Top Safety Tips for Post-Construction Cleanup

A guy that knows what safety is all about

You may think that post-construction cleanup is just about making an area look good after the contractors have left. It goes much further than that. One of the most important reasons for post-construction is safety. Not only does a professional make the area safe again, but they also know how to stay safe while cleaning up. Post-construction cleanup means that you are going to be getting rid of many hazards, which means that the individual cleaning up will come into direct contact with these hazards. In order to clean up the right way, one needs to know how to protect themselves from the very elements they are there to get rid of. Here are some tips on how to make sure you stay safe if you handle post-construction cleanup yourself, based on how we ensure our professional crew stays safe.

Protective Gear

Wearing the appropriate protective gear is the very first step you can take to build a wall of defense between you and the hazards at hand. At the bare minimum, you will want to wear gloves, safety glasses or goggles, a mask, and boots. These four items protect your most exposed body parts. I think we can all understand why these 4 items are important for safety, but if I need to write another post diving into the importance of each one, please let me know.

Identify and Remove Hazards First

The first thing to do when you arrive to cleanup a construction site is to remove your biggest hazards first. Look for things that could pose a risk as you complete this job, and make sure those are out of the way before you get into the final details of the cleanup. Examples of imminent hazards are nails, glass, scrap metal, and broken materials. These things can lead to cuts or scrapes, which can be very dangerous on a construction site. By making the removal of these hazards a priority, you drastically minimize the risk of anybody getting hurt by one of these objects. Upon arrival at the site, walk the area, and note all objects that need to be removed in order of most dangerous to least dangerous, and work your way down the list.

Proper Ventilation Matters

Something that can often be overlooked is proper ventilation of a site. In Post-Construction cleanup, there will usually be lots of dust, and sometimes chemicals on site. Not to mention the chemicals in the cleaning supplies that you will be using. Ensure you are getting proper ventilation of the area you will be cleaning by opening windows and doors, and using fans to create some airflow. On top of that, your mask will help to prevent the inhalation of any harmful agents.

Lift and Haul the Right Way

Be mindful of how you lift these materials and get them out of the area. If you swing materials around haphazardly and are not careful, you put yourself at risk of an injury. Too many people have hurt their backs lifting incorrectly for you to not heed this warning. Use proper lifting techniques, and equipment when needed, when removing materials from a site. This is one reason why hiring a professional for this task can be so helpful. You may not want to do the heavy lifting, or buy/rent expensive equipment for the REALLY heavy lifting. That is what we are here for!

Know What Needs Special Disposal

Lastly, when doing post-construction cleanup, you need to ensure that you dispose of things the correct way. Not everything can just be hauled off to a junkyard, or tossed in a garbage bin. There are certain materials that require special disposal due to environmental and local regulations. Paint, chemicals, and hazardous waste will require a different method of disposal based on your region's requirements. Please do some research before cleaning up so that you do not break any laws, or you can just call us to take care of the post-construction cleanup! We take care of all that stuff, and know what is required in different areas so that you do not put yourself at risk of a violation.

I hope that this post was helpful as you consider your post-construction cleanup job and how to stay safe while tackling this task. If you read this post and think this just sounds like too much, please give us a call. We love cleaning up so that you don’t have to. We keep ourselves safe, so that you do not have to put anyone at risk to have the area cleaned to perfection. 

To get a free quote, call or text (972) 854-9794. You can also contact us by filling out the form on our home page.