800 WAC) and PPE requirements (296-155 WAC) .
Recommended Basic Personal Protective Equipment ο Hard hats
ο Gloves
ο Safety glasses and side shields ο Hearing protection
ο Respiratory protection and related supplies ο Safety vests
ο Sturdy work boots
Recommended Safety Equipment and Supplies ο Automated external defibrillator (AED)
ο First Aid Kits in ample numbers for the job site ο Eye wash liquids
ο Fire extinguishers in ample numbers for the job site
ο Warning signs/Safety Sings – for example, “NOTICE – Report all accidents and injuries no matter how small, to your supervisor at once .”
ο Lockout/tag out supplies ο Barricade
Caution Tape, Custom Caution Signs, and yellow ropes
Danger Tape, Custom Danger Signs, and red ropes
Traffic Control Candle Sticks ο Snow Fence and fence T-posts ο Traffic Control Signage
ο Fall protection/prevention equipment ο HAZMAT spill kits
Emergency Equipment and Supplies (see Chapter 17 Construction Site Emergency Management)
Communication Equipment (see Chapter 17 Construction Site Emergency Management)
Figure 9-2: Example Safety Station/Bulletin Board with weather protection (Picture Courtesy BNBuilders)
Figure 9-3 Example of Safety PPE Cabinet (Picture Courtesy of Korsmo Construction)
Figure 9-4 Project Safety Kiosk (Picture Courtesy of Hensel Phelps Construction) 9.6 PROJECT SAFETY OFFICE
Having a dedicated space available for safety related activities and storing safety equipment and supplies is critical to the successful implementation of the project . Large-scale construction sites, depending on budget and space, can provide a dedicated small job trailer as the safety office . Small-scale project sites should at the least designate a small office within a trailer as the safety area . The safety office should:
Be secure with a door and a lock – all project-related safety records will be typically stored in this office including extremely sensitive employee records .
Have a first-aid kit and a sink with running water – could be used to provide first aid for crafts .
Have several storage cabinets to store all the safety equipment, and supplies discussed above .
Be equipped with a computer with internet, printer, phone, and fax – it could be used to receive confidential employee records . The room can also be used when employees are communicated with drug and alcohol test results or disciplinary action .
Have a conference/training room near or within the safety office area to conduct site orientations, if possible . If so, the room should also be equipped with audio-visual equipment, enough space for seating and tables, and ample office supplies .
Note: On projects where the safety office does not have enough space, it is recommended to use a Connex storage container to store all safety equipment or find an adequate area for conducting the site orientation .