Metal Building Construction Safety Tips

Following metal building construction safety guidelines when erecting you building should be your first priority, nothing is more critical than maintaining a safe work environment. Any job that involves heavy machinery, steel beams and rooftops also involves inherent risk, but there are steps we recommend that our clients, contractors and building erectors take to enhance worksite safety and help prevent accidents.

In addition to exercising common sense and not working during adverse weather conditions, it is imperative that everyone on your jobsite follow all Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other local, state and federal guidelines and safety measures when erecting your building. It is also essential that everyone involved have access to emergency phone numbers as well as first aid equipment and procedural information.

Metal Building Outlet also stresses the importance of taking the following steps when raising your steel building.

Always Wear & Use Proper Safety Gear

Always make sure everyone on your jobsite wears eye protection, leather gloves, a hardhat, a safety vest and steel-toed shoes, or rubber-soled shoes for roof work. Adequate fall protection is also essential, with more than 40% of construction worker deaths resulting from falls. Follow all OSHA standards precisely and utilize personal fall arrest systems and safety nets to prevent falls in the open spans that exist between columns and beams.

Always Tie Yourself Off When Installing the Roof

In building erection, “tying off” means making use of your fall protection system so you don’t fall in the event of a trip or slip. This is one of the single-most important steps you can take to protect yourself on the jobsite. A PFA system includes anchorage, body support and connecting elements, and OSHA requires the use of one anytime you face a vertical drop of 6’ or more.

Utilize Temporary Bracing

While erection is ongoing, always secure your project using temporary bracing. A small gust of wind that a completed building could easily withstand can wreak havoc on a partially finished one that isn’t secured by bracing. Using temporary bracing keeps your main framing materials upright and secure while you complete the remainder of the building.

Be Wind-Aware

It’s worth mentioning twice – don’t make the mistake of trying to work in adverse conditions. Wind can make it much more difficult to install the sheeting, and accidents and injuries can occur as a result. Exercise care and caution in windy situations, and know when it’s too windy to work.

Maintain a Strong Jobsite Safety Culture

Make jobsite safety a priority by creating systems and safety protocols to guide your team through every step in the labor process, from unloading and moving the building components to lifting them and using specific types of equipment. Hold daily safety meetings each morning where you outline goals, emphasize safety protocols and make sure your workers take accountability for their own safety and that of everyone else on the jobsite.