8 Tips on Improving Workplace Safety for Construction Companies
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics(BLS), approximately 250 out of 10,000 full-time equivalent workers experience a workplace injury in the construction industry. This doesn’t seem like a lot, but it could translate to thousands of dollars in losses for your construction company.
A construction site isn’t the safest of places, but you can take steps to improve workplace safety for your employees. That way, you can reduce the chances of workplace injuries that may cost you money, valued employees, and your company’s reputation. If you’re interested in improving workplace safety for your construction projects, you’re in the right place.
Join us today as we highlight a couple of tips on how best to improve workplace safety for your construction workers.
1. Train Your Workers on the Importance of Workplace Safety
Workplace safety doesn’t start with guardrails, helmets, or safety jackets. No, workplace safety starts with the employees themselves. As such, you need to conduct safety training for employees to emphasize the importance of workplace safety. After that, you can introduce them to workplace safety measures to instill a culture of safety in the workplace.
Workplace safety training is not a one-off event that takes an hour or two. Instead, it’s a continuous process that spans the entire project. Ongoing training ensures that what workers learn from training stays fresh in their minds.
2. Conduct Daily Workplace Safety Meetings
Every day after work, conduct a thorough inspection of the construction site to ensure all safety measures are in place. Follow this with a safety meeting that should take no more than thirty minutes. These regular staff meetings should address all matters concerning safety in the workplace, including:-
- Identifying common safety hazards in the workplace
- Refreshers of workplace safety protocols
- Any workplace incidents
- Employee safety expectations
- Emphasizing important workplace safety tips
You can also use these meetings to also check on the construction progress. However, workplace safety should remain the main focus.
3. Reward Your Workers for Their Safety Efforts
Make sure you reward your workers for adhering to safety measures and ensuring workplace safety. You can reward your workers for stuff like:-
- Wearing their helmets, safety jackets, and other PPE
- Reporting safety hazards and unsafe conditions
- Giving suggestions to improve workplace safety
- Attending and contributing to safety meetings
You can reward these workers with a salary bonus, verbal appreciation, or even a promotion. This will be an incentive for workers to adhere to safety protocols and act accordingly.
Rewarding safety-conscious workers is only part of the process. You’ll also need to correct the workers on the other side of the fence. However, you shouldn’t do this disparagingly, or it may have the opposite result.
4. Equip Your Employees With the Right Tools and Proper Safety Equipment
Prioritize equipping your employees with the right work tools and buying safety vests, helmets, and other PPE. Remember, machine malfunctions are also a serious workplace hazard and compromise your workers’ safety. Invest in the proper equipment to improve workplace safety and also work quality.
No conversation about workplace safety is complete without mentioning safety equipment. Ensure everyone in the workplace has a helmet and safety vest, at the very least. Yes, this includes site visitors and non-construction workers.
Apart from these, also get safety goggles, boots, and gloves for your employees. Remember, when buying safety equipment, quality always topples quantity. Ensure you buy high-quality PPE, so you don’t have to rebuy them later on.
5. Allow and Encourage Stretch Breaks
Frequent stretch breaks are a good thing for your workers to remain motivated and catch their breath. As such, encourage stretch breaks where your workers can stretch for a bit to loosen joints. Remember, fatigue is a leading cause of workplace injury because it causes a lack of alertness and slow response time.
Don’t worry about these stretch breaks hurting workplace productivity. That’s because stretch breaks only last about five minutes. A good stretch will have your workers back to their stations recharged to continue with the day’s activities.
6. Develop and Implement Safety Protocols From the Start
Workplace safety begins from the moment you set foot on the construction site. Workplace safety shouldn’t be an afterthought mid-way into the project after a workplace incident. You should implement workplace safety protocols from the very beginning.
This means having well-established procedures for handling safety hazards and incidents in the workplace. It also means having regulations for proper safety wear and emphasizing safe practices in the workplace. Do this from the beginning to inculcate a culture of safety in your construction workers.
7. Facilitate a Conducive Space for Open Dialog
Encourage your workers to speak openly about any health and safety concerns they have in the workplace. You can ask them to tell you directly or have a safety suggestion box somewhere on the construction site.
Another way to encourage dialog is by instituting a safety captain to oversee workplace safety. This safety captain will be your employees’ representative on all matters concerning safety. The captain will air out any grievances or concerns on behalf of the employees.
8. Plan Your Construction Activities Beforehand
Planning ahead for construction can help you begin construction on the right foot with all safety measures in check. Doing so allows you to cordon off hazard zones and establish boundaries for your construction site. It also ensures you have adequate safety equipment for the workers and extras, just in case.
Proper planning is not only imperative to the success of your project but also to workplace safety.
Improving Workplace Safety Simplified
Adhering to the above tips will help you improve workplace safety in no time. Remember to invest in safety equipment for your workers’ safety and to preserve your company’s reputation. Workplace safety starts with you.
Here at Hi-Viz.com, we’re committed to improving workplace safety by providing top-notch, high-visibility safety apparel for you and your employees. Check out our collection and order a couple for your construction worker.