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The Importance of Construction Site Safety

Construction, an essential industry for thousands of years, employs more than 11 million Americans today.

Even at that, construction safety remains an evolving concept. The National Safety Council did not even come along until 1913, but it is still around helping to enforce safer worksites for construction workers.

Most construction sites are dangerous, so safety needs to be a top priority every day. How important is it? Well, in 2018, 21% of worksite fatalities were in the construction industry.

Learn how to train those in your organization in basic workplace safety to increase safe production.

Construction safety involves many things, including rules, safeguards and regulations meant to keep workers safe from harm. Unfortunately, many hazards on the average worksite could cause serious injury or even death if such rules and safeguards are not followed.

According to a recent study from the Health and Safety Executive, the majority of fatalities and non-fatal injuries are related to slips and falls. Collisions with objects or vehicles and improperly moving or lifting are also the cause of many injuries.

You can significantly reduce these types of injuries by implementing construction safety rules and training employees in workplace safety. As a result, you will prevent dangerous

accidents from ever occurring and teach employees how to avoid dangerous situations or react to them.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, governs workplace safety by setting rules, enforcing them and providing resources to help companies stay in compliance.

All construction businesses are subject to OSHA compliance requirements. In addition, OSHA has a set of regulations and directives that outline various practices employers can use to make for a safer worksite.

OSHA developed a four-point safety plan to instill a safer workforce.

· Management and Leadership Involvement – everyone in a company must be committed to following safety practices. They must also hold each other accountable for following those safe practices and following training protocols.

· Worksite Analysis – Leaders must collect data and identify any health or safety hazards, then come up with solutions to control, eliminate or repair them. Supervisors or managers should review all employee injury records and focus on commonalities to identify any potential issues.

· Hazard Prevention and Control – This means taking action involving any hazards or potential hazards you have identified. It may require the purchase of personal protection equipment (PPE) for employees, installing

safeguards such as railings, or taking other administrative action.

· Training – Every employee should receive sufficient and comprehensive training to follow OSHA guidelines and compliance requirements. Workers need access to the OSHA construction safety manual and should receive copies of policies, procedures and safety rules the company enforces.

Leaders and managers should all enroll in construction safety training programs to become certified in specialized areas. This will lead to a safer worksite.

OSHA has a number of workplace safety training certifications available for the construction industry. Anyone who completes these pieces of training will receive safety certifications.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.