No matter how often we hear stories or are instructed in the procedures of safety, we can never be too careful. You can do a thing right for one hundred times, and then the time that you don’t can be your demise. When starting in carpentry, I noticed people in the trade who were missing digits on their hands. It made an impression on me to always be mindful of what power equipment can do.

Fortunately, in all my years in construction, I have never been in a situation where anyone was seriously injured. But, one wrong move and that can change.

Here are my top safety tips for you:

1. Take care of your equipment. Frayed electrical lines, dull saw blades, worn ladders, etc. are generally the things that will get you hurt. Every construction worker should realize that a part of every work day has to be devoted to making sure all tools and equipment are in good shape.

2. Work in a clean environment. You may not sweep the floors every day, but you can make sure that any materials to be reused are put in a designated place. Boards with nails protruding are one of the largest causes of injuries for carpenters. Every trade that works on your job should clean up HIS mess on a daily basis. It is one of the hardest lessons to teach, as I have seen on large projects and small.

3. If you are digging, be sure to have all buried utilities located first. It is a free service in our area, but you have to give them 72 hours after your call. This delay is probably the best one you’ll ever have in construction.

4. When working up high, take proper measures not to fall. Why do you think roofers pay such high insurance rates? If you are working on a roof, tie yourself off or pay the dough for a lanyard and line. A fall from twenty feet or so can be deadly. With scaffolds, most do it your selfers are going to use wooden boards to walk on. Be sure that those boards don’t have large knots in them. Use handrails for those dangerous heights.

5. If you don’t know how to do it, learn about it before trying. I’ve never felt you could read a book and suddenly know all the answers to doing anything. You may not even know what problems you can have until you are involved in the task. You should be able to determine what the primary safety issues are before starting. If it is dangerous and you don’t think you can do it, don’t.

These are, by no means, the only safety concerns you should have. Most of safety is common sense. Think about safety every day you work in construction, just as you should each time you drive a car. We all make mistakes. The fewer you make in construction, the more fingers you keep.

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