With a resurgent American construction sector and the number of fatalities on the increase, contractors safety is more important than ever. There are many ways to approach construction safety, like adopting stringent construction safety programs and mechanisms, or by creating a safety plan and sticking to it. Many of these approaches may work for some firms but won’t work for everybody. In some cases, a firm may approach safety from a variety of perspectives; like adopting key protocols to ensure contractor safety is ensured at all times. Many of these protocols include inspections of qualification cards, developing and implementing an effective on-boarding process, and creating a safety culture. By instigating some of these mechanisms, you can ensure the safety of all of your contract workers is ensured. Let’s take a look.
The Stats: Construction Safety
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 797 contractors were killed in 2014, a sizeable increase from 749 in 2013. The primary cause of many these deaths were falls at 33%, followed closely by being struck by an object or equipment at 17%, vehicular accidents at 12%, and electrocution at 9%, with many of these incidents constituting a greater share of fatalities among contractor workers than anyone else, according to BLS. In the construction sector broadly, deaths rose to 874 in 2014, again up on 2013 where the number stood at 828, bringing the total number of fatalities to its highest level since 2008, according to BLS.
Tips: Construction Safety
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Although the statistics point to a worrying increase in contractor deaths, there is a way to stop this. Firstly, you should ensure that contractor safety is your number one priority on site, by doing this, you are solidifying your credentials are an employer who cares about your contractor safety, and will be in a better position to handle an accident if it happens. Contract workers are particularly vulnerable to a variety of health and safety risks while on site, which is why you should ensure you have effective health and safety protocols in place. These protocols don’t necessarily have to be your overall safety plan, although that’s also important, but are a series of safety processes, designed to improve contractor safety. Let’s take a look.
1. Make Sure Qualification Cards are Relevant and Up to Date
Qualification cards are an important tool for any contract worker and ensure they are fully versed and complainant on a variety of health and safety protocols. These cards, and the associated training, train contract workers on a variety of basic safety procedures, such as how to properly operate equipment or what tools they need on a particular job. Therefore, your first step in ensuring contractor safety is to make sure these cards are relevant to your site and up to date. If cards are not relevant or up to date, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have a number of safety programs that you could possibly consider, with the completion of which guaranteeing a qualification card upon successful completion. Be aware, however, that many of these qualification cards, and the associated programs, have faced some intense criticism from critics in terms of their overall effectiveness, as we reported earlier this year. Therefore, it may be worthwhile completing some research into the appropriate courses for you. A list of which can be found on the OSHA website.
2. Ensure Contract Workers Have the Correct PPE and Equipment
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and the right equipment are two of the most important tools you can give your contract workers during your project. According to OSHA, PPE’s sole purpose is to protect your contract workers from risks on site and is primarily worn to “minimize exposure to serious workplace injuries and illnesses.” They can include items like gloves, masks, overalls, knee pads, and safety glasses but must be “safely designed and constructed” and should be “maintained in a clean and reliable fashion,” according to OSHA. As an employer, it’s your responsibility to train your workers in understanding if they need PPE gear, and how to properly maintain it, according to OSHA. During your training, you should teach the following OSHA tips.
- When is PPE necessary.
- What type of equipment is necessary.
- How to properly put it on and take it off.
- The appropriate maintenance of the equipment.
It goes without saying that all of your contract workers should also be provided with the appropriate equipment during the course of their work. For safety purposes, they should also be given clear instructions on how to use tools they may have limited knowledge about. According to the OSHA guide on using power tools and other related equipment, workers are “exposed” to a number of hazards from “flying, falling, abrasive, and splashing objects” to “harmful dust, fumes, mists, vapors, or gases.” Therefore, OSHA recommends that all “electrical connections” of power tools must be suitable to your contract worker’s current working environment. Furthermore, according to the agency, sufficient training must be provided to reduce the chances of an accident. As a result, your contract workers will be able to “recognise the hazards associated with the different types of tools and the safety precautions necessary,” according to the OSHA guide. The guide also provides a number of tips to ensure contractor safety in terms of the proper use of tools and equipment.
- Keep all tools in good working order.
- Make sure the right tools are being provided.
- Work with contract workers to establish safe procedures.
- If a hazardous situation arises, immediate action is required.
3. Deliver an Outstanding On-Boarding Process
On-boarding starts before your contract workers even step foot on site. For the purposes of compliance and familiarity, you should ensure this process is properly orchestrated and that all of the relevant information required is provided. In GoContractor’s Definitive Guide to Bringing Contractors and Temporary Staff On-Board, we outline the mechanisms you need to go through to ensure this process goes off without any problems. We have listed a few of those steps below.
Consider the Characteristics
Each of your contract workers will need different sets of training, which may require you to change your onboarding process to completely engross your worker into your firm. Think about your worker’s location, language, job risks and hazards.
Map Out What Information You Will Need
Depending on what job is being carried out, you may wish to gather relevant information. This process will ensure you have personal details and relevant emergency contact information on file, in case anything goes wrong. This information will also give you a better understanding of your contract worker and help you get to know them during the on-boarding process.
Content is King
Plan the type of content you are going to deliver during the onboarding phase. For instance, some contract workers could be working in specialist fields, requiring you to change your content accordingly. During this stage, you should include information on your company’s vision, mission, customers and messages from management. Then, you can use site-specific health and safety information that will be applicable to your site.
Decide On Initiation Process
You should consider what is the best medium to deliver your initiation process. For instance, contract workers who utilize a variety of power tools, it may be best to carry out that training in person. However, due to interactive technology, much of your initiation and contractor orientation process can now be conducted online. GoContractor allows you to train all your workers through our platform. Workers can upload documents, pictures, and get sufficient training before they enter your site. In fact, it’s this blended approach, a combination of practical learning and online training, that we think may be the best approach.
4. Create a Culture for Behavioural Safety
With a variety of health and safety procedures to pick from, many firms are left with a number of options, some of which may be more effective than others. Increasingly, however, behavioural-based safety is becoming a particularly popular approach. The procedure promotes “interventions that are people-focused and often incorporate one-to-one or group observations” of contract workers performing, according to a document on the approach by the Health and Safety Executive. The approach allows site managers to give advice on a range of jobs and allows for effective “coaching and mentoring,” according to the guide. Here are four items which summarize the approach perfectly, according to the guide.
- The approach is based on the principles of “engaging, assisting, reinforcing and sustaining” safe behaviours.
- It looks at “underlying behaviours” in order to increase safety.
- Leadership is key.
- Takes time and effort to achieve, but results can be seen “immediately due to the nature of measurement involved.”
Building a safety culture is never easy, but once you do, your contract workers should feel it as soon as they walk in the door.
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