Due to industrial pavement’s intense load-bearing requirement, concrete or heavy-duty asphalt designed for the loads is used. Industrial pavement is very different from your average jointed concrete pavement and asphalt roads. Industrial areas comprise cargo bays, parking lots, warehouses, & machine-intensive shop floors, so there is a lot of activity going about and much to account for as far as safety is concerned.
Industrial pavement entails heavy equipment and professional paving teams, which is why they also form hazardous job sites. Industrial and commercial sites across Central Texas, DFW and the Permian Basin put heavy loads on pavement, and the pavement has to be built for them.
Here is how we best observe safety, so your pavement comes out super-strong!
1. Exit & Entering Equipment Improperly Can Make or Break You
Most industrial paving site accidents occur because the operator mounted/dismounted the heavy vehicle improperly and came under it or struck a piece of construction equipment and fell onto another. Avoid loose gloves, muddy boots, & erratic equipment mounting/dismounting. Adopt the ‘three-point contact’ stance when getting into the vehicle. Be it a dump truck, a roller, a concrete mixer, or a forklift, get in and get out of these vehicles carefully.
2. Discourage Crowding About Operating Equipment
People have died from getting crushed under a compacting roller because they wouldn’t keep their safe distance. Industrial paving employs a lot of moving machinery mounted on equally mobile equipment. Forklifts can impale, dump trucks can bury site workers, concrete mixers are a death trap, and power tools can become an electrocution. Our foremen are well versed in directing operators & on-lookers from getting into active worksite paths.
3. Account For All Utilities Overhead & Underground
Utility lines are all around and beneath industrial areas. When paving on industrial premises, thoroughly account for all utilities and have them marked. Any shallow utilities get marked by an offset marker. Since prefab concrete slabs are ideal for industrial pavement, their jointing process makes them a hazard for shallow utilities hence the caution for locating underground utilities. The cranes need to be on the lookout for overhead utilities.
4. Use a Spotter When Maneuvering Heavy Equipment
Never be the lone man securing loads to a heavy vehicle. Use spotters to level equipment, balance loads, or even park into docking bays with paving material to be delivered. Observe docking SOPs as your life depends on them.
5. Ensure Jobsite Security
Secure your worksite from burglary. Paving construction sites are unfortunately prone to theft of tools and raw materials, just as these sites are prone to causing accidents for operators on site. Secure both security & safety. Two birds, one stone!
If you are on the lookout for some asphalt maintenance on your industrial turf, a few repairs maybe, or require an industrial-grade pavement that can withstand immense loads without a dent, Prime Asphalt is your choice of a professional paving contractor. We’ve been Prime Asphalt since 2007, with more than 50 years of family experience in paving, and our projects successfully span residential, commercial, and industrial projects.
Please give us a holler for our free service quotes in Waco, TX, and be awed by our reliable & extensive offerings built to your budgets!
What owners and facility managers can do
The paving crew handles its own safety program, but the people who run the property play a big part too:
- Agree on a traffic plan. Before work starts, settle which entrances stay open, where trucks will route and where employees will park.
- Separate people from equipment. Set up a marked walking route from parking to the building that stays out of the work zone.
- Tell everyone ahead of time. Notify employees, tenants, carriers and delivery drivers of dates, closures and detours.
- Keep the work zone closed. Cones, barricades and caution tape only work if nobody moves them to save a few steps.
- Plan for after hours. If work runs at night or across a weekend, make sure the site is lit and closed areas stay blocked off.
Utilities: call 811, and remember private lines
Any project that involves digging, such as base work, curb lines or drainage, starts with an 811 locate request so utility companies can mark their public lines. Your contractor typically submits the ticket.
811 doesn’t mark private lines. On industrial and rural properties, those can include power to gates, signs and outbuildings, irrigation, private water lines and fuel lines. Give your contractor any site drawings you have, and point out anything you know is buried.
Questions to ask your paving contractor
- How will you phase the work so the site stays open?
- Where will equipment and materials be staged?
- Who is the on-site contact if something comes up?
- When can each area go back into use?
We plan this out on every commercial paving and parking lot paving job. Fresh striping at the end helps keep traffic flowing safely.
Related: Asphalt Paving and Concrete Tips for Industrial Facilities · How to Hire a Paving Contractor: Questions to Ask and Red Flags
Frequently asked questions
Can our business stay open during paving?
Usually, yes. Larger lots are paved in sections so part of the site stays open, with temporary routes marked.
How soon can employees park on new asphalt?
Typically after 24 to 72 hours, depending on the weather. Heavy trucks should wait longer.
Are asphalt fumes a concern for people in the building?
Hot asphalt has an odor while it’s being placed. Keeping people away from the work zone and closing nearby air intakes or doors during placement keeps it to a minimum.
Who is responsible for private utility lines?
Generally the property owner, since 811 only marks public utility lines. Share what you know before work starts.
Do we need permission to close a lane on a public road?
Often, yes. Check with your city or county about traffic control on public streets.
Get a free estimate. Planning paving at an industrial site? Contact us for a free estimate and a plan that keeps your site running.
