Pre-Work Start-Up Safety Checklist for Contractors

Gary Auman (www.amfdayton.com) is a Partner in the law firm of Auman, Mahan, and Furry in Dayton, Ohio. He graduated with an electrical engineering degree from the University of Louisville in 1969 and a law degree from The Ohio State University in 1976. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1969–1973. His practice focuses on counseling and defending employers in safety and health matters. In 2002, Auman was awarded the Distinguished Service to Safety Award by the National Safety Council. He is a staunch advocate for safety in the workplace and is an aggressive advocate for employers who have been cited by OSHA, defending employers across the United States. He has worked with OSHA in its development of safety and health standards and frequently works with employers and OSHA to find workable solutions to OSHA enforcement actions. Auman also represents 4 national and regional trade associations in the construction industry. He can be reached at gwa@amfdayton.com.

Regardless of size, safety should be a key
component of every job, and contractors should make safety planning a priority
when they are creating their bids. The cost of having a safe job site should be
considered and made part of the bid; and if the contractor gets the job, it
should be treated as an integral part of the project. When contractors visit
job sites to obtain project information, they should also be evaluating safety
concerns to outline what is needed to finish the job safely and in compliance
with all applicable codes, standards, etc.

When assessing a job site, it is important to keep in mind what you need
to accomplish and anything you may need on site when you start the job. Once
you have a contract, it is time to make decisions about the things you need to
have before you begin work.

The following is a starter list of points to consider before beginning
any project (or workday):

1. Address
   all fall protection issues. These include, but are not limited to, ensuring
   that warning lines or guardrails are properly erected (where appropriate),
   personal fall-arrest equipment is in place, and adequate anchors are in place
   for the personal fall-arrest equipment. It is also important to make sure that
   employees are wearing their personal fall-arrest equipment correctly.
2. If scaffolding is going to be used, ensure that it
   is properly erected. This includes, but is not limited to, barricading areas
   under scaffolds to prevent anyone from passing or working below employees who
   are on the scaffold. Additionally, make sure all guardrails and toe boards are
   in place for any scaffold work areas more than 10 feet above the ground.
3. Be sure that all employees are wearing proper personal
   respiratory protective equipment if an initial exposure assessment is being
   performed or if it is deemed necessary by the completed exposure assessment.
4. Walk
   the site and ensure that all floor holes, holes in walls, and open-sided floors
   are either covered correctly or guarded.
5. Check
   the use of electricity on the job site. Use ground fault circle interrupters
   (GFCIs) wherever necessary, and verify that all electrical cords are undamaged
   and have 3-pronged plugs in place.
6. Properly
   label all containers of hazardous materials on site and ensure that copies of
   all safety data sheets are readily available to all employees on the site, and
   all employees have been trained to read the safety data sheets and the labels
   on all hazardous materials.
7. Determine if any other contractor’s employees or
   the customer’s employees will be on the site; this may create hazards for your
   employees. If this is the case, take all steps necessary to protect
   your employees and other personnel from potential hazards.
8. Provide
   sufficient cool, potable water on site for all of your employees if you will be
   working in a high-heat environment. In addition, make sure cooling-off areas
   are available and are located in relative close proximity to where your
   employees will be working.
9. Ensure
   that any powered equipment that you may have on site has been inspected for
   safety issues before any employees are permitted to operate it, and all
   necessary safety inspection forms have been properly completed. Also, make sure
   that any employees on site who may be tasked to operate such equipment have
   been properly trained and that training documentation is on file.
10. Confirm
    that all employees on site have been properly trained in all aspects of safety,
    including, but not limited to, hazard recognition.