Working in construction also means you’re constantly working outdoors, and the weather won’t cooperate with your daily operations all the time. So, what should you do when Mother Nature decides to take a turn for the worse? We’ll explain the what should know about working on a rainy construction site so you can keep your crew safe from potential hazards.
Have Various Rain Gear Available
Not everyone on a construction site will be performing the same duties. Someone might be driving through mud in heavy construction equipment while the leader remains on the ground watching over the daily operations. The leader or manager will need a rain poncho to avoid getting soaked, but the equipment operator can stay dry in the machine’s cab, so they might only need insulated clothes to stay warm. Have various rain gear, such as ponchos, tread boots, and insulated clothes, available at all times to protect workers from rainy conditions.
Always Use Fall Protection Gear
Regardless of the weather, all workers should use fall protection equipment. Rain or shine, slips, trips, or falls are the leading cause of death and injury among construction workers. However, rainy conditions and high winds will make these incidents more likely to occur, so remind your employees to always wear fall protection gear to prevent accidents.
Utilize Additional Equipment
Some job duties may become difficult because the water and moisture from the rain alters the condition of the soil. For example, drilling with your auger tool through muddy soil is challenging without additional equipment. An auger drilling mistake you could make is not using a mud bucket to remove the mud and drill fluid from the borehole. You may also need to lay down lawn mats or plywood so the tread on the equipment does not ruin the landscaping—survey the construction site to determine which tools and equipment will be most beneficial to your operations in the rain.
Understand When To Pour Concrete
You cannot pour concrete when Mother Nature is about to dump buckets of rain on you—the material cannot cure in rainy conditions. Pouring a foundation when rain is heading your way could threaten the strength of the concrete, develop scaling, or increase the risk of dusting. If you want your concrete to cure correctly, avoid pouring a foundation when puddles are present or a major storm is coming.
Protect Electrical Wiring and Junction Boxes
One thing to know about working on a rainy construction site is that water and electricity can create severely hazardous conditions for workers if they were to come in contact with both simultaneously. Water is a conductor of electricity, and if you happen to touch electrically charged water, you could become a conductor yourself. To prevent this from happening, protect electrical wiring and junction boxes from the rain by using insulation and covers.
A storm or rain can drastically change how your crew operates on the work site. Nature can create threatening weather conditions for all workers, so it’s essential to know what to do when these situations unfold. Follow the tips above to prevent accidents and injuries.
