Asphalt Paving: Why Safety Is Our Priority
Asphalt Paving: Why Safety Is Our Priority
Asphalt contractors and their crews face numerous safety challenges when installing or repairing asphalt pavement. The combination of hot asphalt, heavy equipment, delivery trucks and ground personnel requires that workers be aware of all activity in the area and sensitive to potential safety issues. The vigilance of the contractor’s crew members serves to protect themselves, their coworkers and the public.
Asphalt Paving: Why Safety Is Our Priority
Protecting the Public
Many jobs must be completed quite close to moving vehicles. Whether they are resurfacing a lane on a highway or repairing a busy parking lot, vehicle traffic may pass within mere feet of the workers and their equipment. Every year, many drivers and workers are injured when vehicles operated by distracted or impaired drivers penetrate the perimeter of the work area. Pedestrians who wander into the area are also at risk.
At Dirtworks, we take safety matters seriously. We make sure that we establish effective means of traffic control, including the deployment of flaggers whenever they are needed. Our crews make sure that all necessary barricades, signs, traffic cones and other safety devices are in place before work begins. Throughout the day, they watch for onlookers or pedestrians who are too close for comfort. All equipment is operated by qualified personnel, and special attention is paid whenever equipment is unloaded, must reverse directions or first moves from a stationary location.
Protecting Our Workers
We value our employees and want them to enjoy long, healthy lives. We make sure that every employee has the necessary safety gear and knows how to wear or use it correctly. We provide them with tools and equipment that function properly. Our equipment is well-maintained to avoid unexpected delays that could endanger employees who must attempt repairs for which they are not qualified or who must resort to potentially unsafe alternatives.
In addition, we make sure that our employees receive adequate training in general safety procedures, job site vigilance and teamwork. Employees are trained to bring any potential issues to their supervisor as soon as the issue is detected. They are also trained to handle critical safety issues on their own if there is no time to consult a supervisor.
We require that all equipment operators have the training and experience needed to unload, operate and load their machines in a safe manner. Unqualified operators can pose a risk to their fellow employees as well as to nearby vehicles, pedestrians and spectators. Furthermore, many equipment operators are injured every year by their own machines, primarily when they are mounting or dismounting. We teach operators the proper stance to use when boarding or disembarking, the proper use of parking brakes and the safest methods of transporting equipment.
How Our Focus on Safety Benefits Our Customers
Our focus on safety offers two surprising benefits to our customers that have nothing to do with financial matters.
• When people feel that their employers do not value their safety, they are more likely to change jobs. Asphalt paving contractors that demonstrate a concern for the safety and well-being of their employees can retain experienced workers who can provide work of a higher quality.
• Workers without the proper gear and training may be more focused on protecting themselves than on the quality of their work. This is especially true if essential barricades, signs, lights or other measures for traffic control are lacking. When workers feel that their employer is looking out for their safety, they can focus on their tasks, resulting in work that is of superior quality.
Dirtworks is an asphalt paving contractor and we are committed to making every job site a safe one. We offer an extensive range of services, including paving driveways, commercial paving, municipality paving, site work, asphalt repairs, sealcoating, excavations, parking lot striping, dirt road repairs and asphalt milling. We serve a variety of customers in the Cape Cod and Southeastern Massachusetts region, including homeowners, municipalities and counties, health care facilities and hospitals, shopping centers, educational facilities, religious institutions, HOAs and subdivisions, apartment complexes and office buildings. Our craftsmanship is exemplary, our reputation is outstanding and our rates are competitive. Contact us for a free quote by calling 508-240-5541 or submitting our online form.
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