Job safety is one topic most people rarely think about. After all, if you work in an office, what can go wrong? But if you work in a different field, like construction, it’s probably on your mind daily. Even with proper measures in place, safety can sometimes take a backseat. Unfortunately, that opens the door to not only injuries, but possible lawsuits too. If you’re looking for ways to create a safer environment for your crew, here’s some of the top ways to make that happen.
Create a Positive Culture
Successful safety plans start with workplace culture. Even in construction, workers need to feel respected. Your culture needs to be more than a list of rules they need to follow. It must be a value system you practice every day. There are four key elements you need to consider when creating safety culture:
- Values: How can you demonstrate the importance of safety?
- Goals: How can you improve your current safety measures and reduce work-related injuries?
- Attitudes: How do you want your crew to feel about the safety measures?
- Integrity: Which work ethics are most important?
Once you’ve established these points, you need a way to communicate them effectively. That means speaking to your crew the right way. Talk about their wellbeing and how important it is to you. You can also tie in how their actions contribute to the success of your plan. If you have a construction fleet, how is it being operated? Are the safety measures being followed each day? Even with the push to complete projects on time, you need to keep tracking construction progress and ensure everyone’s following the guidelines. Construction fleet management systems help you monitor all facets of the job on one platform, helping you stay on track and within your budget.
Ongoing Training
The labor shortage has impacted just about every work sector, including construction. To offset this, current team members might take on roles they have little experience in. Ongoing safety training prevents injuries and shows that you’re vested in your crew’s safety. In addition to new employees, create courses for seasoned workers as well. This will also create a feeling of inclusivity.
Reward Positive Behavior
Acknowledge when team members implement safety guidelines and reward them accordingly. People are more likely to go the extra mile when they receive something in return. Just remember to personalize the rewards.
Ask for Feedback
Being a leader also requires asking the right questions. Create a list of questions and use the feedback to improve your current safety strategy. Ask for input about what your team thinks is working and what they feel needs to change to create a safer work environment. You can also create an action plan in case injuries or accidents happen. It should include the protocol that needs to be followed depending on the type of incident. It needs to hold everyone accountable in the event proper protocol isn’t followed. No one should feel like they can’t speak up, even if it means termination of co-worker.
