The key to running a business in the construction industry which doesn’t crumble at the foundations is to never cut corners. Whilst other companies in other industries might get away with cutting costs, ignoring regulations, and generally delivering a substandard product or service, things work very different in the construction business’ line of work. Cutting corners can put people in danger on a building site full of heavy machinery and half-built structures.
Following regulations isn’t just about abiding by the law but safeguarding your employees and future inhabitants of the buildings you construct. Your employees rely on you as the business owner to ensure that project guidelines and adequate training have both been provided during any build. If you want to know how to get safety right on a building site then here are some pieces of advice which will ensure your business never makes a costly mistake both in terms of its workers and the reputation of the firm as a whole.
Adequate training.
Construction workers on your building site should know not only what clothing they should be wearing in terms of hard hats, reflective jackets at night and sturdy boots but also the potential hazards on any site. It’s important that every individual member knows every individual detail about a construction project before they dive into it because your builders all rely on one another to maintain a certain level of safety and professionalism on the job. Ensuring your employees are well-trained and knowledgeable before you hire them is important, but you need to offer additional training along the way to ensure that everybody’s knowledge regarding best building practices is up to scratch.
Monitor all equipment.
Insufficient gear can lead to errors on a building site, so it’s vitally important that you’re equipping your workers with high-quality regulation tools and machinery. For example, you might want to get a strap on water flow meter to monitor the cleanliness of water passing through any pipelines on-site so as to ensure you’re creating a safe system for the residents or future owners of the property on which your team is working. You might also want to look into fabric structures to store equipment and cover an incomplete site to protect it from the elements.
The health of your employees.
It’s important that you look after your construction workers if you want to not only keep them safe but also happy on the job. Wearing ear protectors is something that your workers should certainly consider because the noise of heavy machinery on the job can cause hearing damage after working in the industry for years. Eye protection is also important, as building sites are frantic and chaotic environments. All sorts of objects could end up in workers’ eyes during a construction project, so safety goggles should be provided.
However, asbestos is one of the most serious health threats posed to your workers. It has been responsible for more deaths in the workplace than any other cause which certainly puts into perspective just how dangerous a hazard this is. When inhaled, asbestos can lead to cancer and other damaging effects on the lungs, and this is why it’s so important that you and your business’ workers wear all the necessary protective equipment if you’re ever working on an old construction site. It’s safe to assume that there may be asbestos present, as it’s not easy to detect, and the fibers are already a health risk once they’re in the air.
