Safety in the Building and Construction Industry

13.12.2017 BUSINESS 0.0 0

In order to prevent workplace accidents, it’s important to engage both the employer and the employees in the process of creating a safe work environment. The overall responsibility is on the employer, and following the rules is crucial when it comes to minimizing workplace injuries. Considering that construction is a high hazard industry, even a small mistake can set off a wide range of dangerous accidents which could have ultimately been avoided. Accident fatality rates in the construction industry are constantly growing and the most frequent reason for this is, unfortunately, a simple human error.

What are the risks?

In construction, builders frequently work on tall buildings and even though they don’t have a fear of heights, just one a wrong step can be fatal. This is increased by a limited moving and working space on modular scaffolding – not only is this structure outside the building, but it’s also quite small and usually packed with additional tools all around the workers’ feet.

Hectic construction sites with lots of vehicles moving things around can create a crowded place where one wrong turn can affect someone just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. When it comes to house demolition, the risk of unintended collapses is a reason why this process needs to be planned down to the smallest detail. Every step of the demolition process needs to be thoroughly organized and left to the professionals with the proper experience.

How to be prepared?

Hiring a professional to make an assessment of the building site and make safety suggestions is the crucial move for prevention. In addition to that, having potential issues pointed out means that everyone included will pay more attention to them and figure out a way to resolve them on their own. It goes without saying that having proper safety clothing is a must and all the workers should be geared up in all the necessary clothing.

Apart from that, additional things like earplugs, gloves and helmets can come in pretty handy and offer significant protection. If there’s even a small percentage of a dangerous gas, a mouth mask is needed to prevent any inhalation of hazardous vapors. There are many seminars on work safety which can be organized for the workers so that they can learn all the advantages of wearing additional safety gear.

Employer’s and employee’s obligations

The employer has an obligation to create a safe work environment for the employees and organize training courses for them. Adequate training will have an effective impact on the workers and they’ll be able to do their job safely and securely. Having supervisors to monitor the work and notice any possible problems can prevent accidents.

Besides that, the employee is also responsible for coordinating safety measures which apply to everything from being totally familiar with the worksite, knowing what needs to be done and understanding all the difficulties that can create problems. Most of the tasks are done by the employees, so doing everything according to regulations is their main assignment.

How to assess risks?

The risk assessment is necessary to establish whether everything is done according to the law and to detect if something should be changed or improved. Everyone should try to develop and implement an effective safety and health management system with a focus on making the right decision when it comes to protecting all parties included.

Employees also need to respect numerous health and security codes and although this obligation is sometimes underestimated, it can really make a difference in keeping everything in order. What is also a great option is implementing a system for safety and regulations to ensure safe working conditions. Managing constant supervisions will make everyone pay more attention to their own responsibilities.

The characteristics of a good company are their leadership, employees and the final result. None of this can function without the others and what connects these features is doing your best in a safe and healthy environment. Everyone’s mission should be in protecting each other from dangerous work situations and returning home safely at the end of the day. Recognize the potential in putting an effort in preparing everybody for their part of the job and you’ll avoid all the trouble.

Guest post by Emma B. Joyce

About the Author

Emma B. Joyce is blogger based in Australia. She is a true home decor and DIY fanatic. Emma is interested in music and also is a big reading enthusiast. Finding new designs and patterns is her daily task. She got hooked on home accessories and decorations during her traveling and now cannot stop searching for new inspiration.