By Elias Brito, Resource Manager

Don’t push your luck! Construction safety goes hand-in-hand with the welfare of your tradespeople and the seamless operation of your projects. That being said, neglecting safety guidelines and depending solely on your workers’ construction skills to do the construction job is a recipe for disaster. Instead of leaving it to luck, take initiatives to establish a safe construction site and protect your people. Remember that construction job safety is a team responsibility and as such it must be addressed.

Walk Through
In order to know what your tradespeople are about to encounter on the worksite, you need to have a clear picture of the working conditions. Before a project setup, before the construction job starts and, in general, before your workers walk on the jobsite, you need to make sure that you send them out to a safe construction site. Walk through the premises to identify potential hazards and risks. Is the scaffolding secure and in place? Did last night’s rain flood the trenches making it hard to work before removing the water? Know the whereabouts and address issues before they challenge construction safety.

Encourage Involvement
As said before, the welfare of your tradespeople is a team effort and it must always be treated like that. You need to show that construction safety is not only your company’s responsibility, but it also falls on your workforce to do their part. Hold regular meetings and highlight the importance of a “if you see something, say something” policy explaining to your crew that it is expected from them to point out and bring up any safety issues. No matter how sharp their construction skills are or how much experience they have, they must never underestimate the importance of maintaining a safe construction site and keeping themselves and their coworkers out of danger.

Keep Training
Safety training is an OSHA standard to help companies keep their workforce both safe and ready to address hazards. The more your company invests in safety training, the more you minimize the chances of your tradespeople getting hurt. From regular safety toolbox talks, to use of proper PPE, to training of newcomers, you must stay on top of construction safety. It is important to keep in mind though, that the same applies for the subcontractors or construction staffing firm you partner with. Getting tradespeople with the right construction skills must always be hand in hand with safety standards and guidelines.

Remove Irresponsibility
A number of accidents on the construction jobsite take place due to irresponsibility and failure of the involved parties in complying with safety guidelines. A great way to establish a safe construction site is by having policies in place that prevent irresponsible behavior. Always perform the necessary background checks for tradespeople who join your team, and make sure that the construction recruiters you partner with have a solid screening process in place as well. Let your newcomers know that you will be performing random drug testing to detect substance use and prevent potential risks.

Learn from Mistakes
Always learn from your mistakes! Keep this in mind during your efforts to make a safe construction site . If you had a near miss or a mishap take place on the worksite, use it as an example to take corrective action and avoid future risks. Look into the reasons why construction safety guidelines were not met and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Ask your tradespeople to provide you with feedback and be thorough in implementing safety practices that help your company become better and your workforce stay safe.

Key Takeaways to Making Your Construction Sites Safer:
1.  Build a safety team for better communication and planning on safety
2.  Hold accountable whoever does not comply with safety
3.  Break down projects into phases to better address hazards and dangers
4.  Put in place policies that eliminate irresponsibility on the jobsite
5.  Use safety mishaps as examples for future improvement

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