Safety in the workplace should be paramount for any business, but for those industries in construction, transportation, manufacturing, waste management, and others, it is even more important. This is because accidents in these industries can result in serious injuries and even death.
A new infographic from Progressive Safety Equipment titled, “8 Overlooked Work Site Safety Practices” highlights the need for management and employees to come together to create a safe working environment.
Small contractors who work in different sites are especially vulnerable. If they don’t get together with everyone working on a project to discuss safety and the protocols which are/or need to be in place, it makes the site a dangerous environment.
According to Progressive Safety Equipment, “Having a safe environment starts with a good relation of awareness and knowledge of workers and employers about safety hazards.”
Workplace Safety Issues
The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported it carried out a total of 32,200 federal inspections and 40,993 State Plan inspections for the fiscal year 2018.
While the data for worker injuries, illnesses, and fatalities for 2018 are not available, in 2017 there were 5,147 workers killed on the job. And 20.7% of those fatalities were in construction.
According to OSHA one in five deaths in 2017 were in construction with what it calls the “Fatal Four.” These are accidents in construction caused by falls, being struck by objects, electrocution, and caught-in/between.
Safety Practices
The first overlooked worksite safety practice is awareness. If employees are not made aware of the dangers they face in the workplace, the burden falls on management to ensure they do.
Before a new worker is even hired, the report says HR managers should gauge the awareness level of new employees as well as inform them of the dangers of the jobs. The infographic goes on to say workers who have no concept of the site safety shouldn’t be allowed on the construction site.
The next issue is managing stress, which might not be obvious at first glance, but it is extremely relevant in dangerous environments. Being hyperaware can make workers feel stressed.
The report recommends having a process in place so employees can report work-related stress issues. A transparent reporting system can help companies identify hazards and find solutions before someone is injured.
Some of the other overlooked worksite safety practices are effective communication, physical fitness, mishandling volatile materials, minimizing worksite distractions, innovation, and transparency.
When it comes to reporting accidents on job sites, a company must be fully transparent. Covering up incidents not only damages the reputation of the company, but of the industry as a whole. And at the end of the day, there are too many people on job sites to cover up an accident for long.
Progressive Safety Equipment goes on to say some jobs carry an obvious risk while others are not as obvious, but they still require clear safety guidelines. The key is identifying what the dangers are and implementing policies so employees follow them at all times.
You can take a look at the infographic for more details below.
Image: Progressive Safety Equipment
This article, “8 Steps to a Safer Workplace You Can’t Afford to Ignore” was first published on Small Business Trends
