In industrial and road construction settings, workers may tend to get complacent about workplace safety: but this can be a deadly mistake. Here are some tips to help workers remember how to be safe in either setting.

INDUSTRIAL SETTINGS

-- Clean up spills at once, whether they are hazardous or not. Even a simple spilled soda can cause serious injury when someone slips and falls.

-- Keep all idle tools and machinery in the "off" position and unplugged as well. Make sure to turn tools off before unplugging to avoid electrical sparks.

-- Do not ever run. People moving in a hurry are harder for others to see in time to avoid an accident.

-- Employees should have shoes with non-skid soles. Depending on the work environment, steel-toed boots and footwear with other specific protective features should be mandatory.

-- Any employee working outside any time of the day or not should be required to wear reflective safety vests for maximum visibility.

-- Employers should make sure that each and every worker is wearing protective safety goggles, should the work situation warrant it. There is never a good excuse for not wearing protective eyewear: there are many styles to choose from, and there are even types meant to be worn over prescription glasses.

-- Hearing protection is just as important as vision protection. Many industrial workplaces, such as those with heavy machinery, are high risk environments for hearing loss. Insist that workers comply by wearing protective wear.

-- Of course, hard hats should be mandatory wear in workplaces where falling debris is a possibility. Adopt a zero tolerance policy toward non-complying employees.

ROAD CONSTRUCTION SETTINGS

-- Workers should always wear apparel with high visibility, such as a Grade 3 safety vest which has the maximum amount of reflective capabilities.

-- Do not operate any kind of equipment without having gone through the proper amount of training.

-- Road construction workers are, of course, constantly in danger of mishap due to nearby traffic; they may also be working in remote areas where help is not readily available. Make sure to have emergency radios on site if cell phone signal is weak, as well as a First Aid kit.

-- Make sure to always use a spotter when backing up large equipment or trucks. Such vehicles have limited visibility, and other workers may not always be able to hear a back-up beeper.

-- Make sure to have proper protective barriers in place when working on high traffic roadways such as freeways. Orange cones are simply not enough to protect vulnerable workers in some situations or for long-term projects: consider using concrete barriers with appropriate signage to insure against tragedy.