Practising safety in the workplace is imperative for any business. While it is important for all businesses, it is especially important for those in the transportation, construction, and manufacturing industries. Accidents in these types of industries can lead to serious injury and in some instances even death.

Progressive Safety Equipment has compiled an informative infographic that is called “8 Overlooked Site Safety Practices”. It goes over the importance of management and employees coming together to create and maintain a safe working environment.

When it comes to small contractors and them working in different areas and sites, they can become really vulnerable to unsafe environments. When working on a project, if they do not take the time to gather everyone and talk about specific safety precautions, then they are creating a dangerous work environment for their employees.

Having a safe work environment has to start with raising awareness about any potential safety hazards. This needs to be passed along to anyone who will enter the work site at any time during the project.

Safety Issues in The Workplace

It was reported by the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that a total of 32,200 inspections were done on a federal level and 40,993 were conducted on a state level in the year 2018. While the final numbers are not available for 2018 at this time, for the year 2017, a total of 5,147 workers were killed while on the job. Of those deaths, 20.7% were in the construction industry.

OSHA stated that one in five deaths in the year 2017 was in relation to what is known as the “Fatal Four.” These types of accidents are caused by being struck by objects, falls, electrocution, beings struck by objects, and being caught in or between in the construction industry.

Practices of Safety

One of the biggest safety practices that are overlooked is awareness. If employees are not being made aware of the dangers that are posed in the workplace, then the responsibility falls onto the shoulders of management. It is up to management to spread that awareness to employees.

Before hiring a new worker, Human Resources should gauge the level of awareness that the new employees have. They should also discuss with them the dangers of the job they are applying for. If a potential employee does not have any sort of concept of the site safety then they should not be allowed on site at all.

It is also important for an employer to have a plan in place that employees can utilize to manage stress. Allowing employees to have a way to report stress issues that are work-related is important. This will help provide information about potential hazards that employers need to be aware of.

Communication in the workplace is key. It is often overlooked. Pro Trainers UK realizes the importance of implementing effective communication procedures between management and employees. It is important to make employees feel comfortable coming to management with any potential issues in order to prevent potential accidents on job sites.

Many jobs carry an obvious risk while some others are not quite as obvious when it comes to risks. It is imperative for a company to be transparent. If a company attempts to cover up incidents, they are not only putting their own reputation at risk but the reputation of the entire industry as well. There are many people on a job site and attempting to cover up incidents will eventually lead to the truth coming out. When employers and management work together to create and maintain a safe working environment, it is better for everyone involved.