Construction, along with agriculture and fishing, is among the most dangerous industries for workers in the UK. Construction firms that want to retain their staff, and to minimise legal risk, should seek to emphasise health and safety. But this doesn’t mean merely complying with regulations; to thrive, you’ll need to embed health and safety into every aspect of your operations.
Build a strong safety culture from the top down
When you seek to impose a set of values and principles on workers, then they might understandably resist them, if they can see that those things aren’t being embodied by those higher up in the organisation. In other words, if management isn’t playing by the same rules that they’re setting for everyone else, then resistance is inevitable.
Make sure that training is provided and refreshed, so that workers understand the health and safety problems that they need to watch out for. This training should also be part of your onboarding process for new workers.
Invest in the right PPE and equipment
In construction, PPE really matters. This means that equipment should not only be provided, but also properly maintained and reviewed. Make sure that your PPE is appropriate for the tasks being performed, and that you have a schedule for inspection, and a process for reporting and escalating concerns.
For workers in factories, warehouses, and construction yards, appropriate safety footwear is essential. These boots should ideally protect against objects falling from above, as well as provide grip on the surface underfoot. They’ll also need to be comfortable and supportive to workers who are on their feet all day long.
Stay ahead of evolving workplace risks
The risks that you face at work won’t be the same every day. As such, you’ll need to continuously reassess. When conditions change quickly, more frequent reassessments are appropriate. The changes might stem from the environment, or they might come from the government. For example, in June, the Health and Safety Executive issued a warning to employers that they must assess and manage the threats posed by extreme temperatures during a heat wave.
Learn from incidents and continuously improve
Often, failures and near-misses represent valuable learning opportunities. They’re a chance to learn lessons, and to reduce the likelihood of similar failures occurring in the future. But this is only possible when employees are encouraged to speak up about perceived problems, and when procedures are regularly reassessed, and subjected to scrutiny.
If you fail to learn the right lessons after a problem occurs, or you aren’t aware of the problem in the first place, then you might be at heightened risk of the problem reoccurring – and this failure might lead to greater legal culpability for the business.
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