Why health and safety is important in the construction industry

When managing employees of any industry keeping the workforce safe and happy are two of the most important parts of any role in health and safety. Construction is, however, an industry that stands out in terms of its use of health and safety. The nature of the work often leads to employees being exposed to more risk and this often leads to a high number of incidents occurring. Keep reading to find out why behavioural safety management could help you reduce the number of incidents on your site.

Health and safety in construction

Major incidents are not the only threat to workers on construction sites. Some of the most common injuries on building sites include hearing and vision damage, especially if workers don’t have access to suitable safety glasses that can provide their eyes with full protection. Loud noises produced by pneumatic drills and any noise over 120 decibels can cause long term damage to the hearing of workers. Additionally, the inhalation of fumes that can originate from dusty work like joinery, sanding, cutting and sweeping can cause long term breathing complications in individuals.

Even leaving wasted scrap materials lying around on the floor can result in a serious injury. If the workers haven’t taken the time to clear up after themselves and put the things they no longer need into something like a Self-Dumping Steel Hopper, (look at these Platforms and Ladders deals for more information), they could potentially fall over this waste and seriously injure their body, which could result in having time away from work to recover. Nobody wants this to happen and it only emphasizes the need to follow the relevant health and safety guidelines even more.

The use of behavioural safety in construction

Whilst having the correct practices in place in terms of procedure and health and safety compliance is essential, one of the key ideas to come out of the field of HSE in recent years is the idea of behavioural safety. The sphere of thinking focuses on an employer’s ability to influence the behaviours of its workers and through this method, eradicate unsafe practices that could lead to major incidents and long term damage.

Research suggests that 92% of incidents involved in construction are a result of workers not taking the proper time to plan and perform their tasks. In terms of planning if a worker developed a behaviour of always putting on the right protective equipment like ear defenders it would likely lead to a reduction hearing damage. This is an example of a positive impact that development on behavioural safety can have on the wider health and safety in a construction site.

Seek out the latest news and information on construction health and safety

Despite the traditional view of health and safety being more of a paper-driven industry, there are a lot of new developments coming out with the increasing use of software and technology contributing to a safer environment. Staying up to date with the latest news and best practice in the industry is essential for both your businesses’ competitiveness and your employee’s safety.