Fatigue
Workers can become fatigued from lack of light, and could be falling asleep while operating dangerous equipment, moving vehicles, or heavy machinery. Even with time, many workers never fully adjust to working in the dark. They’re likely drinking high amounts of caffeine and struggling to stay focused. If you’re concerned that fatigued members of your workforce present an on-site hazard, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
Visibility and glare
All hazards that are present in daylight, are still there in the dark. The only difference is that your workers will be working with low visibility. While bright lights can help, they will never truly be able to mimic sunlight. Additionally, the glare of artificial lighting and passing car lights can blind workers and lead to a serious injury.
Another challenge is that vehicles often have some form of blind spot which the driver’s line of sight will be obscured or completely obstructed. Construction vehicles are prone to this, as many on-site vehicles carry equipment or are shaped in a manner that hinders visibility.
Staying safe
- Review your workplace health and safety procedures, ensuring that information is up-to-date, and workers are familiar with the policies
- Undertake any maintenance required on your company vehicles and equipment to prevent any incidents caused by machinery
- Ensure your workers are appropriately protected against the change in visibility and have regular breaks, drinking plenty of fluids
- Prioritise using manual equipment or machinery in the middle of the day to avoid reduced visibility and fatigue increasing the risk associated with these activities
- Ensure the personal protective equipment (PPE) your workers use is fit for purpose and in good working order
Keep your company safe by becoming a member of The Building Safety Group (BSG). As the largest safety group of its kind, we’re recognised as the UK’s leading experts in construction health, safety, and environmental welfare. We help members prevent accidents, protect their workforce from harm and deliver projects on time.
Risk assessments
Conducting regular risk assessments is essential for managing the health, safety, and environmental welfare of everyone affected by your business. It’s also a legal requirement. You can access over 70 digital templates for risk assessments by using BSG RAMS. Each template is pre-configured with its own set of unique control measures relevant to the task being assessed.
Companies that join BSG as members will automatically gain online access to BSG RAMS.
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