LESSON 2.

WORKING
SAFETY
GOALS:

READING, TALKING AND LISTENING TO

THE WORKSITE SAFETY NOTICE AND
KNOW ABOUT THEM.
 PRE-READING TASK

1. Look at the picture and describe what you see.

 2. DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

What kind of accidents could workers face during the

construction work?

Name and list the equipment.

What equipment allows workers to climb higher on a building?

What is an accident that can happen to a worker when using a

leader?
 READING

1 . R e a d t h e p o s t e r o n w o r k s i t e s a f e t y.

Wo r k s i t e s a f e t y N O T I C E
Follow the guidelines below at all times. In the event of an accident, notify a
supervisor and call emergency services.
• W h e n wo r k i n g o n l a d d e r s , f o l l o w t h e 4 : 1 r u l e . Av o i d f a l l s f r o m
s c a ff o l d s a n d p u m p j a c k s b y w e a r i n g a s a f e t y h a r n e s s . P a y a t t e n t i o n
t o t h e p l a t f o r m ’s w e i g h t l i m i t . E x c e e d i n g t h a t l i m i t c a n c a u s e a
collapse.
• E n s u r e p r o p e r v e n t i l a t i o n wh e n w o r k i n g wi t h t o x i c c h e m i c a l s i n c l o s e d
spaces. Read the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) thoroughly and
take all recommended precautions.
• Know the causes of each class of fire and the correct type of extinguisher
to use on each type. Keep fire extinguishers on hand for Class A and B
fires.
• N e v e r t a k e w a t e r n e a r a n e l e c t r i c a l g r o u n d . We a r r u b b e r - s o l e d b o o t s t o
protect against electric shock.
• P r a c t i c e g o o d t r e n c h s a f e t y. N e v e r s t a c k e q u i p m e n t o r p i l e d i r t n e a r
trench edges.
 POST-READING TASKS

2. Read the poster on worksite safety. Then, mark the

statements as true (T) or false (F).

1. _____ Not following the 4:1 rule can cause a scaffold to

collapse.
2. _____ Different classes of fire need different types of fire
extinguishers.
3. _____ Not wearing rubber-soled boots violates trench
safety.
 VOCABULARY

3. Fill in the blanks with the correct words and phrases from the
w ord bank.

toxic trench safety 4:1 rule

pump jack Material Safety Data Sheet

1. According to the ________, you should w ash your eyes

thoroughly if the chemical gets in your eyes.
2. Position the ladder according to the ________ .
3. Most deaths occur when the walls cave in, so it is important to
follow ________ guidelines.
4. When he finished installing the windows, Tim lowered the
_______ to the ground.
5. This substance is ________ and will cause illnesses if
inhaled.
4. READ THE SENTENCE PAIR. CHOOSE WHERE
THE WORDS BEST FIT THE BLANKS.

1. class/accident
A. The ________ A fire occurred when a piece of paper got too close to
a stove.
B. An employee broke his leg in the ________ at the
construction site.
2. scaffold/ladder
A. Avoid a _______ by wearing a safety harness.
B. John stood on a ________ that was fifteen feet off the ground.
3. ground/ladder
A. The ________ was a metal rod installed into the foundation of the
building.
B. Use a ________ to repair the gutter on the roof.
4. closed space/ventilation
A. Keep the window open ensure proper _______ .
B. Never use a toxic chemical in a ________ .
 LISTENING

5. Listen and read the poster on worksite safety

again. Where is proper ventilation very important?

6. Listen to a conversation between a contractor and

an employee. Mark the following statements as
true (T) or false (F)

1. _____ The woman was injured in a fall.

2. _____ The woman was on the top step of her ladder
3. _____ The woman broke multiple safety rules.
7. LISTEN AGAIN AND COMPLETE THE
CONVERSATION.

E mployee: You wanted t o see me, Mr. Jackson?

Contractor: Yes. I 1________ what I just s aw. You were standing on the 2
______ of your ladder.
E mployee: O h, sorry. It was 3 ________ .
Contractor: It’s basic ladder safet y. You should never stand on the top step
of a ladder. Never. It ’s 4 ________ to f all.
E mployee: I ’m sorry. I t won’t happen again, Mr. Jackson
Contractor: Okay. But we still 5 __________ . You didn’t follow the 6
_________ eit her.
E mployee: The 4: 1 rule?
Contractor: Yes. For every four feet of height , you position your ladder one
foot away from the wall?
E mployee: Oh, okay. I was about eight feet up, So the ladder should be
two f eet away from the wall?
Contractor: Exactly. Make sure you follow it next time.
SP EA K I N G
8 . W IT H A PA R T N ER , A C T O U T TH E R O L ES B EL O W
B A S ED O N TA S K 6 . TH E N S W I TC H R O LES .

Student A: Student B

You are a contractor. Talk to You work for a contractor.

Student B about: Talk to Student A about
safety violations.

• breaking safely rules • breaking safely rules

• possible results • possible results
• how to correct the situation • how to correct the situation
 WRITING

9. Use the poster and the conversation from. Task 8 to

complete the disciplinary write-up.

Disciplinary Write Up

Employee name: ______________________________

Date of incident: ______________________________
Problem: ______________________________
Steps taken to fix problem: _____________________
 HOMEWORK:

Write your opinion about “How Do We Stay Safe”

• What image do you want to use? Describe it.

• Why is it important to have people who keep you safe? Put
this into your own words