It is commonly known to people that most construction works are done in the morning. But we also come upon construction projects that are done at night. We may think that working during the daylight brings much more protection for workers when in truth, it’s actually construction at night that provides that. So, if you’re new to working in construction at night, we’re giving you all you need to keep in mind from its benefits to the handy tips, and some regulations. Let’s begin!
Construction at night benefits
Many may not be aware of it but construction at night proves a lot more benefits than construction projects done in the morning. The dark night sky is only secondary thought when you have powerful lights guiding you as you work. If you prefer working in the morning in the construction scene, you might change your mind after we count down down the notable benefits of construction at night.
Less Traffic
Traffic is the bane of our existence. Nobody likes it and everybody tries to avoid it. However, if you’re working at night, you’ll probably have a very good chance of not dealing with it. One of the most notable advantages of night construction is lesser cars and free-flowing highways. We’ll guarantee you won’t even have any trouble getting to work in time. You see, traffic can also be a source of distraction. The noise, the heat, the hustle and bustle of going home can get to you. Not to mention dealing with hot-headed drivers, now that’s just putting the cherry on top. But then again, working at night can release you of these morning-time hassles.
Lesser people on the streets.
This is a very good thing. When working with construction, the fewer the people around, the better. Construction is an inevitable place. People are not perfect and we are bound to make mistakes. And in light of the construction department, sometimes, these mistakes create a very unfavorable fate to those who befall them.
Meanwhile, construction at night will entail having lesser people around. In that regard, risks are much lower for the bypassers. Workers will be able to do work in their full capacity, without worrying much about the safety of the people around them.
Construction at night provides cooler temperatures.
Working under the harsh UV rays of the sun has multiple disadvantages especially if you’re doing it every day. So to say, you will likely be exposed to these sun-related illnesses.
- Heatstroke
- Dehydration
- Easily tired
- Blisters
- Skin peeling
- Sunburn
- Direct sunlight exposure
- High humidity
- Heavy protective gear
- Strenuous work
- Working near heat-radiating equipment
- Lack of air movement
- Workers not acclimated to the heat
If you do not have enough protection for your skin, expect some of these factors to plague you. On the other hand, when you do construction at night, you might just be able to avoid these heat-related illnesses altogether.
It encourages maximum productivity for workers.
Considering that most people are probably sleeping during the wee hours at night, and cars are probably well-parked in homes, you’ll have the construction site all to yourselves. With this said, construction workers tend to be more productive at night than during the daytime since there are fewer distractions. That and a couple more factors that affect the productivity of construction people.
- With the absence of the sun, workers will tend to be less tired.
- There will be fewer risks for the people within the vicinity of the construction site.
- No traffic involved.
- Cooler atmosphere.
- Congestion is at a down low.
And that are just a few reasons why it encourages maximum productivity for workers. But the majority mostly goes to the fact that nighttime provides much exclusivity for construction men to work without much distractions from passersby and traffic.
Construction at night safety tips.
There are a couple of things you need to remember when working at night. Yes, it does give you exclusivity of the place since there are lesser people around, but this doesn’t give you complete safety of the external factors you are exposed to. Here, we’ll be telling you what you should keep in mind in terms of safety purposes when working on a construction site at night.
Wear Visibility Gear
These kinds of garments can be defined as something that would make the person more visible. There are different colors for people to easily identify each other’s designations. In light of workers’ safety, refrain from wearing black clothes or things that can easily blend with your surroundings. Doing so, it will be harder for people to spot you when unfortunate circumstances occur.
According to De Gemill, there are four types of classes for visibility gears. As mentioned on their website these are the four classes and their respective meaning.
Class 1: This kind of apparel still blends into the environment. This does not guarantee a lot of safety and visibility at night.
Class 2: These are for construction workers who do not work directy on highways. This type is mostly saturated for workers who are tasked with slow-moving roads or streets. The apparel will be visually sufficient for most.
Class 3: These are for the “flaggers” or people who are working directly in traffic lanes. This kind of visibility gear is highly reflective amongst the 3.
Class E: This includes safety gear for the bottom half of the body, such as shorts and pants.
Adjust your sleep schedule.
Sleep actually has a very big impact when you choose to do nighttime construction work. At this point we’ve discussed how beneficial it is for workers to do construction at night. However, one of its downsides is that is can be twice as dangerous working at night than in the morning when not done right.
For people who are not used to staying in the wee hours of the night/morning, this might prove to be a challenge in terms of staying awake. Therefore, the most probable solution will be to adjust your sleeping schedule days before you start working, and even on days when you’re out of work. Here are ideas on how you can do this…
- Block light from the outdoors using blockout curtains. This will help you sleep peaceful in the morning.
- Acoid drinking or doing activities that’ll keep you awake such as coffee, softdrinks, exercise, playing on phones, or even alcohol.
- Block out noises.
- Take a warm bath or shower. This can help you relax.
- Be consistent with your sleep scheduling which is getting enough sleep in the morning and staying awake at night.
Have a buddy with you.
Working at night is very different if you’re used to working in the morning. With this said, you might be susceptible to fatigue. Having someone with you in your designated tasks can help monitor if exhaustion is creeping in on you and vice versa. However, if you do feel tiredness it’s best to be upfront about it and rest for a bit rather than pushing yourself and putting at risk your well-being.
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