Safe handling and storage of materials are essential for many businesses, and construction firms are no exemption. Some materials found in a construction site are poisonous and others contain flammable gases. Coming into contact with such materials can leave you severely injured or even dead.

Also, when exposed to different weather conditions, some of the construction materials can lose their usefulness. That’s why there’s a need to develop some effective strategies to help you avoid these accidents.

So, if you want to keep your construction materials safe and retain their usefulness, it'd be beneficial to read this article because you’re going to learn simple yet effective strategies. When properly implemented, these can help you handle and store construction materials properly. Read on.

Defining Material Handling And Storing

Material handling is the process of moving, protecting, storing, and controlling materials throughout the construction process. It includes the steps taken when dealing with construction materials from when they're delivered to the construction site until when they're disposed of. On the other hand, material storage is a sub-section of the handling process. It involves holding construction materials in a safe place until these are required during the construction process.

Material handling and storage can be made easier by using forklifts to help move them around and by having polypropylene (pp) bags to cover them. Polypropylene woven bags help ensure that the materials are easy to handle. They also act as a safeguard for construction materials against changing weather conditions.

However, for the pp woven bags to serve you better, they must be of the highest quality. That’s why you need to partner with a reputable pp woven bags manufacturer for the provision of high-quality woven bags. Using high-quality bags is one of the best ways to ensure you get the best value for your money. This becomes possible because these can serve you for the longest time possible.

Handling And Storing Construction Materials Carefully

To ensure safety when dealing with construction materials, you must lay down some policies and procedures to be followed by everyone within the construction site. Proper implementation of these policies ensures both the workers and materials remain safe throughout the construction process.

For proper construction material handling and storage, employ the following strategies:

1. Train Your Workers

As earlier noted, there are many risks involved in material handling and storage, and some of these are hazardous and can cause harm to the workers. However, training your workers about the best practices can help eliminate some of the risks and dangers involved. 

So, before you commence your construction process, it'd be helpful to have safety training programs in place to ensure workers are equipped with enough knowledge about handling all the materials within the construction site.

In addition, the training of workers should be a continuous process, and any new recruited worker must be trained before commencing their assignments. Training allows workers to know how to handle and in what manner to store the materials. This allows the construction materials to retain their usefulness and prevents workers from injuring themselves.

2. Store Similar Materials Together

Some construction materials and chemicals can react to each other when put together. For instance, some are highly flammable and may react to each other. This poses a danger to both the workers and the material themselves.

When the fire consumes construction materials, it attracts more costs to your construction project because you’ll be forced to go back to the shop to replace the lost ones. That’s why there’s a need to store materials and chemicals in different places.

3. Dispose Of Waste Construction Materials Appropriately

Sometimes, disposing of waste construction materials can be stressful and overwhelming. One of the best ways to manage your construction waste materials is by ensuring they aren’t left uncollected for long.

When you fail to dispose of waste materials on time, they can interfere with the smooth running of the construction process. They can also injure your workers. That’s why it'd be helpful to have measures in place to help dispose of waste construction materials appropriately.

When developing your construction waste management and disposal strategies, be sure to identify who's responsible and how they'll dispose of the wastes. Also, it'd be helpful to train the construction waste material handlers to ensure they're safe.

4. Choose Storage Space

The quality of most construction materials can be affected by varying weather conditions. So, to ensure you retain their quality, it'd be helpful to store them in room temperature condition and carefully cover them.

Also, it'd be helpful to ensure your construction materials aren’t placed on bare ground. This ensures they don’t absorb moisture which can affect their quality. In addition, be sure not to place your construction materials on uneven areas as some construction materials are fragile and can easily break. 

5. Know Each Storage Weight Limits

Each construction material has its storage weight limit, which is usually indicated on its outer cover. Not adhering to it can pose a great risk to the workers because those materials can easily fall. It can also cause some materials to break. You can avoid that by adhering to the recommended weight limits.

6. Consider The Security Of Your Construction Site

Most construction materials are expensive, and if lost, you’ll spend a substantial amount of money on replacing them. That’s why you need to ensure your construction site is safe from thieves and other intruders.

If your construction site isn’t safe, you can consider storing your construction materials in a different place where the security is tight. And if you have to store your construction materials on the job site, it'd be helpful to implement security measures like installing CCTV cameras to keep watch of your materials.

Despite that, you can ensure no worker can enter the construction site out of working hours. This ensures workers don’t steal from you nor collaborate with others to steal from you.  

Nearby EngineersNew York Engineers has a MEP design track record of 1,000+ projects. Contact us via email (info@ny-engineers.com) or phone (786) 788-0295212-575-5300, and make sure your building systems meet codes.