Construction sites should be adhering to best practice in terms of hygienic workplace facilities. It is therefore a legal requirement to provide a workplace that has sufficient toilets, showers, change rooms and eating areas that are clean and hygienic. The work environment must also have adequate lighting and ventilation and workers must be protected from excessive noise and heat.

Lighting

Adequate lighting must be provided in dark areas such as stairwells and basements. In plant and storage yards a survey should be conducted to determine if the lighting provided complies with the minimum requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Ventilation

Make sure the areas where persons are working are suitably ventilated.  Extraction and exhaustion systems must be installed in areas that are not suitably ventilated.  Common hazardous areas that require these systems would include places where chemicals and adhesives are used, where welding takes place, or where a petrol or diesel motor is running in a confined space or basement. The plant yard’s spray and sandblasting booth should be subjected to a survey to determine if the ventilation is adequate.

Noise

Loud noise over long periods of time can lead to permanent hearing loss, therefore it is extremely important that all reasonable steps are taken to reduce noise levels at the source. Areas where noise levels exceed 85dB must be suitably identified with signage requiring persons to wear appropriate hearing protection. Workers must adhere to these warning signs at all times to avoid any chance of permanent hearing loss. It is recommended to conduct noise surveys at the plant yard to determine the level of sound that workers are exposed to.

Heat stress

In extreme climate conditions it is very important to make sure the correct measures are taken to prevent heat exhaustion in problematic areas, such as steel deck work and a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index of 30 ° C. Cold drinking water must be made readily available when extreme temperatures are experienced.   It is imperative that workers take in adequate amounts of water during the course of their working day as dehydration can be detrimental to workers’ health.

Ablutions

Construction sites must have suitable facilities available to its workers and it is vital that these facilities are clean and well maintained.

These are the requirements regarding ablution facilities:

• There must be 1 toilet provided for every 30 employees with toilet paper available at all times.
• There must be 1 shower available for every 15 employees.
• Soap must be made available for washing hands, as well as a means for drying hands.
• Separate changing areas and facilities must be provided for females.
• There must also be adequate storage facilities provided in the change rooms.
• It is very important to keep all ablution facilities clean at all times.

Eating/cooking facilities

A suitable, weather-protected area must be designated as an eating area which is separate from the changing area. An adequate amount of refuse-bins with lids must be made available in this area. Should food be prepared and cooked on site, it is advisable that the local Health Department approve the facilities.

Pollution of environment

A Pollution Policy which is signed by the CEO must be published on site. Make sure that there are adequate measures in place to control dust generated on site. A good practice is to water gravel roads on a daily basis. Ensure that empty cement pockets, plastic wrappings, bags and packing material are correctly accumulated and disposed of in the correct manner. Make sure that no oil, chemicals or fuels such as petrol and diesel are discarded into storm water drains. Only dispose of this in the correct manner and obtain a certificate from the service provider that disposed it. 

Hazardous chemicals

If there are hazardous substances being used on site, such as diesel, oil, cement, thinners, paint, acids and degreasers it is essential that they are identified and recorded, with a list of such made available. These substances must be stored safely with segregation principles being applied at all times. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) indicating hazardous properties and emergency procedures in case of incidents must be on file and readily available.

Neil Enslin | Occupational Health & Safety Manager

Sources: 

• OHS Act and its Regulations
• MBSA Audit system and construction manual