Construction sites are dangerous places. Security hazards lurk around every corner. This is evidenced by the high rate of work injuries and fatalities that occur every year in the construction industry. Falls, electric shocks, overturning heavy equipment and collapsing scaffolding are just a few of the reasons workers can be seriously injured or killed on a construction site.
Construction firms that achieve excellent safety records did not get them by accident. They weren't lucky. These companies have made safety a key tenet of their corporate culture and have implemented proven safety programs that help them achieve the goal of creating an accident-free work environment to protect their employees.
Creating safer construction sites is not an easy task. This requires a huge amount of planning and work. Here are some tips and advice on how to make every construction site safer.
Create a safety culture
Safety should be a top priority for all construction companies. Involving all employees in your safety culture requires a top-down approach. “Safety First” cannot be just words given to employees by superiors. Commitment to safety should become one of the main principles of corporate culture.
Assemble a security team or committee to help your security manager monitor and review security performance. The team should include a mix of executive, managerial, operational and craft staff. This helps reinforce the fact that safety is the responsibility of every employee.
Create a site-specific security plan
Every construction project is unique and has its own unique set of challenges and obstacles. Construction planning is vital to the successful management of a project to completion. This requires determining the required resources and scheduling work based on the order and duration of individual tasks.
Part of the construction planning process should include the development of a site-specific safety plan. Start by inspecting the site and determining what hazards already exist. Plan what safety measures you need to take to reduce these hazards and prevent accidents.
As you create your construction plan, take a look at each stage of construction. Break down individual tasks and write down what safety precautions, personal protective equipment (PPE), and training will be required to keep workers safe.
Share the plan with everyone who works on the site. Be sure to emphasize the expectation that everyone will follow the plan. This applies not only to your employees, from site supervisors to construction assistants, but to everyone who does the work, including your subcontractors.
Training
Safety training is not a one-time deal. This applies to both beginners and experienced veterans. Continuous training helps instill this culture of safety in the minds of all employees. No accident has ever been due to someone having too much safety training.
Conduct a safety briefing for all employees, fully understand all safety expectations and requirements. Be sure to familiarize yourself with evacuation procedures and first aid plans. Workers must be trained not only on how to perform the task correctly, but also on how to perform the task safely in order to protect themselves and those around them.
Empower employees to speak up and hold each other accountable
Everyone on the construction site should feel comfortable talking about unsafe working conditions. Everyone on a construction site, whether they are a safety manager or a construction worker, should be able to order a work stop if they feel there is a safety issue that needs to be addressed.
Explain to all workers that they are responsible for the safety of themselves and others. Workers will not talk about unsafe conditions or behavior if they fear retaliation for it.
Conduct daily safety meetings
To emphasize the importance of safety, talk about it every day. They should not be long or overly complex. Before starting each shift, review the day's work and discuss the associated hazards and safety and control measures.
Be sure to discuss any accidents or oversights that occurred during the previous shift. Highlight any instances where workers did not follow safety protocols, as well as instances where workers were seen working safely.
Have each employee inspect their PPE, tools, and equipment before starting work to ensure everything is in working order. Eliminate any safety concerns that workers have before allowing work to begin.
Inspect, evaluate and adjust
Construction sites must be inspected before and after each working day. Equipment and tools should be checked to ensure all guards and safety equipment are in place. Scaffolding and ladders must be checked to ensure they are in good working order and safe to use. The site must be kept clean and well maintained to prevent workers from tripping over misplaced tools and discarded materials.
As construction progresses, the safety manager and safety committee should evaluate the safety plan. Discuss what measures are working, identify areas that need attention and where additional training may be needed. As work progresses, new safety hazards will emerge, so it is important to adjust the safety plan as necessary as work conditions change.
With careful planning and implementation, all construction sites can achieve the goal of a zero-injury environment at every construction site.
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