The net is filled with unfortunate stories of how a construction company neglected health and safety on their site, leading to serious injuries and even death in certain cases. Neglect is often a consequence of trying to cut corners so that money or time can be saved.
However, the surprising thing is that if you efficiently manage health and safety at your construction site, you will be saving money in the long run. Let us discuss how to manage health and safety in a construction company.

Why are health and safety essential for a construction company owner?

See, health and safety are essential in all sectors, but it becomes a priority in the construction industry because there are risks at every corner. The construction industry is inherently hazardous. Anyone who has been at a construction site will vouch for how easy it is to fall off a ladder, cut oneself or trip on a wire.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the construction industry has the highest fatalities, occurring twice the frequency of other industries. The various dangers that can cause serious injuries or even fatalities in the construction industry are numerous, as it is fraught with harmful chemicals, handling heavy loads, constant loud noises, electric shocks, and the risk of falling. Due to the number and variety of risks, it becomes pertinent to manage health and safety, not only to protect the employees and visitors but also to protect the firm itself.

Can health and safety management create financial benefits for construction companies?

Putting in all the safety features means that the construction company has to invest a certain amount of money; however, this is a minimal view of the entire operation. Construction company owners must understand that this is an investment that doubles its returns.
Not only do construction companies protect their most valuable asset, namely the employees, but it also saves a lot as downtime and business disruptions are reduced. Additionally, if you have internationally acclaimed certificates like ISO 45001, public sector investors would want to work with you.

Who is responsible for ensuring health and safety at the construction site?

Construction sites are complicated and have many different participants. Technically, everyone involved in the project, including architects, sub-contractors, builders, and project managers, is responsible for maintaining the safety and health of the work site. Understanding that ensuring safety and health is a joint effort is essential. For example, safety specialists can take the responsibility of inculcating occupational safety awareness.

Similarly, occupational health and safety authorities are given the responsibility to advise companies and monitor construction sites so that any serious occupational safety deficiencies can be highlighted. Company owners are responsible for providing the resources so that adequate safety protocols can be incorporated and additional training can be provided.

It is recommended to appoint a safety professional in every project, who is incharge of ensuring that the safeguards are put in place, the policies are aligned with the organisation’s strategic direction, the equipment is maintained, and the personnel are adequately trained.

How to maintain health and safety at a construction company?

To manage the health and safety at a construction company, you must:

  • Begin by planning and assessing: It is necessary to identify specific health hazards on the construction sites, assess the likelihood of occurrence, severity, and impact of said hazards, and create a plan to mitigate them. Remember to collaborate with your workers throughout, as they are the first in line and can often suggest feasible solutions.
  • Risk control and prevention: The certain basic requirement that you must fulfil in a construction site, such as everyone should be wearing safety glasses and hard helmets. Additional practices include providing protective equipment that is adapted to the individual situation and reflective clothing to reduce the likelihood of vehicle Risk control also encompasses training and capacity management of all construction workers, ensuring that knowledge and awareness are relevant to the processes. Everyone must have assimilated the safety procedures and protocols. The latest technologies, such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality, can even make training efficient, faster and fun. Lastly, remember to enforce regular breaks so as to prevent fatigue-related accidents.
  • Review health and safety management processes: Remember, health and safety management exercises are just not box-ticking measures, and they must be constantly monitored to ensure that their effectiveness is not compromised. This means that all equipment should be thoroughly looked after, measures should be put in place for workers to report damage or faulty equipment, maintenance activities should be carried out safely, and workers’ performance should be regularly audited.
  • Utilise health and safety management software: A good health and safety management software, like Edara Software, can help you establish levels of acceptable risk, set an appropriate safety policy, keep performance goals in line with the company goals, allocate sufficient resources, oversee system performance, and send safety alerts as well as equipment maintenance reminders, allowing you to keep ahead of your health and safety needs.

Conclusion

To manage health and safety at a construction site, begin by identifying the specific hazards unique to the construction site and creating a customised plan to monitor and mitigate them. Then it all boils down to constant monitoring and using software platforms like Edara Software can help you simplify this process.