Construction Site Setup Safety Checklist

This checklist is designed to ensure a safe setup of a construction site before work begins. Complete each item and address any deficiencies before proceeding.

1. General Site Conditions

• Is the work site clean and free from slip or trip hazards?

"An employer must ensure that a work site is kept clean and free from materials or equipment that could cause workers to slip or trip."

• Is lighting sufficient for safe work?

"An employer must ensure that lighting at a work site is sufficient to enable work to be done safely."

• Are light sources protected from damage?

"An employer must ensure that a light source above a working or walking surface is protected against damage."

• Is emergency lighting available in case of power failure?

"An employer must ensure that there is emergency lighting at a work site if workers are in danger if the normal lighting system fails."

• Are walkways and access points clearly marked and free of obstructions?
• Are potential fall hazards identified and addressed (e.g., holes, edges)?

Corrective Actions:

2. Equipment and Materials

• Are pallets loaded, moved, stacked, arranged, and stored safely?

"An employer must ensure that pallets used to transport or store materials or containers are loaded, moved, stacked, arranged and stored in a manner that does not create a danger to workers."

• Are storage racks designed, constructed, and maintained to support the load?

"An employer must ensure that racks used to store materials or equipment (a) are designed, constructed and maintained to support the load placed on them, and (b) are placed on firm foundations that can support the load."

• Are storage racks placed on firm foundations?

"An employer must ensure that racks used to store materials or equipment (a) are designed, constructed and maintained to support the load placed on them, and (b) are placed on firm foundations that can support the load."

• Are supplies and roofing materials stored at least 2 meters from the roof edge on residential buildings?

"An employer must ensure that supplies and roofing materials stored on the roof of a residential building under construction are located not less than 2 metres from a roof edge."

• Is the weight of supplies and roofing materials uniformly distributed?

"An employer must ensure that the weight of supplies and roofing materials referred to in subsection (1) is uniformly distributed."

• Is equipment and material contained, restrained, or protected to prevent injury?

"If a worker may be injured if equipment or material is dislodged, moved, spilled or damaged, both the employer and the worker must take all reasonable steps to ensure the equipment or material is contained, restrained or protected to eliminate the potential danger."

• Are hoses and piping operating under pressure restrained?

"An employer must ensure that a hose or piping and its connections operating under pressure are restrained if workers could be injured by its movement if it fails or if it is disconnected."

Corrective Actions:

3. Excavation and Ground Work

• Has the work area been surveyed to prevent machine from falling or soil from caving in?

"Know the work area! Before operating the machine, carefully survey and record the land and worksite features to prevent the machine from falling or the soil from caving in."

• Are signs installed on soft shoulders and ground areas?

"Install signs on soft shoulders and ground areas, and have a flagman direct the operation if necessary."

• If shoring and bracing is used, are footings designed to support the maximum load?

"An employer shall ensure that footings for shoring and bracing are designed to support the maximum load likely to be imposed, without excessive settlement or deformation."

Corrective Actions:

4. Personnel and Communication

• Is the working area off-limits to other people with barricades?

"It is dangerous to allow other personnel to enter into the working area. Make the working area off-limits to other people by providing barricades."

• Is a flagman provided in working areas with heavy traffic?

"Provide a flagman in working areas with heavy traffic to avoid accidents."

• Is a competent worker designated to give signals if required?

"If this Code requires signals to be given by a designated signaller, an employer must designate a competent worker to give the signals."

• Does the designated signaller wear high-visibility safety apparel?

"An employer must ensure that, if the designated signaller uses hand signals, the signaller wears high-visibility safety apparel that clearly identifies the worker as a designated signaller."

• Is there a means of ensuring clear communication if signals cannot be transmitted properly?

"if signals cannot be transmitted properly between a designated signaller and an equipment operator, an employer must ensure that (a) additional designated signallers are available to transmit signals, or (b) a means of ensuring clear and complete communication other than using designated signallers is provided."

Corrective Actions:

5. Equipment Inspection and Maintenance

• Are all protective guards and covers installed properly on machinery?

"Check that all protective guard and cover, and mirror are installed properly. If the failure is found, repair it immediately."

• Is a "DO NOT OPERATE" tag attached to machinery during inspection and maintenance? 3, 5, 6, 7

"Before performing any inspection or maintenance procedures to the machine, post to the operators controls a "DO NOT OPERATE" tag to warn persons not to start the machine."

• Are proper tools being used for maintenance? 5, 6, 7

"To prevent serious injury or death, do not use of damaged tools or tools not intended for the task."

Corrective Actions:

6. Fire Prevention

• Are flammable materials stored in specified places and away from unauthorized persons?
• Are spilled fuels and oils wiped off immediately after refueling and lubrication?
• Are approved work lights used during inspection and maintenance?

Corrective Actions:

7. Structural Stability

• Are erection drawings and procedures for skeleton structures prepared and certified by a professional engineer?

"An employer must ensure that the erection drawings and procedures for a project that includes connecting the structural parts of a skeleton structure are prepared and certified by a professional engineer."

• Do erection drawings and procedures show the sequence of erection and placement of base structures and footings?

"The erection drawings and procedures referred to in subsection (1) must (a) show the sequence in which the structure is to be erected, (b) show the horizontal and vertical placement of base structures and footings, and (c) ensure that the structure is stable during assembly."

• Is a competent worker coordinating the erection of skeleton structure until it is permanently stabilized?

"An employer must ensure that a competent worker at a work site where a skeleton structure is being erected (a) coordinates the operation until the structure is permanently stabilized, and (b) directs the removal of the temporary supporting structures."

• Are temporary supporting structures used to stabilize masonry walls over 2 meters high?

"An employer must ensure that temporary supporting structures (a) are used to stabilize a masonry wall that is more than 2 metres high during its erection, and (b) are not removed until the wall is permanently stabilized."

Corrective Actions:

8. Inspections and Reporting

• Are frequent and regular inspections of the job sites, materials, and equipment being made by competent persons designated by the employers?

"Such programs shall provide for frequent and regular inspections of the job sites, materials, and equipment to be made by competent persons designated by the employers."

• Is there a written record of the daily safety and health inspections kept on the project site?

"Written records of the daily safety and health inspections shall be kept on the project site for review by the director for the duration of the project."

Corrective Actions:

Sign Off

Inspected by: __________________________

Date: __________________________

Supervisor: __________________________