Two safety tips for those who are performing restoration work on a jetty

Posted on: 4 February 2019

If you will be overseeing the restoration of an old jetty, here are some tips that you should keep in mind to ensure that the restoration work does not result in any injuries or accidents.

Take steps to keep members of the public away from the jetty

At the beginning of the restoration project, you should place a barrier around the sections of the jetty where the construction equipment will be used. Additionally, close to the water, you should position signs that warn people not to get too close to the jetty.

Most jetties are located in scenic spots, which both locals and tourists enjoy spending time in. As such, there will probably be a steady stream of people walking along the shoreline next to the jetty and swimming in the waters around this structure, whilst your construction crew does their work. If there is no physical barrier that prevents members of the public from swimming too close to the jetty, or if there are no signs which warn them not to wander over to the construction equipment, then there is a chance that a swimmer or a pedestrian who is not paying attention to where they are going could enter the work area. This could quite easily lead to this person being injured. The person swimming next to the jetty could, for example, be hit by a moving piece of construction equipment. This could disorientate them or cause them to be knocked unconscious, which could, in turn, increase their chances of drowning.

Likewise, if someone who is strolling along the shoreline accidentally walks too close to the jetty that your team is working on, they may tread on a hazardous construction tool (such as a saw or an angle grinder) and be seriously injured. The best way to stop these type of accidents from happening is to ensure that members of the public cannot physically access most parts of the jetty and that there are signs which will alert them if they are approaching a dangerous work area.

Provide your team with goggles if the waves start crashing onto the jetty

If the waves get so high that they start to crash onto the platform of the jetty, then you should provide your team with goggles. Due to its high salt content, seawater can cause a lot of stinging and burning if it splashes into a person's eyes. If this happens to one of your workers whilst they are standing on the jetty and using a sharp tool, the unexpected, painful sensation of the salt water in their eyes could lead to them accidentally injuring themselves with this tool.

Providing your workers with goggles should prevent this kind of accident, as the goggles will prevent the salty seawater from getting into their eyes, even during periods when there are large waves splashing onto the jetty.

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