Construction sites look like a top-notch playground to kids. We were all young once, we understand. For this reason, take extra steps to assure your site is child proof.
Fence your site, at least with orange safety fencing. Use temporary gates for overnight and weekends. Post no trespassing signs.
To the extent possible, grade the site eliminating all piles of soil or excavations. Children are very susceptible to crush injuries from shifting soil and unstable excavations.
Use plastic caps on all reinforcement bars to avoid impalement injuries.
Police the site of all discarded nails, scrap lumber, any sharp object like scrap wire or sheet metal or flashing.
Avoid stacking materials high. Kids can create unstable piles of anything resulting in toppling or crushing injuries.
Avoid leaving unfinished utility hook-ups open.
Discourage visitors from bringing children even during day time inspections, including the future owners of the property. The more neighborhood kids see children welcome, the more entitled to trespass they will feel.
If compelled to allow children a visit, be sure they wear all the same personal protection equipment that anyone else would.
Most of these suggestions amount to good housekeeping and security.
Children love playing in partially completed buildings. Go the extra mile when locking up, especially over the weekend or when school is out:
1. Close all entrances with plywood or doors.
2. Do not leave ladders on site.
3. Cover or close all openings in floors. Children can slip through some very small openings. If staircases have not been installed, cover those openings with secured plywood. Don’t think guardrails look like a warning to kids. They look like a challenge.
4. Store as few tools on site as possible.
Children love playing on construction sites, discourage this behavior for liability reasons. If possible, openings in fences should be away from neighborhoods where children live. This is a difficult task in new home subdivisions, but the more remote, the better.
Curiosity is a big part of the magic of youth. Everything is new and exciting and worth exploring. But adults are easily injured when trespassing on construction jobsites.
Think about everything you do to keep adults out, and then increase security by twice that. Cameras discourage adults, not kids. Physical barriers, the closer to the entrance the better to discourage children.
