Two safety measures that should be taken during marina construction projects

Posted on: 1 December 2017

When construction work needs to be performed close to a body of water, precautions must be taken to ensure that everyone involved remains safe. Here are two of the most important safety measures that should be taken during marina construction projects.

Provide workers with protective garments

Labourers who are tasked with performing work that could put them at risk of falling into the water should be provided with protective clothing that will reduce their chances of drowning or developing a life-threatening condition (such as hypothermia) if they end up in the water.

At the very minimum, they should be given a lifejacket (to keep them buoyant) and a wetsuit (to keep their body temperatures at a normal level if they have to stay in cold water for more than a few minutes).

Lifejackets should be worn by all workers deemed to be at risk of falling into the sea, even if they consider themselves to be strong swimmers. This is important, as even the most skilled swimmer could struggle to keep their head above water if there are powerful waves or a strong undercurrent.

The condition of both the lifejackets and wetsuits should be checked each day before the workers put them on. If any holes or other forms of damage are discovered, the workers should wait until they are given replacements before they begin their assigned tasks.

Take extra care when operating construction equipment

Excavators, loaders, bulldozers and other heavy construction equipment can present a risk to those that operate them, even when they are used on dry land.

However, construction equipment of this kind can be particularly hazardous when it used during marina construction projects, as there is significant chance that it could topple into the water if it is handled incorrectly. If this should happen whilst the operator is inside the equipment cab, they could end up sustaining a severe injury or drowning.

To prevent this from happening, extra care should be taken when using this equipment. For example, this type of machinery should never be operated close to the edge of the water, or on platforms above the water that are not designed to hold its heavy weight.

It is also essential to ensure that any construction equipment which needs to lift and transport heavy materials is not overloaded. If it is, the equipment could be thrown off balance and could topple over into the water, in which case both the operator and anyone working nearby could be seriously hurt.

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