Five Simple Ways to Improve Construction Site Safety

By James Strohecker, Contributor

Time is money on a construction worksite.

You face constant pressure to meet deadlines and stay within budget. Sometimes, this causes worker safety to fall to the wayside.

These strategies can help improve health and safety in construction on any jobsite:

1. Set Safety Expectations

As a project/safety manager, it’s important to “walk the talk” when it comes to workplace safety and health. “The example you set, and the way you talk to workers about safety, has a huge impact on the company’s safety and health program, safety culture, and ability to reduce injury and illness,” according to OSHA. When workers are able to recognize the value management has for their well-being, it helps build trust.

Research shows that workers are more likely to value and internalize safety messages when they are occasionally delivered by higher level management, rather than passed down in the chain of command.

Make it clear that it’s everyone’s responsibility on the jobsite to follow rules, procedures, and best practices to prevent incidents. Incorporate safety language into policies and procedures so it becomes ingrained as a natural part of a worker’s daily routine.

Start each workday with an informal “Toolbox Safety Talk.” This makes safety managers’ jobs easier and improves a worker’s understanding of safety expectations. The informal safety talks reduce inconsistencies and chances of error. Toolbox Talks are one of the most effective means of reinforcing safety to workers. The Toolbox Talks spark discussion on general safety and help share information about the need for safer tools, equipment, materials, and processes.

2. Promote a Non-threatening Environment

Always encourage employees to speak up when they see something going wrong; this can significantly help to avoid incidents, injuries, and fatalities.

To increase participation, make sure workers feel comfortable asking questions and raising safety concerns (and suggestions) without fear of retaliation or bullying. This will make it easier and quicker to address and prevent issues.

OSHA has found that managers often avoid giving feedback to avoid confrontations. If improvements to a worker’s performance can be made, approach them in a constructive, positive way. Make sure to stay clear of judgmental statements and criticisms and focus on the behavior itself – not the person and their values or personality.

The authors of Crucial Conversations conducted a survey of 1,500 workers in 22 organizations and found 93% of employees say their workgroup is currently at risk from a safety issue that is not being discussed. In addition, almost half knew of an injury that occurred because someone didn’t speak up. Trust and quality of relationships heavily influence the safety and overall productivity of workers.

3. Plan Ahead

A thoughtful planning process can help the workday start more efficiently and safely.

• Ensure all prework activities, such as approvals, are completed before work begins.
• Implement zoning to block off areas where certain tasks will take place. Install nets and catch platforms.
• Stage and stock each work area with the necessary tools, PPE, and equipment before the workday begins. This will make it easier and safer for workers to access what they need.
• Make sure to supply the right tools for the right tasks, and double check that workers understand how to properly operate the equipment they’ll be using.
• Eliminate hazardous distractions and obstructions by reinforcing consistent housekeeping practices on the jobsite.
• And apply any other signage and protective safety measures.

4. Take Advantage of Technologies

Provide new opportunities to address safety challenges and experience immediate cost savings. Technology can be worth the investment to help bridge time and distance constraints, improving efficiency and safety in the long term.

The growth of digitization in construction now makes it possible to make real-time decisions remotely. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), known as drones, are already in use in the industry and provide a convenient way to conduct site inspections, observations, and safety audits. Managers can use smartphones, tablets, and project management software to share project data instantaneously from remote worksites and to workers and other onsite supervisors using a cell phone or tablet. Allowing everyone to have immediate access to the same information eliminates costs of equipment that must be updated and maintained, and it keeps everyone consistently on the same page.

A recent report by Dodge Data & Analytics found that 82% of contractors who use wearable technology see instant site-safety improvements. Wearable devices like smart watches, glasses, and clothing allow managers to have better visibility of the worksite and workers. These devices can alert managers to activities and improve response time when injuries occur.

Example: Safety Managers and designated site personnel, and medics can be alerted and respond immediately when an employee slips, trips, or falls.

These devices also keep track of locations of workers and procedures on the job site. Other trigger alarms can streamline evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency.

5. Use Easily Implemented Safety Solutions

Here are ways to help workers identify hazards to create and maintain a safe jobsite:

1. Train all employees about the hazards they may face.
2. Conduct a complete walkthrough of the site to identify hazards before breaking ground. Make note of these, so you can mitigate them using engineer controls, safe work practices, PPE, signage, or regular maintenance.
3. Create a site safety plan that accounts for all potential hazards as well as provides a means to respond to any accident.
4. Identify all hazardous materials and labeling them according to HazCom 2012.
5. Inspect the worksite on a daily basis to identify new hazards and malfunctioning equipment. Immediately report and fix any issues found.
6. Ensure employees have the necessary PPE to perform work safely. This includes hard hats, eye protection, gloves, work boots, hearing protection, respiratory protection, fall protection, and more.
7. Create an injury and illness prevention program. Programs should include first aid training, supplies needed to treat common workplace injuries, and a means to contact local emergency services.
8. Identify hazards and communicate safe work practices using vivid labels and signs.
9. Comply with OSHA and ANSI standards and reinforce safety anywhere on the work site.
10. Create clear and effective communication at all times. Operations can easily communicate with workers in different areas on a jobsite through safety signs and labels.

OSHA’s Safety and Health Regulations for Construction: OSHA 29 CFR 1926 serves as a baseline for safety requirements. Safety management in construction must reinforce these regulations and go beyond by continuously leading by example and making safety a priority before work begins. By setting clear expectations for safety from the beginning, managers can set the tone to ensure each worker understands their personal responsibility for safety. This will help everyone work together toward the common goal of preventing injuries.

Utilize OSHA’s website for a variety of topics from emergency planning, tool and equipment safety, ladder safety, personal protective equipment, and more to help create or obtain a presentation. Always make sure the content is relevant to your specific work site and feature engaging elements like visuals and anecdotes that workers can connect with.

Implementing each of these strategies will help to reduce downtime and injuries, and can help improve morale, productivity, and revenue through more efficient time-to-completion. CS

James Strohecker is the Director of Marketing Innovation at Graphic Products + DuraLabel (https://www.graphicproducts.com). Graphic Products is a leader in delivering innovative design software, industrial sign and label printers, all-purpose floor marking, multi-language signs and labels, and colored pipe markers for any facility’s compliance and safety requirements. Learn how to create safety signs that meet OSHA requirements with the Best Practice Guide to OSHA Safety Signs. This helpful guide breaks down all the requirements, from text size to color and graphics.