Construction Site OHS Checklist: Site Set-Up and Structural Works

How to use a construction site safety checklist

A construction site is a different workplace every month: where excavation ends, formwork carpenters take over, and on the floor where formwork is stripped, bricklayers start work. A construction site safety checklist should therefore be used not as a one-off but as a site inspection form updated stage by stage. This article groups the items checked in inspections from site set-up to the end of the structural works under five headings: set-up and documents, perimeter security, excavation, structural works, and electrics and machinery.

Most of the items come from the minimum requirements in Annex 4 of the Regulation on OHS in Construction Work. Take the list with you on the weekly site walk, mark each item "compliant, deficient, not applicable" and write a responsible person and date next to each deficiency.

Construction site set-up OHS: before the first spade goes in

The hazard class of the work carried out on site is determined by its NACE code; for example, site preparation (43.12.00) is in the very hazardous class. Confirm the code and class of your work at set-up, because the scope of your obligations depends on it. In the very hazardous class:

The OHS specialist must hold a class A certificate, and at least 40 minutes of specialist time and 15 minutes of physician time per worker per month must be allocated; if there are 10 or more workers, other health personnel (DSP) are also appointed.
Periodic health examinations are carried out every year, and basic training lasts at least 16 hours with refresher training every year.
The risk assessment and emergency plan are renewed at least every 2 years; however, on a construction site they need to be updated as the work stage changes.

Items to tick at set-up:

Health and safety plan: The employer or project manager prepares the plan, or has it prepared, before construction work starts, during the preparation stage of the project (Art. 8/2).
Coordinator: If there is more than one employer or subcontractor on the same construction site, one or more health and safety coordinators are appointed (Art. 8/1).
Notification: If the work will last more than 30 working days and more than 20 workers will be employed continuously, or if the work requires more than 500 person-days, a notification containing the information in Annex 3 is submitted to the Ministry's relevant provincial directorate of labour and employment before work starts (Art. 8/4).
Sign: A sign containing the information in the notification is placed in a clearly visible location on site and updated when necessary (Art. 8/5).
OHS professionals: The appointment of the specialist, physician and, if required, DSP must be approved on ISG-KATİP (the Ministry's online OHS registration system).
Vocational training: Building, scaffolding, steel construction, demolition and similar construction work are on the Annex 1 list of the vocational training regulation; workers' certificates are checked before they start work. For details, see our article on jobs requiring vocational training.

For the duties of the health and safety plan and coordinator, read our article on OHS in construction work; for the division of duties between several companies, read our article on OHS when working with subcontractors.

Construction site OHS documents

In an inspection, the file is examined as closely as the situation on site. Keep at least the following ready in the site office:

Document	When must it be ready?	Note
Health and safety plan	Before work starts	Updated as work progresses
Notification to the provincial directorate and site sign	Before work starts	If the thresholds are exceeded
Coordinator appointment	Before work starts	If there is more than one employer
ISG-KATİP appointments	Before work starts	Specialist must be class A
Risk assessment	Before work starts	Updated as the stage changes
Emergency plan and team list	Before work starts	The plan should include a fall-from-height scenario
Training, health and vocational training certificates	Before the worker enters the site	Including subcontractor workers
Periodic inspection reports for work equipment	Before the equipment is used	Cranes, scaffolding, construction machinery, electrical installation
PPE issue records	Before the worker enters the site	Hard hat, safety footwear, safety harness

Perimeter security and site layout

The boundary between the site and the outside protects both pedestrians and workers. Check the following items in line with Annex 4:

Is the perimeter of the construction site and the work area enclosed and marked so that it is easily visible and prevents entry by unauthorised persons?
In a residential area, is the construction site enclosed with a hoarding of sufficient height and strength, and will this hoarding be maintained until the end of the work?
Are areas where unauthorised entry is prohibited blocked off and marked with warning signs?
Is entry prevented to areas with a falling object hazard, or is a covered walkway built where necessary?
Are materials stacked so that they cannot topple or collapse; are materials thrown directly from height to the ground?
Is there sufficient distance between vehicle routes and pedestrian routes, doors and stairs?
Are toilets, washbasins, changing, rest and accommodation areas adequate; are accommodation facilities made of non-combustible material?
Is fire-fighting equipment in a visible and accessible place; are first aid supplies and a stretcher ready?

