site safety

policies, trainings, and more information regarding volunteer safety on site

A safe, positive volunteer experience is the priority at FH Habitat job sites. We encourage new volunteers to review the safety FAQs below, review the safety basics videos, and access additional safety training materials from Habitat for Humanity International. New volunteers must complete an orientation and basic safety training before volunteering – for more info on getting started as a volunteer, take a look at our volunteering info and volunteering FAQ.

Safety is everyone’s responsibility. We all need to be safety-conscious and follow the supervisor’s directions. We provide appropriate safety equipment and will ask anyone behaving in an unsafe manner to leave the work site. We maintain a drug-free work site. You will not be asked to do what is inherently unsafe or what you feel uncomfortable doing.

Habitat requests that all volunteers come to the site with their own health insurance. Franklin Hampshire Habitat for Humanity carries limited insurance coverage for on-site volunteers. You must sign up and/or sign in to be covered. It is your responsibility and that of the construction supervisor to make sure you sign in as soon as you arrive at the site.

Unless advised otherwise, please bring your own food and drink; groups sometimes cater their own lunch. There is an on-site portable lavatory. Feel free to bring your own tool belt or simple hand tools, labeled with your name. Do not bring power tools. Habitat always has tools for volunteer use.

Please wear sensible clothing and footwear. Be sure to bring work gloves. We will supply hard hats where needed. Regardless of the season, you may be working outside, so please dress appropriately. Boots and warm, layered clothes are recommended in the winter. Shorts and tennis shoes are usually acceptable in the summer.

There is one required safety training for all volunteers: Construction Safety Basics. Click the link to sign in to your Better Impact volunteer account and proceed to the training. Once you have completed the training, you will see the “Construction Safety Basics” badge on your account.

Additionally, the Construction Safety Plus training is available, but not required. We encourage you to complete as many of the recommended courses as you can; completing any will earn you the “Construction Safety Plus” badge on your account.

You can revisit these trainings at any time by logging in to the Better Impact portal and going to My Profile >> Training.

Children under 16 are not permitted on the site during construction. Any individuals under 18 years of age must:

  • Create a volunteer account and have a waiver signed by parents (included at account creation, or printable using the link)
  • Have a responsible adult present when volunteering

To ensure a safe working environment for volunteers, future homeowners and staff, we have an outdoor work site safety plan in place that includes Covid-19 safety measures, and a respiratory illness policy (updated January 2025). For more information and the latest updates, please check our Covid-19 page.

volunteer with tools