From rooftop projects to high-rise construction, any project that involves working off the ground greatly increases the risk of accidents and the severity of the injury that results from them. Fortunately, there are numerous practices and tools which can help to significantly reduce the risk of such accidents. We will present several of these practices and frameworks, describing how they can be used to your greatest benefit.
Why workplace safety is so critical
Construction work of any type is one of the most hazardous jobs on the planet. The combination of heavy equipment, machines, large amounts of heavy or dangerous materials and dangerous locations all add up to a scenario just begging for disaster to strike. Unfortunately for many, disaster does strike on too regular of a basis. While some accidents are purely random and unavoidable, the vast majority of accidents are not. On the contrary, most workplace accidents are completely preventable. This only stands to make such incidents that much more tragic, as lives are changed, ruined or even lost for wholly avoidable reasons.
Main reason for workplace accidents
Studies have shown that the vast majority of preventable accidents occur due to inadequate training and insufficient resources regarding safety procedures. The more training regarding safety procedures and precautions that construction personnel has, the less likely they are to experience on the job accidents. Likewise, the more resources that construction sites have with regard to safety procedures and equipment, the more likely that site is to remain accident-free. However, when training is lax and safety resources are scarce, the chance for accidents increases exponentially. Not only will the number of accidents increase in these conditions, but the severity of the accidents themselves will increase.
The benefits of safety training and equipment
Proper training and resources help to mitigate the risk and severity of injuries to construction workers. It is therefore critical for anyone overseeing a construction operation of any type to ensure that the proper amount of training and equipment is made available to any and all personnel on the site. This will ensure that injuries, as well as being kept to a minimum in number, will also be kept to a minimum in severity. The ultimate gain from this is the reduction in lives lost due to accidents on the work site. A great many accidents can cause serious damage to equipment and the site itself, resulting in large sums of money being needed for repairs and the like. Proper training will help to prevent damage to equipment, materials and the site as a whole. After all, while the safety of the crew is the paramount concern, the construction business is just that—a business. Thus, any accident or injury, as well as being measured in terms of human cost, can also be measured in terms of financial cost. Taking the extra time and effort to prevent workplace accidents will thus not only benefit the workers, but it will benefit the company’s bottom line as well.
Who's responsible for workplace safety?
The burden of responsibility for workplace safety does not rest squarely on the shoulders of the person in charge. While the head of any construction company is responsible for anything and everything that happens on the site, the fact is that all members of the construction team can share in ensuring that safety is made the number one priority. Supervisors can ensure that necessary materials are made available, both in terms of certified reference materials as well as safety equipment and the likes. Additionally, supervisors can make sure that safety meetings and even drills are held on a regular basis, guaranteeing that everyone is up to date on the latest safety procedures. Perhaps the ultimate burden of responsibility lies with the rank and file of the construction crew. While instructional meetings and materials can educate a person to perform their job more safely, only the willingness to follow safety protocols will actually allow them to have any impact on the safety of the job site. Therefore, it is critical that a certain amount of oversight be given to each worker, ensuring that they are following the highest safety standards at all times. Any worker failing to adhere to those standards not only poses a threat to their own safety, but they pose a threat to the safety of others as well.