Health and safety is a top priority for any business, but even more so in the construction industry. Construction sites are often dangerous places with heavy equipment and a lot of moving parts and people. So, it’s essential to take precautions to protect workers and ensure that you complete projects safely. Furthermore, not only is compliance with health and safety regulations critical for keeping everyone safe on the job site, but also it brings many more benefits. In this blog post, we’ll explore how health and safety affect construction and discuss some of the critical steps to improve it and reap all the benefits.
How Does Health and Safety Affect Construction and Why It’s Important
While there is the obvious importance of health and safety, you need to keep your employees safe, health and safety affect construction in several ways. If you have a good safety record, the effect will generally be positive. But, a bad safety record means the effect will be the opposite. Here are some of the main ways that health and safety affect construction:
Reduces Accidents or Incidents
We couldn’t create this list without stressing the importance of health and safety to reduce workplace accidents or incidents. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), almost 25% of all work-related deaths occur in the construction industry. Moreover, that number doesn’t even include the injuries that don’t lead to fatality. You don’t have to be a part of this statistic though. One Redlist user, a steel manufacturer, noticed that their safety incidents were increasing annually at an average of 67% across all incident types. So, they sought out Redlist as a solution to gain visibility into their safety data and improve their safety processes. Within two years of implementing Redlist, the company reduced the occurrence of all incidents by an average of 50%. Click here to read more of their story.
Keeps Your Project on Budget
A safety incident, accident, or even a near miss often involves downtime to document the incident, and in many cases, there is damage to equipment or property that will need to be repaired or replaced. Additionally, the injury of a key employee can result in downtime as you search for a replacement until they can return to work. This isn’t even counting the financial impact of worker’s compensation claims, OSHA fines, or increased insurance expenses.
Win More Business with a Good Safety Record
Your safety record is a critical component to growing your business. A bad safety record with many OSHA violations and workplace injuries can result in losing current business and missing out on future opportunities. Also, some construction businesses may have accreditations or memberships revoked, as well as acquire negative online reviews that turn off potential clients.
The Most Common Health and Safety Issues in Construction
With the construction industry contributing a quarter of all workplace fatalities, there are several common risks to be aware of.
- Working at Heights
- Slip, Trip, or Fall Hazards
- Noise
- Moving Hazards
- Vibrating Equipment
- Material Handling
- Breathing Hazards
- Collapses
- Electricity
Improve Health and Safety in Your Construction Business
Luckily, there are tools available to help you manage these risks. Health, Safety, & Environmental (HSE) software can help you track compliance with regulations, identify hazards, and create safety management plans. This software can make it easier to keep your workers safe and your business running smoothly. Plus, there are many benefits of using HSE software for construction businesses, including improved compliance, reduced costs, increased efficiency, and reduced safety incidents. It’s no secret that safety is a critical component of any construction business. With the right safety management software, you can improve your safety performance while reducing compliance costs. Schedule a demo today to learn more about how our EHS software can benefit your business.
