Construction injuries seem to occur even when the most rigorous safety protocols and policies are developed. One reason is that these policies, while adequately thought out and defined, are not adequately followed or implemented. This results in a worksite environment that can be potentially hazardous to both construction workers and to anyone else who enters it. However, construction supervisors and owners can resolve these safety issues fairly easily by simply making time to conduct more frequent site inspections.
Most Common Construction Hazards
Some of the most common construction safety hazards can easily be identified during a site inspection. Some of these hazards include worn equipment that can fail, tools that are left out of place and pose a tripping hazard and unsafe actions by workers. There are many other hazards that are specific to the industry in which a construction project works, such as chemical storage and usage as well as security measures to prevent unauthorized access to eh construction area.
Conducting an Inspection
Conducting a thorough site safety inspection starts by identifying a regular time and interval to conduct the inspection. Ideally, a site inspection should occur at least once per week if time allows. Inspections are best performed during work hours to identify improper worker actions as well as other safety hazards. However, many construction supervisors may find it beneficial to alternate the times of the inspections so that they can observe different work crews or inspect equipment more thoroughly when it is not in use. Be sure to inspect any storage areas and parking areas as well as the primary construction zone and tools.
Get Employees Engaged in Inspections
Ideally, construction owners should engage their workers in performing their own safety inspections on a daily basis. This includes identifying and reporting any safety issues, deficient equipment or other hazards. Management should make it as easy as possible for workers to report these safety issues. In most cases, direct reporting to a supervisor is effective as is the use of comment boxes that allow workers to drop a note in at any time.
