Running a small or medium-size construction firm is hard work.
Unnecessary OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) fines are the last thing you need slicing into your bottom line.
Mistakes and accidents happen. But with a little planning, most safety violations can be avoided.
Stay up-to-date on OSHA training
Employees cannot follow OSHA guidelines and protocols if they do not fully understand compliance standards.
It may be unpopular with your staff, but ongoing OSHA training is a vital part of preventing accidents and safety violations. Online training and refresher courses make it easy for employees to complete their training at a time that doesn’t interfere with their daily work.
Empower employees
Designating an on-site safety foreman to make regular checks of the work site and log a safety record is a great start–but in an ideal scenario every worker should feel empowered to speak up.
Unfortunately, most workers are reluctant to file a report for fear of retaliation (either from a direct superior or the offending employee.) Set up a lockbox or online submission form to remove this roadblock.
Utilize mobile technology
A safety app can reduce the need for inefficient paperwork and streamline your job site inspection process.
Leaning on technology to complete daily rundowns and compile data, leads to more regular inspections and accurately pinpoints problem areas. Instead of shuffling through stacks of paper in search of a pattern, the app can tell you at the tap of a button which safety violations were most commonly found over the past month, quarter or year.
Use this data to help management refocus training efforts and evaluate processes in real-time.
Run mock interviews
A surprise OSHA inspection can be a nerve-racking experience for workers, especially new hires or employees who have been reprimanded for safety related issues in the past.
Be sure that all employees understand their rights when it comes to an OSHA interview. Run practice sessions periodically with your team so that they know what to expect in the event of an unexpected OSHA visit.
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