Construction is one of the biggest and most profitable industries in the world, which makes it fiercely competitive. That’s just one of the reasons why construction companies need to be very thorough when it comes to construction site safety. Possible accidents can create huge financial losses, especially if company doesn’t acquire insurance beforehand. In these situations companies are required to pay high compensation for workers’ injuries and damages on client’s property.
In addition to this, company will also face many indirect costs and damages including:
- Loss of productivity;
- Costs of training for replacement personnel;
- Equipment damage;
- Third-party liability;
- Cleaning and repair costs;
- Company reputation damage;
Each above written cost and damage is enough reason for construction companies to go an extra mile and invest more money into construction site safety. In this article we provided you with several useful tips that will help you make company’s construction site a safer place.
Go for Trustworthy Machinery and Equipment
Whether you purchase brand new equipment or you get all that is required for construction at increasingly popular machinery and earthmoving auctions, the first safety measure is to ensure regular maintenance and act promptly in case of any break or malfunction. This will get you off on the right foot, considerably decreasing safety risk and allowing you to focus on other segments.
Recognize the Emergencies and React Instantly
If building or renovation is currently in process, it is hard to make a construction safer overnight. Lack of security measures is dangerous for company workers and punishable by law. Unfortunately it’s an open secret that there are many construction sites that don’t meet even the most basic safety standards. These sites should be secured as fast as possible, before the disaster hits.
When accidents do happen, site supervisor should know who to call. Depending on the type of the emergency he/she should call: ambulance, firefighters, or companies that offer 24/7 safe services on construction sites.
Train Your Staff
Big companies organize external training for all construction workers. Many small contractors don’t have enough funds for these activities. That’s why they need to conduct on-the-site training. The least expensive security measures are those that target construction workers themselves and teach them how to avoid accidents.
Supervisors need to hold daily or weekly meetings, reevaluate security situation and explore and address all concerns. They should also pay attention to ‘near miss’ situations and report them to superiors. Because many different studies point out that after several ‘near miss’ situations, accident is definitely about to happen. In addition to all this, younger workers should be paired with more experienced ones, so they can learn all important techniques for avoiding hazardous situations.
Strictly Follow Regulations
There’s no excuse for not following government and state legislation and regulations in construction industry. In Australia government issues Codes of Practice that cover safety regulations in different areas. These include: demolition, construction and excavation work and safe design.
One Code of Practice is exclusively dedicated to preventing falls in housing construction that’s proved to be one of the biggest risks in construction work. Construction site supervisors should also read chapter 6 of model Work, Health and Safety Regulations. Model Code of Practice that focuses exclusively on construction work is very modern and it has been revised and republished in 2013.
Builder Risk Insurance
Property insurance is very important in construction industry. Without it, even the lightest of accidents can result in bankruptcy of contractor’s company, due to equipment and property damage. Company lawyers should carefully read insurance policies and give their opinion before entrepreneurs decide to sign certain insurance deal This is very important because the size of policy’s coverage can make a huge difference when accidents happen, and it can be crucial for contractor’s future business.
Following all above mentioned codes and being in close contact with construction workers will enable site supervisors to prevent all possible accidents and increase site security levels to the maximum. With safe constructions sites contractors can focus on construction work and making their clients satisfied.
