It’s a common saying is that the ‘the best defense is a good offense’. It couldn’t be more true in
the construction industry. Clearly, builders are smart folks. Yet, even smart folks make
mistakes and one of the biggest ones is skimping on safety. Sure, you stick to the rules and
make sure you meet OSHA’s standards, but..how about going above and beyond the
standards?
Here are 3 mistakes that even smart builders make.
Mistake # 1
They don’t invest in safer construction equipment. Although the capital investment can be
challenging, the benefits end up saving you thousands of dollars and hours because they
prevent accidents; and that far outweighs the costs for lost time due to injury and accident
claims, not to mention fatalities. And, by making the investment you are increasing productivity!
What builder don’t want that? Consider the investment part of the safety program.
Mistake # 2
They don’t include Safety in the construction project’s planning phase. Building a culture of
safety starts there—before construction even begins. When an employee begins work, their first
stop should be at an orientation program, where they are introduced to the company’s value of
safety, a culture of safety, a mindset that they will see demonstrated by supervisors and
co-workers. And kudos to the builders that provide bi-lingual safety programs. Everyone must
understand the same language when it comes to being safe.
Then, on a regular basis address safety: Daily for site inspections to identify hazards or potential
hazards before work even begins. Then, weekly meetings/reviews where employees are
encouraged to talk about suggestions/ways to make the site safer.
Mistake # 3
They don’t reward employees for safe practices. Providing incentives for safe behaviors is an
easy thing to do and it reinforces the safety culture. The types of rewards to provide incentives
are as many as you can think of—- from a simple acknowledgments, to raffles, to team contests
where zero injuries occur over a certain period of time, to lunches. Again, you are building and
a culture of safety—make it fun!
And, while you are considering, you take a look at the Catwalk Scaffold Stairs. They provide all
of the benefits to your employees, you and your inspectors. Everyone gets to stay safe, has
easy access to scaffolds and is much more productive. Using the Catwalk Scaffold Stairs will
make you a really smart builder. Take a look at the short YouTube videos for the Catwalk
Scaffold Stairs. It’s worth your 3 minutes!