• Arrive on time to get safety instructions from the site supervisor or AmeriCorps member. Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions about safety at any time.


• Before beginning work, take a minute to orient yourself with the site and potential hazards (lumber and cords on the ground, sharp objects, ladders, etc). Know where the first aid kit is and how to get emergency help. All sites will have a first aid kit and phone. Your site supervisor or AmeriCorps member will know first aid and can give directions to an emergency rescue team.


• Take your time when working to avoid accidents.


• Be aware of other volunteers, especially when carrying large objects as a team (lumber, drywall, trusses, etc). Look where you are going and where other volunteers are going when carrying large objects together.


• Protect yourself from injury by lifting heavy objects by bending at the knees, keeping the back straight, and straightening the legs. Ask for help if something is too heavy for you to carry alone.


• Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. Take a break if you need one to avoid exhaustion.


• If you do not know how to operate a tool or do a certain task, get the site supervisor or crew leader to teach you. Do not try to use power tools for the first time by yourself.
  

Safety Equipment

• Wear sturdy shoes, work boots preferred.


• Wear a hard hat when anyone is working above you or when instructed by the site supervisor.


• Wear safety glasses when operating power tools, when installing insulation, and when using hand tools above your head (such as trimming a drywall edge with a knife above your head).


• Wear masks when installing insulation or cutting Hardiplank with the circular saw. You may want to wear one on drywall day if you are sensitive to dust.


• Wear ear protection when operating loud power tools or hand tools.
  

Tool Safety

• Power tools: If you encounter a defective power tool or power cord, report it to the site supervisor immediately. Never use a tool that you feel uncomfortable using or do not know how to use. Get help from the site supervisor. Be sure to use ear, eye, and respiratory protection where applicable. No Saturday volunteers are allowed to use nail guns on the worksite. See saw safety guidelines below.


• Hand tools: There are two places for hand tools when working: in your hand or in your tool belt. NEVER LEAVE ANY TOOL ON A LADDER OR ON AN OVERHEAD SURFACE (such as the roof edge when working on fascia). Make sure cutting tools (knives, snips, and chisels) are sharp. Dull tools promote the use of excessive force and can lead to injury. Your site supervisor or crew leader can get you new utility blades--take the time to change them often. Make sure you hold hand tools correctly. Don't hesitate to ask for help with using hand tools.
  

Ladder and Scaffolding Safety

• Ladders: If you have never set up an extension ladder, get help from the site supervisor. Use a 4:1 ratio for rise : run of the ladder angle. (12' ladder should be at least 3' from the house at the ground). Extension ladders should extend 3' above the roof when using them to enter the roof. The feet of all ladders should be level and on solid ground. Ask your site supervisor the proper method for leveling ladders on uneven surfaces. Keep aluminum ladders away form power lines and do not use ladders outside in inclement weather. Make sure stepladders are level and set up on solid ground. NEVER have more than one person on a ladder. Never climb on the back rungs of a stepladder or climb on the top two steps. Have someone hold your ladder steady while you are working.


• Scaffolding: Listen carefully to the site supervisor on our method of setting up and taking down scaffolding. Never use a cinder block placed on its side to jack up a foot. Use blocks with the webbing oriented vertically (holes up) and an appropriately sized block or blocks of wood. Use extreme care when carrying large, heavy scaffold boards. Keep an eye on both ends of the board and where your helper is. If you have any questions about scaffolding, ask the site supervisor.
  

Saw Safety

• Make sure the blade is set to an appropriate depth for the material you are cutting.


• Make sure the guard is working properly. Never use a saw without a guard.


• Keep hands away from cutting area and underside of material while cutting.


• The saw should be rotating at full speed before it enters the material to avoid kickbacks. When using the chop saw, especially when running off of a listen for the saw to come to full speed and then SLOWLY cut through the material.


• Make sure one end of the material is free to fall when cutting to avoid binding the blade. Never cut material between sawhorses without additional support to allow the material to fall out away from the blade.


• Make sure sawhorses are set up sturdily and will not move during cutting.


• Don't hesitate to get a helper to hold the material so you can use two hands to make the cut.


• Tell the site supervisor if you encounter a defect with the saw, including but not limited to: nicked cords, guard not working properly, dull blades, loose fence, etc.
  

• Make sure all trash is in the dumpster and lumber is stacked neatly and covered with plastic.


• Make sure all tools are put away and power tools are in their proper case.


• Take a minute or two to empty your nail apron into the correct containers so we don't have to waste time separating nails!