Construction hazards are similar to those in other industries, but there are specific issues that safety professionals and contractors must consider.
There are many challenges associated with the implementation of a health and safety management system in the construction industry. Contractors should address these four topics when it comes to creating a positive safety culture in construction.
Here are the top four areas of construction safety to implement daily.
Workforce Education
Understanding the hazards and risks will help workers to perform safely. Workers may not be as familiar with the work being done or the risks involved.
For this reason, contractors need to ensure that all workers participating in a project are educated in the job’s requirements. Ensuring workers are skilled and knowledgeable enough to complete their tasks. Make sure your crew is informed about common construction hazards. For example, the OSHA “focus four” of fall, caught-in or between, struck-by, and electrocution hazards, and how to prevent them.
It is also important to realize that conditions change throughout the day. Changes lead to new hazards that were not present when the work began.
An effective way for contractors to educate workers is to hold morning huddles. Workers are provided with 10-minute informational sessions before shifts that discuss hazards. Focused on the tasks they will perform and methods for mitigating those hazards.
Understand the Project
The entire team involved in a project must have a comprehensive understanding of the work to be performed. Having a clear understanding who is responsible for what will help to eliminate safety hazards. This is important in the construction industry because many workers perform different tasks for varying periods of time.
Contractors, project managers, and safety specialists must be aware of obligations controlling the work being done in these circumstances. Many groups that may be present on their job site at any given moment (for example, electricians, iron workers, plumbers, and painters) and what is required of them in terms of project safety.
Reduce Risk
On construction sites, personal protective equipment (PPE) is used as the first line of defense in protecting workers from hazards. Safety professionals and workers should consider the hierarchy of controls begins with elimination or substitution of hazards. These methods provide a proactive approach to better protect workers and, therefore, should be pursued before moving further down the hierarchy to PPE.
Eliminating dangers to avoid worker harm is also very important. Contractors and safety specialists should also ensure that personnel are adequately taught on each component of the equipment.
Efficient Safety Management
The majority general contractors have a safety management system in place. It is reflected in how owners think about safety and the level of training provided to employees. This is translated in actions taken by those employees as they complete their tasks. Organizations must understand what leads to safety success in order to truly foster continuous improvement.
OSHA provides guidelines for effective safety and health program management that include the following elements:
- Commitment and leadership from management
- Worker participation
- Hazard identification and assessment
- Hazard prevention and control
- Education and training
- Communication
- Program improvement
Using OSHA guideline to create or improve your own Safety Management Plan will help improve your workplace safety.
Robert Hakes Construction specializes in commercial space for tenant improvements. We are committed to bring superior craftsmanship to every project. Let us know how we can help!