On construction sites, surveyors face many different hazards while completing their work. It is important to evaluate the work environment and eliminate as many hazards as possible prior to beginning surveying activities onsite. Construction sites presents the most dangerous industry in terms of injury. Though land surveyors aren’t necessarily ranked as construction workers, they often perform their duties in similarly hazardous circumstances. When land surveyor’s services are required on a construction sites, it is important they are briefed on that site’s safety procedure. It is the surveyor’s right and duty to wear appropriate safety gear such as hard hats, eye and ear protection.
“Firstly one would need to understand the environment they will be working in. A simple example of this is just on the conti suits, if you are working in an environment that deals with chemicals and flammable liquids then it would be wise to wear clothing (Conti Suit) that is chemical and flame retarded, meaning that should acid splash onto the suit then it does not penetrate to your skin,” elaborates Sizwe Jantjie of KTF Africa.
On big constructions sites, many time surveyors have to endure carrying out surveying activities around excavators, bulldozers, dump trucks among other heavy equipment. This is because site operations cannot be shut down for surveying or any other single work tasks to be completed. Instead, hazards need to be considered and safety precautions put in place to ensure surveying task can be completed safely.
“To guarantee a safe working environment for your workers, you need to provide them with the correct specified PPE to avoid incidents at your workplace,” affirms Michael Nhancale of Norco Mozambique Lda.
Some hazards to consider:
Moving object – As construction is underway, construction hazards continue to increase. These include overhead lifting equipment, supply vehicles, diggers etc, all of which move around on an usually uneven terrain.
Airborne Fibres and Materials – Lots of dust is produced on construction sites. The dust on construction sites is often an invisible, fine, and toxic mixture of hazardous materials and fibres. This can damage the lungs and lead to diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and silicosis.
Dropped objects – Personnel working below higher work areas are put a risk for dropped object related injuries.
Slips, trips, falls – Ground lying objects and uneven ground create a situation where a surveyor can be easily injured during their work.
Hand injuries – Surveyors who utilize stakes have the hazard of injuries of hands or fingers while hammering in stakes.
Eye injuries – Dust and flying debris create a major hazard for eye injuries when walking around a construction site.
Noise – A common construction hazard is noise. Loud, repetitive, and excessive noise causes long term hearing problems, such as deafness. Noise can also be a dangerous distraction and may distract the worker from the task at hand, which can cause accidents. It is the employer’s responsibility to carry out a comprehensive noise risk assessment, and provide appropriate PPE where necessary.
Safety gears for best surveying practices
Surveying is not very hazardous on its own, rather the tasks going on at a construction site create many hazards for surveyors. It is important to give proper attention to these types of work tasks to avoid injuries. Always preplan work tasks, evaluate the work environment for additional hazards, and stop work when needed to adjust plans to make the work task safer.
Conferring with Sizwe Jantjie, the advantage of safety gears is that it can prevent or protect the individual wearing it. There is a lot of industries where the consequences of not wearing safety gear has an impact on the quality of life for the worker, a perfect example of this is wielding. The bright light in this form of work has a direct impact on the eyes and as such can damage and does damage people’s ability to see. So protective or safety gear goggles assist in protecting the eyes.
According to Michael Nhancale, the advantages of safety gear are plenty. However, just to name a few, they: Ensure a safe environment, for all workers in their different work environment; Create awareness of various dangers in a work environment, by using the correct signage; Protect the workers from hazardous and chemical vapors, through the correct use of face masks and gloves.
