4 reasons why construction safety is important guide, Building design tips, Contractor H&S advice

Why Construction Safety Is Important Reasons

3 Jun 2021

In order to assure that a building is safe before its construction begins, architects need to also focus on ensuring that the building has a secure structure during the design process. For this to happen, they need to work closely with the construction team to make sure that HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and the building’s structural supports are properly integrated and that the end result will offer a safe and secure space.

Reasons Why Construction Safety Is Important – Guide

Depending on the size and complexity of the project, the construction process can be lengthy and dangerous. So, safety is of the utmost importance. Given the nature of the job and the constant dangers that exist in this environment, safety measures are vital to avoid accidents and your employees getting severely injured. What’s more, if an accident happens due to a lack of proper health and safety regulations, the business will also be affected as production could be stopped entirely.

So, it is clearly crucial to ensure a safe work environment at a construction site. One way to ensure compliance and make sure your workers are fully briefed is to use a field management solution, which requires them to digitally sign a form to confirm they have read all the relevant health and safety requirements.

Next, we will go through the reasons why this is important and the possible consequences if safety is not a top priority.

1. Employee safety and transparency

Before anything else, making sure your employees are working in a safe environment should be at the top of your priority list. Being verbally and contractually transparent with your workers is essential to assure them that the risks of the job are taken into consideration, and the necessary steps to diminish them are taken.

What’s more, providing them with the essential tools and information to ensure safety at the workplace is a legal requirement. Besides, only when your employees are aware of the risks and the necessary precautions can you provide a safe work environment. Given that the construction industry presents the most cases of injuries to workers, it is vital you adhere to safety regulations.

So, in order to stay credible as an employer and for your workers to trust you take the necessary precautions, there are two ways in which you can provide employee safety and transparency:

Provide suitable equipment: The most important thing to do when you have a construction company is to make sure each construction worker has adequate PPE – personal protective equipment. Given the fact that the environment consists of many dangers, as construction workers are working at heights or with heavy equipment, as well as the risk of debris falling is relatively high, suitable equipment is a must. The PPE needed in construction consists of a helmet for head protection, goggles for eye protection and earplugs for when they operate heavy machinery.
Provide relevant training: Besides the suitable protective equipment, it is crucial you also provide professional and appropriate training. This way, your employees will be better equipped to tackle any obstacles and avoid accidents at the workplace. Safety measures and products that facilitate productivity in a dangerous environment are constantly updated. For instance, a full-body harness needs to be used adequately, and for any improved version, an expert should instruct workers. Therefore, training is vital and shouldn’t be overlooked.

A noteworthy mention would be that as much as you want to avoid accidents and even though you take the necessary precautions, it is impossible to foresee every scenario. So, accidents might still happen, even if they are appropriately handled. Experts from Compensation Calculator UK explain that “workers are entitled to seek legal advice from personal injury specialists and claim compensation if they have been involved in an accident at work.”

2. Public safety

In any construction site, there is the possibility that innocent bystanders can become victims if the construction company doesn’t provide Smart traffic control systems. For this reason, ensuring public safety is as essential. More often than not, a building under construction is located in an area where many people pass by. This is a challenge in a busy city or capital where there isn’t much you could do to signal the construction site, as stopping the traffic could be quite disrupting.

For this reason, it is imperative the proper safety measures and protocols are in place to make sure that the general public is not in any way affected by the construction. One of the methods to ensure the zone is danger-free is to delimitate the area with either a fence or scaffolding to guide the public.

3. Maintain industry and worker credibility

Another significant reason why safety at a construction site is highly necessary is to maintain credibility within the industry. If you don’t have health and safety regulations in place, besides putting your employees in danger, you will lose the reliability and integrity of the business. What’s more, not guaranteeing safety is illegal, as you might face fines, or someone could sue the company if you do not meet the Health and Safety Executive regulations.

Suppose a construction company has to face legal consequences due to it not complying with safety measures, and so the life of a worker was put in danger consciously. In that case, this will heavily decrease the credibility of the business. Besides this, the financial struggles that come with this will make it more difficult for a company to get back on its feet.

Besides losing industry credibility, your employees will also lose their trust in you as an employer and recruiting other experienced construction workers will be a challenge, to say the least. If you want your employees to perform well, they need to be assured that the workplace environment follows and adheres to health and safety regulations. Insuring your business is a long-term investment as it will increase the trust of workers, clients and partners, which will bring more projects in the future.

4. Safety measures can save the company money

If you have the required safety measures in place and you take all the necessary precautions in this respective – such as providing protective equipment and regular training – you will actually be able to save money. Construction companies must have insurance to be protected in case of any type of accident.

However, thanks to the Experience Modification Rate, construction companies can get the insurance they need in relation to how well they operate. So, if your company’s construction sites are safe and no accidents – or just minor ones – have happened, then the insurance plan will be set accordingly. Simply put, this means that you can save money if your company focuses on a safe environment.

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