How to manage construction site risks with timber bog mats
Timber bog mats can play an important part in improving health and safety on construction sites.
From their role as ground protection mats, to providing demarcated temporary roadways and pedestrian walkways, here are some of the biggest building site hazards you can reduce with timber mats.
Slips, trips and falls
Slips, trips and falls – including on a level surface, not necessarily falls from height – are a common feature in construction site risk assessments.
Timber mats for temporary walkways can be used to cover over any slippery areas and prevent personnel from falling on mud or ice.
Because they’re easy to wash down, you can simply hose down your temporary walkway mats at the end of each day (or as needed) to remove any mud that has been walked onto their surface.
Collapsing trenches
Collapsing trenches are a major construction risk. They can pose a physical threat to personnel who may fall into the trench, or may be in the trench when it collapses.
A collapsing trench can also cause significant financial damage to machinery and vehicles that are caught in the collapse, especially if they topple over fully on to their side.
Timber ground protection mats can be used to cover over trenches and to dissipate pressure over a larger area, helping to reduce the risk of a localised collapse. They can also be used as bridges to cover existing trenches.
Moving vehicles and plant
Any moving vehicles and plant represent an additional construction site hazard, as it’s impossible to pin down the risk to a specific location.
You can, however, use temporary roadway mats to designate access routes, not only showing vehicles where the ground conditions are safe to drive, but also keeping pedestrians separate from road routes.
Combined with the use of temporary pedestrian walkways as mentioned above, this is a really good way to provide safer access to building sites, in a matter of minutes and at very low cost.
Heavy machinery
Finally, be aware of the specific construction risks associated with the use of heavy machinery, equipment and even heavy building material supplies.
Ground protection mats can create a staging area for heavy materials and equipment, to reduce the risk of damage to the ground surface below.
On demolition sites, heavy duty ground protection mats have a further part to play, absorbing the impact of any falling debris and helping to contain the demolition within a designated area.
Final thoughts
By using timber bog mats across your building site, you can respond to any concerns raised in your construction site risk assessment, without significantly increasing your costs.
Timber mats are easy to move into a new position, giving you flexibility throughout your job, and have little to no impact on site insurance due to the low intrinsic value of the wood.
Our bog mats are also available to either hire or buy, giving you further flexibility.
Overall, timber mats are a versatile way to mitigate against building site risks, allowing you to demonstrate that you have taken the necessary action raised in your construction site risk assessment report.
