Construction

Keeping Your Company Safe From Construction Accidents

When it comes to your company’s performance, it’s not always about how your employees are performing with their current skill set. Sometimes, the environment, and its safety, has got a lot to contribute to their performance as well. As such, keeping your company safe from construction accidents remains an integral part of company safety.

In fact, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 991 of 4,693 fatalities in the workplace for 2016 were from the construction industry. This means one of every five deaths in the workplace for that year were from the industry alone. As per specifics, OSHA numbers indicate being caught in/between, being struck by an object, being electrocuted, and falling as the “Fatal Four” causes of construction accidents. Knowing these, however, how exactly do we keep our company safe from construction accidents?

  • Awareness is something that should be observed constantly. Always make sure your staff and your workers know what they should be aware of before they step in the construction zone, while they’re working, and after they exit the construction site. Being aware of all the hazards that can be present in the workplace can help workers know what measures should be taken in order to protect them from risks. Understanding is the key to victory in terms of construction accident prevention, and this makes training much easier.
  • Training should be something that is pursued actively by everyone in the workplace. Aside from making sure your workers and staff are aware of the dangers they may suffer in the workplace, adequate training to avoid and deal with them should be provided as well. Try to make sure there are worksheets, training supplements, pamphlets, and even onsite training available for your workers to take to make sure they remain aware of things they have to do should accidents occur.
  • Communication should be a constant, especially between workers and between managers and staff. Aside from training, it’s helpful to make sure there’s a constant communication that’s established within your chain of command, so people know who to report to when unforeseen situations happen. This allows “surprises” to be avoided as everyone will be aware of what the others’ activities and goals will be. Devices such as headsets, smartphones, and radio communicators can greatly help in this endeavor.
  • Documentation should be a constant in your company, from training modules, to activity reports, and accident reports. Consult a lawyer and a safety professional on how best to do these things, but it’s recommended that your firm have methods of documenting workplace risks, training modules, and accident reports properly to help make sure there’s a way for the company to provide workers with the adequate protection and training they may need to avoid these accidents. Proper documentation, such as in accident reports, can also help ensure workers have a means to report injuries that may need compensation, and that the company has a reference to look at in terms of risks that have to be mitigated to avoid these injuries.

Conclusion

Regardless of whether or not your business is related to construction or is involved with the construction industry, keeping your company safe from construction accidents is an integral part of making sure anything related to renovation and/or making a new office won’t cause any inconvenience. Seeking the help of a construction worker accident attorney may also be able to provide you with adequate assistance on the matter.