It goes without saying that all jobs come with some level of risk, some higher than others. During 2021-2022, the construction industry had the highest number of fatalities compared with other industry sectors. This means health and safety on the worksite is a vital consideration before any construction gets underway, in order to minimise the risk of injury.

To help you implement the appropriate risk management strategies and prevent your employees from becoming injured or worse, we’ve come up with some of the most effective safety measures and why they are so important.

The health and wellbeing of employees

Job-site safety is a key factor in employee wellbeing. The construction site is a busy place that often requires many employees to operate large machinery and rough materials at any given moment. It only takes one worker to lose focus and an accident can take place. Incidents include being struck by moving machinery or being exposed to hazardous substances.

To help prevent accidents like these from transpiring, it’s important to provide sufficient training to every employee, ensuring that performance is reviewed on a regular basis. It is also worthwhile to organise additional training before each major project to make sure each worker knows exactly what to do.

Implementing a health and safety management policy with clearly defined regulations can help employees understand what is expected and how they should operate safely. If you fail to deliver a robust health and safety policy and a member of staff is involved in an accident at work that wasn’t their fault, you may find yourself liable for damages.

The safety of passersby

It’s not just your responsibility to protect your workers but also members of the public who pass by the construction site. The dangers that can affect employees can just as easily impact other individuals should job-site safety be overlooked.

This is yet another reason why it’s essential that proper measures are not only established but are enforced and followed by all individuals on the site at all times.

The performance of the business

If workers do become injured from a workplace accident, it can affect the overall prosperity of the business. Most importantly, you lose a substantial amount of man hours, which affects productivity and the work that is completed. If you are unable to meet the required deadlines, there may be a reduction in the profitability of the business.

There are also issues faced from a legal standpoint, where failing to adhere to the laws set by the HSE could see you facing significant fines. Or worse, this could result in the business being banned from operating, which isn’t great for reputation.