When it comes to the setting up and maintenance of a construction site there are a lot of things to remember, and a lot of health and safety regulations that need to be followed.

At times, the amount of paperwork and documentation can appear to be overwhelming. Site set-up is a busy time at the beginning of any project, but this checklist should help you to ensure that you are providing a safe construction site for your workers. 

Health and safety  

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has some very clear guidelines on the things that you will need to do on your site to ensure the safety of your construction workers and anyone who visits your site. This is the case whether they are contractors, those delivering goods or senior management coming to check up on the project. 

Complying with the relevant health and safety regulations is essential; they are there to protect you and your employees and not following them could result in serious injury or even death on your construction site. It will also result in hefty fines, imprisonment and even disqualification from the industry.

The provision of suitable welfare units and site offices like those that can be hired from reputable companies like SRP Hire Solutions is one of the essential things that a health and safety advisor will be looking for when they carry out an audit of your site. 

They will also be looking to ensure that you have the appropriate documentation that clearly evidences the communication of information to your employees to help them work safely on the site. It is good practice to have a prominent noticeboard on display with the following:

•       Health and safety law poster
•       Insurance certificates
•       Traffic management plan 
•       Fire and emergency plan 
•       Safety signage
•       F10 notification 

Welfare units

 It is very important that you have appropriate welfare units on site. These should be of a sufficient size for the size of your construction site and the number of employees you have. Welfare units should include canteen space with appropriate power supply to run a kettle and a microwave to allow your construction workers to access hot food and drinks during the day.

They should also include toilets with sinks, and if possible, some form of shower facilities. Other things to consider within your welfare units are space to store tools securely, a drying room and of course office space to allow day to day administration to take place on site. 

Correct signage

With so many heavy construction vehicles working onsite, and delivery vehicles making regular deliveries, the correct signage is essential to ensure the safety of all your workers. 

This signage should also include no entry signs where applicable, requirements for visitors to report to the site office and of course signage relating to the need for hi-vis and hard hats to be worn by anyone on the site. 

Accidents and emergencies

 Unfortunately, accidents can happen even when all the rules are followed. It is important to have a plan for safe working practices in place to help prevent this. In the event of an accident happening you should have a clear plan in place, and it is important to remember that first aid provisions are a legal requirement. You should also have a qualified first aider on site, and an accident book (another legal requirement). Any accidents that occur must be noted in the book for legal purposes. 

You should also have access to fire extinguishers on site as well, and this may necessitate several different types of extinguishers to cover you for a range of fires.