safety measures - featured image

Safety Measures for a Construction Business

Featured image by Ümit Yıldırım on Unsplash

Health and safety measures are crucial to running any business. From having a fire evacuation plan to training staff in first aid, there are plenty of things all employers should be doing to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries in the workplace.

However, some businesses carry more risk than others. Moreover, these often require extra monitoring, policies, and training to keep everyone involved safe.

For example, the construction industry is high on the list of risky businesses. In the years 2019 and 2020, companies reported 4,526 non-fatal injuries to HSE, the UK government’s health and safety authority. During this same period, sadly, there were also 44 fatalities, four of which were to members of the public. So, what safety measures do construction companies need to have in place? Here, we investigate the issue.

RELATED ARTICLE: ESTABLISH A SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO MEET OSHA STANDARDS

Provide Health and Safety Training

One extremely important measure is ensuring all staff receive full health and safety training before beginning work. They must be aware of the risks that accompany their role. Moreover, every worker must learn the preventative measures they must take to avoid accidents, injuries, and long-term health issues. For example, all workers must wear a hardhat when working on site to help prevent traumatic brain injury.

Staff must also be trained to recognize safety risks. They must also feel confident in the procedure for reporting these risks to managers. Information on how to identify a risk and further steps to take should be included in your company’s risk assessment documents and health and safety policies.

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

Get the Right Insurance

No matter how much effort you put into establishing safety measures, there’s no way to ensure an accident will never happen. Taking out professional indemnity insurance is the best way to protect your business in case you find it facing a claim in the future.

Professional indemnity insurance will also protect your employees and any customers or third parties who could be involved in an accident caused by your business. The insurance will enable you to pay compensation to those who have been affected, reducing your financial loss and improving your company’s chance of survival.   

Invest in High-Quality Equipment

Ensuring your construction equipment is of high quality is another important safety measure. This will reduce the chance that it will malfunction and cause an accident or injury, either to your employees or to members of the public who could be in danger if they happen to be passing by one of your construction sites.

For example, be sure to service and carefully maintain any electrical equipment or machinery. The instructions provided by the manufacturer should detail how often you should conduct maintenance and service checks. They should also give information about how to take care of your machine to keep it functioning properly.

RELATED ARTICLE: EXPERT BUSINESS INSURANCE TIPS FOR DENTISTS