Ten Steps to Safety

By Joseph Ventura, Safety Controls Technologies

The construction industry has struggled for many years with the answer to the question, "Can Management Prevent Accidents or Are Workers Responsible for Their Own Actions?" In the litigious society that we live, it has become more important to find someone “at fault” for an accident than it is to find out how we can prevent it from ever happening again.   Consider this:

• 20% of the nation's workplace fatalities occur in the construction industry
• The construction industry has the highest number of occupational injuries - 10% of all industries
• The cost of accidents accounts for approximately 6.5% of all construction dollars spent
• Construction companies with an effective written safety program have 36% lower accident rates, on average
• Maintaining a good safety record for at least two or three years can reduce a company's workers' comp and general liability insurance (GLI) premiums by as much as 40%

Most successful companies subscribe to the theme that “all accidents can be prevented.” They institute training and qualification programs, safe performance incentives, and culture change; yet we still see construction accidents that result in lost time, and occasionally death, which is extremely costly in the shortsighted measure of money and, in real terms, impact to the worker’s family.

Implementing a written job site safety program prevents accidents and injuries, saves lives and safeguards your employees, trade contractors and clients from job site hazards. Implementing an effective safety program reduces your liability and the risk of litigation. An effective safety plan can also help protect your business and bottom line.

Implementing a job site safety plan can:

• Reduce workers' compensation insurance and general liability insurance premiums
• Save you money on hospitalization costs, workers' comp claims and OSHA fines
• Maintain the quality of the homes you build
• Uphold your company's good reputation
• Keep your production schedule on track
• Improve employee morale and prevent turnover

Ten Steps to Safety

The following 10 steps will help sharpen your company's safety focus:

Management Commitment

The company owner must take an active role in developing and supporting a company-wide safety program and must communicate its importance to all employees.

But words alone are not enough.  The CEO or owner must also:
1. Provide adequate staff and budget to meet the company's safety goals and objectives;
2. Hold supervisors accountable for success or failure in achieving specific safety performance and insurance cost control goals;
3. Participate periodically in employee safety tool box talks or other training; and
4. Review monthly field safety status reports.

Budget

The overall cost of a safety program is about 2.5% of direct labor costs, according to the Home Builders Institute (HBI). Typical expenses may include training, safety equipment, signage, first-aid kits construction site safety monitoring, Industrial Hygiene, Personal Protective Equipment, and incentive programs.

If you are considering using a safety consultant to evaluate your sites and develop a program, be sure to include those fees in your budget.

Safety Coordinator

Designate a staff person to be responsible for the company's overall safety performance.  This is a critical step and a superintendent that has a plethora of responsibilities may not be the most appropriate choice for safety coordinator.  This person should be qualified by experience and training to perform the following tasks:

• Conduct hazard assessments before construction tasks begin;
• Perform safety audits of the job site;
• Correct hazards;
• Lead accident investigations,
• Maintain and update any necessary OSHA records and Material Safety Data Sheets;
• Ensure that each job site has the necessary safety equipment, information and materials.
• Contemplate and access resources for adequate employee safety training

That designated person also should have the authority to stop a project, if necessary.

Employee Discipline

You must hold sub contractors under your charge, superintendents, Foremen and employees accountable for safety. Every employee must be held accountable for safety, and this should be reflected in retention, promotions, salary increases, bonuses and other benefits.

Discipline or employee accountability for safety violations is the step least followed by construction companies.  It is important not only to hold everyone accountable for safety but to document the accountability measures employed. 

Written Safety Program

A written safety program is a simple document that addresses the hazards associated with the contractors work and the means and methods to abate the hazards.  Long winded volumes documents that re-iterates regulatory language, while looking impressive, does little to nothing in terms of a meaningful written safety program.  Keep it simple!  The document should be a reflection of what you are doing, not a document that never gets read or followed.

Copies of the safety program should be distributed to all your staff members and sub contractors. Have each recipient sign a form that acknowledges their receipt of the program. This helps reinforce everyone's responsibility to read and use the manual and to abide by your company's safety program.

Training

OSHA 10 hour in construction for employees, OSHA 30 Hour for supervisors.  We tend to think of training in terms of these two classes.  STOP, WAIT, THINK!  Do these classes address the hazards in your workplace or are they merely regulatory steps you are following?  OSHA provides that if a company does not have its own training program then these classes are minimally acceptable. 

If you develop a written safety program that addresses your workplace hazards then the training component will follow that program.  Nothing more - nothing less.   Effective training to reduce workplace accidents communicates to employees the hazards and the means the company will take to abate the hazards.  That’s your training.

Comprehensive Workers Compensation Strategy

In construction we have a tendency to take workers compensation premium costs on the chin.  You don’t have to.  Follow these simple strategies to ensure that your costs are being managed:
1. Develop an injury reporting method for employees to follow
2. Develop a drug free workplace  program
3. Develop a transitional work or light duty program for injured workers
4. Hold everyone in the company accountable to following the program
 
Comprehensive worker compensation programs will help you manage expensive workers compensation claims and save your company money.

Measurement and Evaluation

Simple tracking of your safety performance will help sharpen the things you’re doing correctly and identify areas that can be discarded.  Some information you will want to collect includes:
1. Tracking lost work days
2. Tracking Job site injuries 
3. Annual review your safety program

Consistency

The elements of a safety program must work together. Implementing a single element isn't as good as putting a comprehensive program in place.

If you already have a job site safety program, be consistent in its application.

About the Author

• Joseph Ventura is General Manager of Safety Controls Technologies, a multi-service consulting company that provides engineering, environmental and occupational safety and health services.
• Joseph can be reached at 216-587-3000 or via email.