Nothing is more important than safety in the commercial construction industry. As an experienced building subcontractor, Unique Building Group’s commitment to safety is just one of the many reasons we’ve developed such a strong reputation among our general contractor partners.
Our dedication to creating and maintaining a safe work environment helps protect every worker that steps onto the job site and also helps ensure we meet our clients’ expectations by completing jobs on time.
As a subcontractor, we know the adequacy of our safety program not only impacts our workers, but also the workers of every subcontractor and general contractor who are working in parallel on the same job site. As a result, we’ve made a significant investment in our own safety training program to ensure it’s as effective as possible. Here are some tips to help your company do the same:
1. Training Should Never Stop
Construction safety training isn’t a one-and-done deal and shouldn’t be limited to just new employees. In order to keep the job site as safe as possible, employees need regular safety training throughout the year in addition to job-specific training. Regular training sessions should include all general construction safety practices, OSHA standards, how to use machinery, and personal protective equipment (PPE). General first aid training should also be provided on a regular basis. Some training may only need to be administered annually, while other training sessions might be needed on a more frequent basis. Either way, workers must be required to satisfy training requirements before stepping foot on the job site.
2. Everyone Is Accountable
Job site safety is the responsibility of every employee involved in a commercial construction project. The president, safety director, estimators, managers, and workers all have a role to play. All employees need to work together to mitigate workplace risks. Holding training meetings, reinforcing rules, monitoring behavior, and following procedures; everyone has a role to play. When workplace incidents happen, companies need to look into the entire safety program to determine where the breakdown occurred.
3. Keep Your Safety Program Updated
Safety procedures and standards are constantly evolving as new data becomes available and new technology revolutionizes the industry. As a result, your safety manager should stay up to date on the latest guidelines, rules, and regulations. OSHA standards also change frequently, so it’s important to stay connected to all changes that are made this year to keep your program relevant.
4. OSHA Standards Are The Minimum
OSHA standards serve as the absolute minimum requirements for your outfit to remain compliant, but that doesn’t mean your safety program should stop there. To truly minimize workplace injuries, death, and disruptions you’ll need to go far beyond the minimum. Your company’s particular line of work may also influence the content of your training and safety program. For example, if a particular incident is common throughout your line of work, you may want to consider enhancing your safety protocols or adding additional measures to further mitigate the risk.
5. Emphasize The Importance of Communication
In addition to frequent training, your safety manager should also hold daily safety check-in meetings while actively on the job site. The purpose of these meetings is to review any and all safety hazards workers may encounter throughout the day. You can also use this time to reinforce procedures and guidelines as well as the use of PPE.
Subcontractors should also equip teams with necessary communication tools to quickly report hazards or accidents. Smartphones and walkie-talkies are effective job site communication tools. The faster an issue can be communicated, the sooner it can be resolved.
6. Invest In Technology
As technology continues to revolutionize commercial construction safety, subcontractors can’t afford not to invest in it. Below are three of the most common categories of job site safety technology you should incorporate into your program:
- Safety Apps make it easy to share safety procedures, submit incident reports, review job plans, and share information on job site hazards.
- Drones are an effective way to inspect the job site from above, which makes it easier to identify fall risks, build structures, monitor activity, and enforce safety rules.
- Wearable Technology can monitor the health and well-being of workers on the job site, make it easy to locate employees, and even assist employees with strenuous tasks.
There are dozens of products available within each of these three categories that can significantly enhance your safety program. With new technology coming out every year, you should encourage your safety director to keep tabs on the latest and greatest gadgets.
Job site safety is a non-negotiable priority and should be top of mind for every subcontractor firm at all times. Not only is it important to take care of your workers, but safety incidents impact everyone on the job site. They also lead to costly project delays.
If you’re in the market for a subcontractor who specializes in building envelope solutions and safety above all else, get in touch with us at Unique Building Group today. With over 30 years of experience, we’ve had the chance to build one of the most effective construction safety programs.
