September 25, 2020 5 Safety Initiatives Companies Create for Workers

A review of safety initiatives that construction firms need to start implementing.

Construction site safety is and always will be a critical issue. The construction industry involves working in various hazardous locations and working conditions, such as houses, roads, and other infrastructures. Working in these environments also require dealing with heights, noise, heat, moisture, and electricity. Without the right safety protocols, construction companies risk getting their workers injured.

Hence, here are five safety initiatives construction firms need to start implementing:

Proper Management

One essential aspect of construction safety is proper on- and off-site management. The top managerial positions should demonstrate their commitment to eliminating specific hazards that might encourage risks inside and outside the job sites.

If you’re part of a construction company’s managerial staff, you should also develop a workplace that promotes health and safety to all employees, regardless of rank. Furthermore, you need to strategize and implement safety programs that encourage the accomplishments of jobs within the deadline, while practicing due safety.

Furthermore, you need to set a good example for your workers. Employees that see their bosses being unable to follow safety protocols may, in turn, follow suit, increasing safety risks.

Regular Safety Training

One safety training might not be enough to implement the best construction safety practices. Furthermore, the need for implementing new safety protocols might be more important now because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ensure that your workers are following the correct safety techniques during the pandemic. Perhaps, the last thing you’d want is to lose an employee because they contracted the disease. Hence, ensure that your staff is knowledgeable about how to maintain social distancing. Also, consider regularly reminding your employees about the importance of using gear, like personal protective equipment (PPE) and disposable masks, while at the workplace.

Keep in mind that constant reminder is essential to ensure safety in a business environment, especially for construction companies. Otherwise, your staff members might forget about certain safety techniques, causing an increased risk of contracting hazards.

Personal Awareness Of Surroundings

Proper management will help construction workers ‘stay on their toes’ in avoiding hazards during work. However, it’s also best to maintain personal awareness of one’s surroundings every time.

Perhaps, you’re a contractor or manager of a construction company. Either way, your workers might not have the proper guidance if you become absent as you’re at the receiving end of an incident. If this scenario happens, delays and other issues may surface for the construction job.

Therefore, always be aware of your surroundings. Always maintain a keen eye on your surroundings, especially if you’re treading on dangerous paths.

Excellent Communication

Communication is also an integral component in the development and maintenance of safety initiatives in construction companies. Remember, you can’t afford to have issues in the construction process. You don’t want to lose one or two people because you didn’t pay attention to their communication needs.

Give your employees tools for establishing proper communication between departments. Walkie-talkies and cell phones are a couple of examples.

Your workers can use these communication devices to inform other staff members about potential hazards in the job site. For example, a backhoe is in operation, so an employee can use a communication tool to announce to other people in the area to steer clear of the location until that worker accomplishes the task.

Note that the best thing to do when you want to get your project going as smooth as possible is to acquire a reliable form of communication for all workers in your construction firm. That way, you can quickly find problem areas and solve these issues before they become serious health hazards.

Implementation Of New Technologies

Bring your construction company’s safety initiatives to modern times by implementing updated technologies, like artificial intelligence and machine learning.

You can use AI to detect dangers at work. Various AI software can learn natural language processing techniques and use algorithms to assess risk factors within the job site. For example, you can use a mobile app to take advantage of a smartphone’s camera in identifying potential hazards in the workplace. Then, the application warns users of hazards that may go unnoticed by human eyes.

Always take into account the factor of human error when assessing health and safety risks in construction sites. Remember, you and your workers are human beings, which means that you’re not perfect. Still, you can mitigate imperfections by using robots and smart technologies to make job sites safer than before.

Conclusion

Construction companies should always follow appropriate safety protocols to secure the health and wellbeing of their employees. Let the safety initiatives mentioned above help you in implementing the correct safety procedures for the benefit of your workers.

Sara Simons

Sara Simons is a full-time blogger who regularly publishes articles about business, and health and wellness. Sara has gained countless readers through the years because of her ability to write informative yet fun content online.

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