The best practices for K-12 school construction safety in Missouri and Kansas

When class is still in session amidst a construction project, student and faculty safety become the number one priority. If school construction safety isn’t taken seriously, dire consequences could stem from hazards and missteps—both of which are totally avoidable with proper foresight and professionalism.

Learn more safety tips for school construction projects. 

At McCownGordon, our site-specific safety plans for K-12 projects are more than a series of checklists. We create plans that meet our high standards and core values. We go above and beyond to protect students, faculty, and our workers throughout the renovation process. 

Whether you’re a student, parent, faculty member or decision maker, keep reading to learn more about the best practices for school construction safety in Missouri and Kansas. 

Create a strong logistics plan to manage traffic 

Protecting the flow of traffic during construction is key to school construction safety. With more vehicles around, it’s important your general contractor creates a logistic plan that considers how construction vehicles will enter and exit the site, how construction will affect bus traffic and how commuters can safely maneuver around the school and parking lots. 

Keep in mind a logistics plan should be flexible. Construction is always evolving, meaning your plan should have room to move with it. Your construction manager should offer the tools to help you build a logistics plan that will promote your school’s productivity and the project’s timely completion. 

Recognize potential hazards and prevent them 

There are two key components to protecting students and faculty members from potential hazards: 

(1) Hazard Identification

(2) Hazard Prevention

Common hazards include (but aren’t limited to):

• Tripping, slipping, or falling
• Electrical hazards
• Faulty equipment
• Fires
• Excessive fumes
• Improper work habits/equipment operation
• Lack of cleanliness and organization

After identifying those hazards, your general contractor will take the proper precautions to prevent them. At McCownGordon, we take hazard prevention and school construction safety seriously, which is why we not only follow OSHA guidelines, we go beyond them. 

Safety measures and protocols we implement include: 

• Wearing safety glasses 100 percent of the time
• Placing signage throughout the building to maintain communication and keep you informed
• Providing overhead protection in case anything falls
• Limiting noise as much as possible 
• Checking for off-hour availability (i.e. summer and winter breaks)
• Monitoring utilities (i.e. making sure we don’t activate the indoor sprinkler system)
• Utilizing our in-house engineering services to monitor plumbing, electrical, and mechanical concerns 

Learn more about our in-house speciality services at McCownGordon →

Engage with the surrounding community

Throughout a K-12 renovation, proactive communication with the community opens the door to answer questions and build trust. McCownGordon is engaged with every community we work with, not because it’s a requirement, but because we genuinely care about building relationships. 

We help schools relay information to surrounding neighborhoods via school board meetings, social media, community events and more. Our team has seen it all before, and can help guide your school’s administration through every step of the process. Through open communication between staff, parents and students, we can explain the details of our safety plan, how construction will impact them and help promote a better environment for everyone involved. 

Learn more about school construction safety at McCownGordon Construction

At McCownGordon, our team of builders and engineers maintain a customer-focused mentality, allowing us to outperform even your highest expectations. Dedicated to promoting integrity, performance, and relationships, it’s our people and values that truly make the difference. 

Our customers aren’t simply another project; they’re an extension of our team and community. Together, we don’t just build—we bring creative visions to life. From first thought to final nail, we deliver quality work to ensure our builds stand above the rest. 

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