How To Solve A Safety Issue On A Construction Site
Every company wants to get the job done while keeping workers safe, and one of the most challenging industries for worker safety is the building trade. Construction safety can have a tremendous impact on a contractor's reputation, insurance premiums, and ultimately, the bottom line. With all the workers and activity involved in the average project, however, it can be difficult to solve problems ranging from fall hazards to failure to wear safety gear. When an issue comes up, it is up to the general contractor to bring everyone involved in the project on board to solve the issue and complete the job safely.
Instructions
1.Develop a written safety plan. Use guidelines produced by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, to develop a safety plan specific to the project. OSHA standards address many issues involving construction safety, from trenches to fall protection to safety gear. Use these standards to draft a written plan, which should be distributed to all subcontractors and tradesmen. Having a plan in place helps prevent problems from happening in the first place.
2.Assign a project team member to be responsible for daily safety inspections. This person should keep a written log of any problems found and should compare project conditions to the standards set in the safety plan in Step1.
3.Make solving safety issues a priority for everyone on the team. Include clauses in subcontractors' scopes of work regarding adherence to the safety plan.
4.Inform subcontractors about OSHA standards and fines associated with failure to comply. These fines are quite significant and should be spread among all applicable trades if levied on the project by an OSHA inspector.
5.Hold daily safety meetings to address any problems found by the safety inspector. A quick morning meeting can alert contractors to a problem and identify ways it should be corrected.
6.Follow up on safety issues with a written warning to the subcontractor or trade involved. Provide a copy to both the on-site foreman as well as to the project manager in the office. This will get the violator's attention and help ensure it is addressed.
7.Create effective penalties for failure to comply, including financial penalties or removal from the project.
Instructions
1.Develop a written safety plan. Use guidelines produced by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, to develop a safety plan specific to the project. OSHA standards address many issues involving construction safety, from trenches to fall protection to safety gear. Use these standards to draft a written plan, which should be distributed to all subcontractors and tradesmen. Having a plan in place helps prevent problems from happening in the first place.
2.Assign a project team member to be responsible for daily safety inspections. This person should keep a written log of any problems found and should compare project conditions to the standards set in the safety plan in Step1.
3.Make solving safety issues a priority for everyone on the team. Include clauses in subcontractors' scopes of work regarding adherence to the safety plan.
4.Inform subcontractors about OSHA standards and fines associated with failure to comply. These fines are quite significant and should be spread among all applicable trades if levied on the project by an OSHA inspector.
5.Hold daily safety meetings to address any problems found by the safety inspector. A quick morning meeting can alert contractors to a problem and identify ways it should be corrected.
6.Follow up on safety issues with a written warning to the subcontractor or trade involved. Provide a copy to both the on-site foreman as well as to the project manager in the office. This will get the violator's attention and help ensure it is addressed.
7.Create effective penalties for failure to comply, including financial penalties or removal from the project.
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