Tips for Construction Safety during Rainy season

1. General Measures
• To prevent flood water from entering basements, it is recommended to construct bunds at the entrances of ramps and staircases.
• If there are any openings in the retaining walls, close them.
• To temporarily cover openings in Open to Sky slabs.
• Make sure that any barricades are secured properly to withstand strong winds.
• Create and maintain the shortest escape routes from the excavation pits that exit to elevated ground, which should be higher than the adjacent ground levels.
• Equipment or machinery must not be parked near excavation slopes within the excavated pit.
• It is important to avoid parking equipment or machinery and stacking materials in the escape passages of excavated pits.
• Create sturdy platforms at a safe distance from the excavation edge for unloading construction materials and Ready Mix Concrete.
• It is important to prioritize human safety by providing necessary precautions such as helmets, safety shoes, safety belts, raincoats, rescue ropes, coloured fluorescent jackets for easy identification, and first aid. These precautions are especially important in case of potential hazards such as falling debris, flooding, flow of slush, landslides, and other similar situations.
• If dowels are left for further lapping from already concreted works, they should be protected with rust-preventing chemicals.
• All reinforcement materials, such as bundles, coils, straight bars, bent bars, links, hoops, rings, stirrups, shear connectors, couplers, insert plates, sleeves, and any other embedment that will not be used for more than one week during monsoon season, must be coated with rust-preventing chemicals. This is to prevent any corrosion or rusting from occurring before they are used in construction.
• If cement is purchased during the aforementioned season, it should be handled with great care to prevent the formation of lumps. If any lumps is detected, the cement should be tested before being used in the construction process.
• Identify any large earth dumps that may pose a risk of falling and causing damage to buildings, installed pipes, mobile welding equipment, fire pumps, or power and communication lines.
• Make sure that there are no blockages in any of the water drains.
• Repair and secure all roofs at the office, client/EPMC/TPI office, camps, and dining areas to prevent any leaks or flying of roof sheets.
• It is required that all areas designated for the storage of hazardous waste must be covered. Make arrangements to dispose of as much waste as possible before the monsoon season arrives.
• It is important to have a proper bund wall or dyke around the fuel and oil storage area to prevent any runoff, especially if the storage area is not permanent.
2. Safety precautions during Electrical works

• It is important to avoid touching electrical cables or wires with bare hands, regardless of whether they are live or not.
• Do not attempt any electrical work or make any electrical connections if you are not a qualified electrician.
• Do not insert a naked wire into the socket.
• Do not use electric cables that are damaged or have joints.
3. Safety in Main line operations

• Avoid welding in direct rain.
• Ensure that the job and welding machine are properly grounded.
• Make sure that all welding and grinding cables have proper insulation and are free from any joints or damages. If any cable is damaged, it should be changed immediately.
• It is important to avoid inserting any bare wires into a socket.
• Be cautious when lifting and moving materials, as there may be a slip, trip, and fall hazard due to wet surfaces.
• Before leaving the site at the end of your work shift, make sure to cover all welding sets and DG sets, including their silencers, with waterproof sheets.
• Make sure that the grinding machine is dry before using it.
4. Safety precautions in Excavation


1. Shore Piling is in progress , excavation is not started yet.
• Fill the empty boring above the cutoff level with sand
• No piling is to be done if it's raining.
• Protection to reinforcement and stacking in the correct manner
• The compound wall's condition should be checked.
• Establish a secure access to the work site by clearing away any slush or other obstacles.
• It is important to keep a supply of filled sandbags readily available in case of a soil collapse.
2. Shore Piling is completed, excavation is in progress.
• Completion of the capping beam
• Install rock anchors at the specified levels.
• Do the excavation of the site in phases
• Extension, repairs, and the construction of additional piles, if necessary
• Close the excessive gaps between the piles
• Adjustments made to the waler beams as a result of pile misalignment
• The gaps between the piles need to be cleaned to allow water to pass through.
• Shoulder width to piles must be maintained at all times.
• It is necessary to create local sumps at intervals for dewatering.
• Safe access ramps should be maintained.
• It is important to maintain a stock of filled sandbags for immediate shoring in case of accidental soil collapse.
3. Open Excavation in progress
• Create a surface drain around the perimeter to collect rainwater and other outside water.
• The surcharge located at the edge of the excavation, which includes temporary structures, material stacks, soil heaps, and other similar items, shall be removed.
• The vehicular routes should be diverted away from the edge of the excavation pit.
• It is important to maintain a safe distance of at least 3 meters between the edge of the excavation and the boundary wall.
• It is recommended to construct a soil bund that is at least 600 mm above the road level surrounding the excavation edge.
• Excavation must be conducted in increments of at least 1 meter in width and no more than 3 meters in depth.
• Safe access ramps should be maintained.
• It is important to keep a supply of pre-filled sandbags on hand in case of a soil collapse, to quickly provide support and prevent further damage.
• Ensure that the excavation sides maintain the appropriate slope to the vertical based on the type of soil present.

