5 ways to improve construction site safety
In this day and age, there’s little room for unchecked health and safety hazards in the workplace. And when it comes to construction site health and safety, where injuries are common, a safe and secure site is paramount.
Whether it’s a small-scale extension project or a grand residential scheme, companies and tradesmen have a duty to ensure safety. We’ll be taking you through five crucial changes you can make to prioritise security and building site safety.
Who is responsible for managing construction site safety?
Although everyone has health and safety responsibilities, the site’s principal contractor is in charge of managing health and safety procedures.
To ensure site safety, the principal contractor will produce a construction phase plan for all other contractors to follow. To learn more about this process, take a look at our blog on Construction Phase Plans.
More generally, the HSE, a UK government agency, are responsible for enforcing workplace safety. Any rules followed in the workplace will be set out by the HSE. For more information on this topic, check out our blog ‘what does the HSE do?‘
Involve staff at each level
As site safety involves everybody – from senior management to apprentices – it’s crucial that everyone is on board. Tradesmen and construction companies often fail when they keep safety at the management level – and that is a costly mistake.
Therefore, a system should be established for staff to raise concerns, whether that’s a safety officer or monthly meetings with representatives.
Appoint a construction site safety officer
While safety is everyone’s responsibility, appointing staff who are available to discuss concerns will ensure nothing is missed. This doesn’t necessarily mean hiring someone specifically. It’s often better to train an existing employee.
Whether they’re revising regulations or carrying out checks, having an officer will ensure building site safety is taken care of.
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Learn moreStay organised
Because safety is occasionally seen as an inconvenience in operations, sometimes important things are missed. Organisation is therefore key. From site equipment to the procedure for raising concerns, everything must be streamlined and straightforward.
Whether that means installing lockers for PPE, or managing spreadsheets, you must make safety improvements accessible for all staff.
Set aside some resources
Site safety can be costly. This could be because of time, money or both. This makes setting aside resources to support new procedures absolutely crucial.
From a small budget to fund helmets to time allocated for safety officer checks, you’ll need money to accommodate these necessities.
Encourage younger workers
In any trade, you’ll find young workers eager to learn. It’s these youngsters who’ll make up tomorrow’s workforce. Communicating building site health and safety to them is vital if you want to create a culture where safety is respected.
Whether you develop a training structure, or set up a buddy system, setting the precedent from the start is essential.
But site safety doesn’t have to feel like a chore. By taking steps to promote the welfare of employees, you can ensure your team becomes safety-conscious by default. And by putting these tips into action, you can gain peace of mind and ensure staff welfare.
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Ensure your construction site safety with Checkatrade
Construction sites are one of the more dangerous workplaces. Therefore, it’s vital to enforce robust construction site safety measures. Implement these changes to ensure site security, staff safety, and peace of mind. This is where Checkatrade can help.
We’ve partnered with numerous well-known building brands that provide site safety gear. All our safety gear is discounted for Checkatrade members. If you’re interested in finding out more, speak with our team to learn about the sign-up process. Boost your construction site safety and join Checkatrade today.
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***Claims are sourced from a survey conducted by Deep Blue Thinking on a nationally representative UK sample in November 2021.
****Year runs from April 21’ to March 22’. Saving calculation based on average spend across 12,505 members in 2020/2021/2022. Discounts differ depending on the partner. Products range from low value items to high value items. Some exclusions will apply on products.
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