Before work in undertaken on a construction site, there are a number of matters that should be checked:

  • Provide site security – it is especially important to stop children from getting into the construction site
  • Check the nature of the ground before excavations begin and decide the form that the support work will need to take and ensure that adequate supplies of sufficiently strong materials are available. Special precautions may be needed where trenches pass near adjacent roads or buildings
  • Locate all public services, water, gas, electricity, telephone, sewers, etc and avoid if possible; if not, take necessary precautions
  • Provide materials for barriers and authorized traffic notices
  • Provide adequate lighting
  • Position spoil heap at a distance not less than half the depth from the edge of excavation. Tip, if possible, on the blind side of the excavator to ensure the operator has visibility when swinging back to trench excavation
  • Provide personal protective equipment
  • Provide sufficient ladders of suitable length, strength and type
  • Consider the necessity for bridges and gangways
  • Take note of all overhead services, the arrangements made for their protection and the safety of everyone working in their vicinity
  • Portable tools should be regularly checked, with particular attention paid to the integrity of electrical insulation and the lead and to the proper operation of rotating parts