Soil	Slope
Soft soil / filled up earth	1:1
Hard murrum	1:2
Weathered rock	1:4
Hard rock	1:10

4. Excavation Completed and basement work started.
• Create a surface drain around the perimeter to collect rainwater and other outside water.
• The surcharge located at the edge of the excavation, which includes temporary structures, material stacks, soil heaps, and other similar items, will be removed.
• The vehicular routes should be diverted away from the edge of the excavation pit.
• It is recommended to construct a soil bund that is at least 600 mm above the road level surrounding the excavation edge.
• Safe access ramps should be maintained.
• It is important to keep a supply of sand bags that are already filled, in case there is an unexpected collapse of soil that needs to be shored up quickly.
• The pressure release pipes in the raft should be cleaned and maintained in an active state.
• The sumps around the concrete areas should be dug deeper than the level of the raft.
• Protection should be provided to exposed reinforcement in case work needs to be stopped due to flowing slush or deleterious materials.
• It is recommended to continue the dewatering process during and after the work stoppage period to prevent water from entering the newly concreted area.
• Make sure to properly and completely prepare the construction joint before resuming concreting.
• Ensure that there is no contact with slush when resuming the concreting process.
5. Basement Walls completed partially but Slabs not cast
• Backfilling is prohibited behind retaining walls.
• Water accumulation behind retaining walls should be avoided.
• Either allow the water behind the walls to drain into the basements and dewater or use submersible pumps from deep sumps to dewater from behind the wall.
• Either cast peripheral bays of slabs or create temporary shoring/strutting.
• Ensure that the backfilling sequence is strictly followed. If the backfilling has surpassed the level of the newly poured slab, it is necessary to reduce the backfilling level to match the soffit of the adjacent lower slab.

5. Concreting during rain
• Concrete pouring is prohibited during rainfall.
• Concrete should not be poured into formwork that has accumulated water.
• If a concrete pour is scheduled during rainy days, it is important to take appropriate measures to quickly cover the poured concrete with polythene sheets in case of sudden rainfall. Additionally, arrangements should be made to form a neat construction joint at short notice. It is recommended to plan for small pours and pre-approving the location of construction joints. Take approval for the use of surface retarders if used.
• The water cement ratio should be adjusted based on the moisture content in the sand and aggregate.
6. Safety precautions while working at heights

• It is not advisable to work on the scaffold during heavy rain.
• It is important to avoid placing any loose materials such as GI sheets, wooden planks, or other items on elevated areas such as structures, tanks, or work platforms.
• It is important to have a competent person erect all external scaffoldings in a vertical position and ensure they are provided with a sole plate, base plate, and tags.
• It is important to inspect all scaffolding on a daily basis and after any rainfall before climbing to work.
• It is important to provide adequate edge protection when working at higher elevations.
7. Safety precautions in equipment operationts
• Do not operate any equipment if the water level is high or if there is a strong water current or flow.
• Please refrain from bringing the chain-mounted equipment near the excavated trenches or pits, as well as barricaded areas.
• It is important to avoid increasing the engine speed if you observe that the tire has become stuck or slipped in mud.
• It is advisable to avoid driving in areas with waterlogging that you are not familiar with.
• If the wind speed exceeds 25km/hr or during night time, it is required to lower and secure the booms of all cranes.
• It is important to avoid working in close proximity to overhead power lines.
• Power generators, welding DG, and other equipment should be stored at higher elevations to prevent water from entering them.
8. Safety precautions during boring (crossing) operations
• It is necessary to provide and maintain guards for all rotating parts of the boring machine.
• The area that is deemed boring should be barricaded and a sign board should be displayed to inform the public of the potential danger.
• Ensure that there is a lookout person present in the vicinity during the soil removal operation at the site.
• It is recommended to inspect the excavated pit either prior to commencing daily operations or following inclement weather.
• Make sure to arrange proper sloping or shoring for the excavated pit.
• A ladder should be used to enter an excavated pit.
• To ensure the stability of the crane, it is important to place it on level and firm ground. Please verify the capacity or radius.
• After completing the job, either backfill the excavated pit or maintain a proper barricade with appropriate signage.

Closing thoughts

Construction managers may face challenges during rainy periods, but there are measures that can be implemented to ensure the safety of workers. Planning ahead can help you stay ahead of the weather and prevent potential hazards. By taking necessary precautions on days when it is unavoidable to work in the rain, you can ensure the safety of your workers and prevent potential injuries. By keeping these tips in mind, you can ensure the success of your construction project, even during a rainy season.