Safety should be the number one important thing on a construction site. As an employer it is your responsibility to create the safest environment for your employees.
Accidents can occur at any time at a construction site, and when they do occur they can result in property damage, illness, injury and death. In some cases accidents could be preventable. Before we dive into how to create a safe environment we need to talk about what makes a construction unsafe.
Common causes of accident are:
- Fall hazard
- Improperly secured items
- Being crushed
- Exposure to hazardous materials and chemicals
- Fires
- Mental health and Sobriety
Being aware of the possible hazards helps to create plans to prevent accidents. They create topics for safety meetings. They help us to be prepared with first aid kits and fire extinguishers.
What is Good Leadership?
Good leadership is staying on top of everything occurring at the job sites. Knowing the environment and having multiple inspections throughout the construction process. Being aware of hazardous materials on the jobsite. Making sure employees have access to and are wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Lead by example. Show your willingness to participate in safety training, wear PPE and talk about safety concerns. Conduct daily job safety and hazard analysis. Take this data and show your employees how changes have affected the safety in the environment. Inform employees how they can protect themselves.
When an accident occurs, create an incident report. Learn from past mistakes and come up with ways to prevent them in the future.
How can good communication help create a safe work environment?
Communication is a key part of keeping everyone safe. Communication on the job site is about more than telling people to look out when something is falling. Having an open door policy with your employees about safety and morale.
Employees need to know at the end of the day when there is a problem they can come to their boss and effort will be made for their safety. A common but not talked about variable in safety is sobriety during work hours.
When someone is struggling with sobriety their coworkers should feel comfortable telling you.If someone is taking something this can cause careless accidents that you could be liable for. This should be a topic covered in safety meetings.
Implementing safety meetings and training. Keep everyone up to date with the latest OSHA rules and codes. These meetings should often be to keep safety top of mind.
Take action!
At the end of the day, putting your words into action is the best way to protect your employees and help them feel secure. When mishaps occur, making safety changes is vital.
When employees come to you with concerns, hear them out and come up with solutions. Put those solutions into action. Have an abundance of PPE and first aid materials available.
Safety doesn’t have to be stressful with the right leadership, communication and action, safety will seem like a breeze.
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