Excavation and foundation stage

Excavation is the stage of a construction site with the highest risk of collapse and machinery accidents. Construction safety measures are checked here with the following items:

Before starting: Has it been investigated whether the excavation will affect adjacent buildings, and have the locations of underground cables, gas, water and sewer lines been identified?
Before every shift: Is work prevented from starting until the excavation sides have been checked and declared safe? Is the check repeated after blasting, unexpected falls of material, significant damage to supports and heavy rain, frost or snow?
Undercutting ban: In open excavations deeper than 150 centimetres and in foundation and trench excavations of any depth, is undercutting the sides so that they collapse from above prevented?
Distance: Is there sufficient distance between spoil and the edge of the excavation; are moving vehicles at a safe distance from the edge?
Weather: Is work in the excavation stopped during rain?
Access and egress: Is there a safe way into the excavation; are supports and shoring not being used as ladders?
Machine area: Are workers kept out of the excavator's movement area; are manoeuvres directed by a banksman?
Crossings: In a residential area, are crossings over the excavation provided by walkways at least 80 centimetres wide with guardrails on both sides?

Structural works: work at height, scaffolding and formwork

The greatest risk during structural works is falling from height. Under Annex 4, any work in an area where there is a difference in level and a possibility of injury from a fall is work at height, and the order of protection is as follows:

Collective protection first: Secure guardrails, fall-prevention platforms, barriers, covers, working scaffolds, safety nets or air cushions.
Then personal protection: Where collective protection is not enough or has to be removed temporarily, anchor points or lifelines are installed and full body harness systems are used.
Supervision: Work at height is carried out under the supervision and control of a competent person appointed by the employer; workers are given work at height training.

Add the following to the checklist:

Scaffolding: The periodic inspection interval for construction scaffolding is at most 6 months. In addition, we recommend having the scaffold inspected after erection and after adverse conditions such as storms, before it is opened for use. For the intervals, see our article on periodic inspection intervals for work equipment.
Formwork: Is the adequacy of reinforced concrete formwork checked before every concrete pour? Is anyone not assigned to the stripping area present during stripping?
Erection: During erection of precast or steel elements, is the area marked off with tape and are workers kept out from under the erection point?
Tower crane: Is the report showing that the periodic inspection of the tower crane was carried out by an accredited inspection body in the file?

For the general rules of work at height, see our article what is work at height.

Electrics and construction machinery

The electrical and machinery items apply at every stage:

Is there a suitable residual current device on the main and sub-panels; are the panels locked and closed to unauthorised access?
Are suitable connectors used for connections, are there any bare cable ends? Are old or worn cables replaced?
Are the frames of electrical work equipment earthed; is the voltage marked on equipment and lines?
If a power transmission line passes near the site, has a sufficient safety distance been left, taking into account the swaying of the wire in the wind?
Are there periodic inspection reports for construction machinery; if the operator's view is restricted, has a trained signaller been appointed?
Do audible and visual alarms work when reversing; is anyone other than the operator in the operator's cab?

For the steps of isolating and verifying the supply in electrical work, see our article on the 5 safety rules in electrical work. You can find sector-specific training and inspection topics on our construction sector page. On construction sites in Bursa and the surrounding provinces, we apply this list on site walks, updating it stage by stage, through our OHS specialist and risk assessment services. You can see the specialist and physician times for your number of workers with the OHS obligation calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a health and safety plan mandatory on every construction site?

Under Art. 8/2 of the regulation, the employer or project manager prepares the health and safety plan, or has it prepared, before construction work starts. The appointment of a coordinator is required for construction sites where there is more than one employer.

When is notification to the provincial directorate required when setting up a site?

If the work will last more than 30 working days and more than 20 workers will work continuously, or if the work requires more than 500 person-days, notification is made before work starts. The information in the notification is also displayed on a sign on site.

How often are excavation sides checked?

Under Annex 4, before every shift; and also after blasting, unexpected falls of material, significant damage to supports and heavy rain, frost or snow. Work does not start until the check has confirmed that the area is safe.

How often is scaffolding inspected on a construction site?

The periodic inspection of construction scaffolding is carried out at least every 6 months; if the standard or the manufacturer's instructions specify a shorter interval, that applies. In addition, we recommend an inspection after erection and after events that may affect the scaffold, before it is opened for use.