Years of providing post construction cleanup services have meant that we’ve seen a lot of different styles from construction crews. Many projects finish without a hitch and we can come in to clean right away. But sometimes corners are cut along the way, leading to accidents.
In this piece we’d like to discuss some of that for any local businesses preparing for major renovations.
Avoiding Scaffolding Accidents
Raised scaffolds are pretty common on new construction and commercial renovation jobs to work on exteriors. (And are often what people think of for window washing on tall buildings.)
Scaffolding accidents are among the most common causes of work site injury, and have cost property owners a lot of money over the years in lawsuits.
The two biggest causes of scaffolding accidents are when substandard materials are used, or when construction crews overload them beyond what they can handle.
These crop up because scaffolds are meant as temporarily platforms during construction, and are often quickly assembled.
Or sometimes it ends up that a crew puts certain scaffolding up early on with certain considerations in mind, and later into the process the need to move heavier gear arises. Rather than take the time to reinforce the scaffolding, sometimes crews opt to wing it with what’s in place.
It probably works out enough of that time that little is thought about it. It works until it doesn’t.
Poorly Maintained Sidewalks, Parking Lots, Entryways, Etc.
Sometimes businesses will plan to remodel certain floors of their buildings, but forget to include exterior walkways in the plan. Aged, cracked, and uneven sidewalks can sneak up on a property manager.
Their wear can appear minor at first, and in the bustle of weeks going by and business being done, a crack can become a split that grass can grow through. As roots grow and water seeps in, the concrete itself can get pushed aside and form a slope.
That’s where trip hazards start.
Same for parking lots. Once water seeps into cracks, pitting can begin. Even when it’s not large, obvious potholes, uneven pavement can create pooling when it rains. And during the colder months of the year, that can mean ice buildup.