By Scott Gelfand, Account Manager 

Heads up! Your construction team is about to start working on the next project and it is vital that your workers stay safe at all times. Are you doing everything you can to ensure that there are not any construction safety issues for your workers? Don’t make the mistake of putting construction skills before construction job safety. Remember that safety is not simply about being aware of the industry’s regulations and guidelines. It must become part of your firm’s daily operations and culture. Below we provide some steps that your company needs to take to improve jobsite safety and deliver projects on time.

Be Consistent with PPE
Believe it or not, even though it is one of OSHA’s primary safety standards, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is many times underestimated or set aside on the construction site. Do your workers have their helmets on at all times? Do your electricians wear their protective gloves every time they do wiring work? Do your masons put on protective glasses? Does your company provide your workers with the necessary PPE to improve jobsite safety? Do not let your people walk on the site without first making sure that they have the PPE that protects them.

Identify and Communicate
In order to improve jobsite safety you need to be in a place to know what your team is up against and ensure that everyone is on the same page. You have to identify potential hazards and communicate the dangers to your construction workers. Knowing that the conditions of a construction site change every hour, you have to be aware of the risks that lay ahead. For instance, did you let your employees know to work at a different onsite location because a company is coming in to spray fiber coating for the outside decks of one of the buildings? Enhance communication among your staff to reinforce construction job safety.

Enhance Reliability
This one is simple. The construction industry is not a place where irresponsibility goes unpunished. There are many instances of mishaps that took place due to a lack of worker responsibility. Reports show that these kinds of accidents can be prevented. That being said, you need to make sure that the workers you bring in are reliable people who take their jobs seriously at all times. Perform the necessary background checks to detect substance use and eliminate foul play that increases the risk of accidents or injuries and puts construction job safety in danger.

Keep Them Focused
Your company needs to have a safety culture that is supported with education and continuous enforcement. You have to be persistent with this culture. Keep in mind that when your workers get into an environment that they are not familiar with they are wary and cautious. When they get used to the surroundings, they become comfortable and they tend to overlook construction safety. It is your responsibility to ensure that they approach everything with the mentality of doing their job safely. It is important that construction job safety is seen as a collective effort that everybody conforms to.

Invest in Prevention
When you are looking for great ways to improve jobsite safety, keep in mind that past experience can be a great place to start. Did you have any incidents or near misses that led to injuries or created problems for your workers? Take the time to investigate these events in order to determine the cause behind them and take the necessary corrective action to prevent them from happening again. Once you get to the root of the problem, it is crucial to communicate the information with all your people company wide, not only with those on the jobsite. Use past mistakes in order to invest in prevention and strengthen construction safety.

Key Takeaways to Strengthening the Safety of Your Construction Workers:
1.  Be consistent with the use of PPE by your staff
2.  Identify potential hazards on a daily basis and communicate them across borders
3.  Eliminate irresponsibility by fighting substance use
4.  Make sure your workers approach everything with safety in mind
5.  Look into past incidents and communicate your findings to your team to prevent future mistakes

About TradeSource
Founded in 1993, TradeSource is a construction labor solutions firm focused on delivering labor solutions to contractors throughout the United States. By supplying skilled tradespeople – where and when they’re needed – we help contractors grow their companies, without the associated costs and hassles of full-time hires. Likewise, we match qualified employees with rewarding and well-paying job opportunities in the construction industry. www.tradesource.com