Health & Safety In Construction: 3 Areas to Focus On

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A study by Herts Tools found that in the 2022-2023 period, over 561,000 non-fatal workplace accidents occurred on construction sites in the UK alone. In the same time frame, there were 135 fatal accidents and construction sites across the country. Health and safety and construction sites are paramount to ensure that every person venturing onto the site is safe and protected at all times, regardless of the job role or their function for being on-site.

The cost of neglecting health and safety on construction sites can be staggering, ranging from £50 to £10 million, and in severe cases, even exceeding £20 million for instances of corporate manslaughter. The potential for a prison sentence further underscores the gravity of the situation. 

All businesses should strive to achieve health and safety in the workplace every day. However, in construction, the onus on safety is higher than in other companies due to the increased risk to persons from simply carrying out their day-to-day work. The following tips can help ensure that everyone on your site is safe and protected at all times. 

Training
First and foremost, every person working for you in any capacity must have full and complete training. This should include specific job-related training, such as how to operate machinery and tools, as well as general safety training, such as identifying and avoiding common hazards on a construction site. The more they know how to do and how to do it safely, the safer they will be when carrying out their job. If they don't understand what they need to be doing or if they don't have the knowledge or skills to complete the work correctly without cutting corners, this will end in disaster sooner rather than later and can open you up to finding compensation claims as well as impacting your reputation, your bottom line, and your deadlines for completing the work at hand.

Safety Equipment
In addition to having comprehensive training for working on construction sites, all persons need to be equipped with the correct safety equipment and tools to minimise any risk to themselves and others around them. The exact tools and safety equipment they need to do this will vary depending on their job.  In some cases, they might need a hard hat and a high-vis jacket to alert others to their presence and protect the head from anything falling above them. Steel-toed footwear can protect feet from damage, and safety goggles, ear defenders, and gloves can all protect various body parts from damage and harm.

In addition to personal protection equipment, you also need to invest in the correct machinery to carry out specific job roles. For example, powered access hire can make working at height much easier, as workers will be using specific safety equipment with built-in features to help keep them safe while working at any level above ground level, thus minimising risk and damage to people in other ways.

Maintenance
Maintenance of the construction area, the site, the tools and equipment you use, and the manner in which everything is stored and cleaned is paramount to ensuring that everything is safe to use every time. Neglecting to get any machinery or equipment fixed and allowing people to work with the incorrect tools for the job can drastically increase the risk of harm and damage to themselves and coworkers on-site, too. This jeopardises your workers' safety and can lead to legal consequences and damage to your company's reputation. Make maintenance of all the equipment and safety accessories you use a priority to reinforce health and safety standards across the board.