When it comes to the construction industry, there are several trends that need to be followed to do things the right way. However, these practices can be hard to understand for newcomers or people not part of the construction industry. One of said practices is the use of a green cloth to cover construction sites.
In this article, we explore why construction sites are covered with green clothes, and more importantly, why the colour has to be green.
Why Construction Sites are Covered With Green Clothes?
There are several reasons behind the use of a green cloth for construction sites, here are some of the most important ones:
It Serves as a Safety Net
The green construction cloth is wrapped around the building to ensure construction site safety that the construction materials, such as debris, stray blocks or bricks, glass, or even electric sparks do not fall onto any general public below or beside the construction site. The same goes for any workers or animals on the ground.
Also, when the construction of buildings starts, a large amount of soil, cement, and dust is blown away. In such a situation, dust and dirt can cause trouble to the people around or to those who come and go. Cloths are used to prevent this. Due to the cloths, dust and cement do not fly away, so it does not bother others even if the construction is in progress.
Helps Reduce Dust
While the cloth itself prevents dust and debris from escaping the site, people in the construction industry also have a little hack to ensure that no dust leaves the site.
When high dust work is underway, for example, if you are using high-energy tools, such as cut-off saws, grinders, wall chasers and grit blasters produce a lot of dust in a very short time. Then the dust can still escape the green cloth and fall onto the ground outside.
This is why construction site workers spray the green cloth with water so it is completely wet right before doing high dust work. Since the cloth is wet, any dust and debris settling on it will be stuck to it and not escape the site. Then, once the high dust work is done and that part of the project is complete, they spray the cloth once again to clean it up.
Project Secrecy
When it comes to construction, contractors can be very secretive about their design and blueprint. This is to ensure that no one tries to copy or recreate their ideas, especially when the original structure is not made (which can result in the general public and even the client thinking the original is actually a copycat).
This is why even if they are working on a smaller project, construction workers prefer keeping the green cloth around the structure to ensure that curious onlookers or competitors cannot see what they are working on until it is complete.
Prevents Distractions and Fear
When you are a construction worker, you can often get a pretty good view of the cityscape of that area. This might sound like a good thing, however, it can prove as a distraction for workers and cause delays in the construction.
With a green cloth around the structure, workers can easily focus on their job and not get distracted by noises or sights around outside the area. This is also effective for workers who are afraid of heights.
If they cannot look down from the building, they cannot notice how high up they are and thus their fear disappears.
Decreases the Amount of Direct Sunlight
Too much of anything can be bad for you. This same logic is applied to construction as well, where too much direct sunlight can negatively affect your project and result in cracked or dried-up concrete before time, drying of paint cans and other substances before they can be used, and even causing irritation to those working at the site.
The sunlight can make the construction workers dehydrated or unwell, causing them to take time off, or even fall ill at the site. It also causes workers to sweat more and overall feel hotter.
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This all can easily be prevented by putting the green cloth around the structure. The cloth’s material ensures that enough sunlight comes through for wet substances to dry on time while also blocking out the heat and harmful rays.
With your green cloth in place, workers can easily go about their job without feeling ill due to the heat or excess sunlight.
Why is the Cloth Specifically Green?
Using a green cloth during construction is clearly beneficial, however, why is this cloth only limited to the colour green? Why don’t construction workers across the globe use any other colour? After all the above benefits can all be reaped with a cloth of any colour.
The answer to this is simple: this shade of green is the only colour that can be seen during the day and night without being overwhelmingly bright (like neon colours).
With a light green construction cloth, workers can ensure that the general public around the area is aware that construction is underway and take necessary precautions (such as not speeding near the construction site) at all times while also comfortably doing their job.
If the colour was too bright or dark, then this wouldn’t be possible.