Safety Sidebar: Animals & Pets on the Jobsite
About 40 percent of the households in the U.S. have some kind of pet – typically a cat or dog. If you aren’t prepared, they can make getting work done in that home quite difficult.
Here are some tips to keep yourself, and your client’s pet safe:
• When you first arrive at a home, acknowledge the pet.
• Develop a plan with the homeowner for keeping the pet out of the way while you work.
• Within that plan, emphasize the pet is the homeowner’s responsibility.
• Alert anyone working with you of the pet’s whereabouts to avoid accidentally letting it out. Think about even purchasing a sign to hang on a door letting people know pets are inside.
• Be aware that some remediation jobs (mold, asbestos, etc.) could be harmful for the pet to breathe as well.
Should the animal become aggressive, don’t hesitate to contact the owner and make other arrangements.
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If someone gets bitten or scratched, seek medical attention as wounds like that can easily become infected, and you may not know if the pet is up-to-date on vaccinations.
Communication at the front end of a project where a pet is involved can help keep you, your crew, your client, and their pets safe and happy.
Sources: www.osha.gov, www.remodeling.hw.net
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