Orientation items to cover on day one
Cover these with the restoration lead and every worker who will be on site.
- Sign-in point, badges, escort rules and areas that are off-limits.
- Evacuation routes, assembly points and the alarm signals used in the building.
- Location of fire extinguishers, eyewash stations and first-aid supplies.
- Powered industrial truck traffic lanes and pedestrian walkways.
- Lockout/tagout rules and who at the facility controls them.
- Hot work permit requirements for cutting or grinding.
- Confined spaces, pits or tanks that require permits to enter.
- Chemical storage areas and where safety data sheets are kept.
- Overhead hazards: cranes, conveyors, racking and suspended loads.
- Site PPE requirements beyond what the restoration work needs.
- Smoking, phone and photography rules.
- Who to call at the facility on each shift for decisions or problems.
Who controls what during restoration
| Item | Facility controls | Restoration provider controls |
|---|---|---|
| Lockout of equipment and utilities | Applying and removing locks on facility systems | Their own personal locks and verifying zero energy before work |
| Fire protection impairments | Notifications and fire watch | Not tampering with valves or alarms |
| Work zone barriers | Approving locations | Installing and maintaining them |
| Traffic in shared areas | Forklift routing and spotters | Keeping equipment and cords out of lanes |
| Waste and debris | Approved disposal locations | Loading and hauling as agreed |
Making the orientation stick
Restoration jobs bring new workers on and off site as the work changes from extraction to cleaning to demolition. Ask the provider to send new workers through the same orientation, and keep a signed roster. A short daily meeting at shift start to review the day's zones and any changes in operations prevents the conflicts that cause most incidents.
If the facility has its own contractor safety program, use it. The restoration provider should expect it and fit within it, just as electrical or roofing contractors do.
Restoration work also creates hazards of its own that facility staff may not expect: hoses and cords across aisles, slippery floors during extraction, lifts working overhead, and generators parked near doors. Walk the work zones together at the start of each phase so both sides know where those hazards will be and how operations will steer around them.
Keep a copy of the orientation checklist, the roster and the daily notes with the claim file. They show the work was managed responsibly if any incident or dispute comes up later.
General information for Commerce City, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.