Construction Safety Week is a yearly opportunity for more than 70 national and global construction firms to come together to put a spotlight on safety at job sites. The goal of Safety Week is to “provide the vision, insights, resources and equipment standards to inspire everyone in the industry to be leaders in safety.”
At Specialty Group, we are excited to take an active part in this week of safety awareness. Providing Idaho and Washington homeowners, builders, and contractors with quality insulation, air sealing, and environmental services, we are a vital part of the construction industry and know firsthand the importance of keeping our team and our worksites safe.
We go out of our way to prioritize effective safety measures and want to pass on our real-world knowledge and experience to our customers. Whether you are a builder, contractor, or homeowner, we encourage you to read on for practical ways to stay safe during every building project.
Plan with Precision
Keeping your team safe and successful on a construction project is all about planning with precision. By thinking through every part of a task ahead of time, your team can spot risks early, prepare for surprises, and prevent accidents. Detailed scheduling look-ahead provides extra time to find and focus on high risk, dangerous tasks. Then your team can put the proper safety measures in place to avoid serious incidents or fatalities.
Remember, when safety planning, don’t rely on the leaders to do all the work. Include everyone- trade partners, workers, and experts- to work together as a team to catch risks before they become problems.
To effectively manage hazards and ensure that everyone is adequately protected, utilize the Hierarchy of Risk Control. The hierarchy includes steps such as removing the hazard, using safer tools, adding safety gear, and more.
Identifying High Energy Hazards
Your family counts on you to return home safely after every shift. That makes focusing on safety even more important on the job, especially with high energy hazards. Often coined as Stuff That Could Kill You (STCKY), these hazards can easily lead to serious injuries or fatalities if not properly controlled. And unfortunately, only about 45% of these hazards are identified by workers during their work shift.
An invaluable tool called the Energy Wheel should be used during pre-task planning, safety audits, and throughout the day to help identify high energy hazards. These potential hazards come from ten common energy sources, such as gravity, motion, mechanical, electrical, pressure, chemical, radiation, thermal, sound, and biological.
Remember, it’s everyone’s responsibility to vigilantly identify hazards and take action to mitigate them for the safety of the entire team. The best way to eliminate these high energy hazards is with a two-step plan. First, identify the hazards associated with the task, and then guarantee that controls are put in place before work begins.
Own Your Part
For construction supervisors and leaders, communication, education, leadership, presence, preparation, and empowerment are essential pieces of a safety-focused workplace. And helping everyone know and own their part of the safety puzzle is key.
Here are some steps to follow:
- Know the hazards– A well-informed team is a safe team. Ensure your team is aware of potential hazards and provide regular training and hazard identification exercises to reduce incidents.
- Communicate ownership to your team– During your team safety talk, stress the importance of every team member taking responsibility for the safety of their entire team. When team members take ownership of their decisions and actions and feel personally invested in the safety of their team, safety practices become the norm.
- Lead by example– Leadership sets the tone for safety behavior. When you, as a leader, prioritize and demonstrate safe practices, your team will follow suit.
- Be present in the field– Actively engage with your team in work areas.
Connect with them so they know you’re there for support. Being in the field lets you monitor conditions, address concerns, and show your commitment to safety.
- Plan your work and work your plan– Proper planning and disciplined execution reduce risks. Share your safe work plan, pre-task plan or job safety analysis for each task with your team and ensure every worker understands their safety responsibilities.
- Stop-Empower everyone to stop work if safety is compromised. This promotes a safety-first mindset and a strong safety culture when workers know that safety is a priority over deadlines or completing tasks. Some proper times to STOP work include: if the task has changed and needs to be planned again, there is a safety concern or unsafe activity being performed, a worker personally doesn’t understand their responsibility or a rule, or a worker doesn’t understand or isn’t comfortable performing a task.
Engage and Empower Team Members
When team members feel valued and empowered, they’re more likely to take ownership of their tasks, communicate openly, and contribute to a safer and more efficient workplace. Keeping each team member actively engaged in the project and empowered in their abilities and decision making, will ensure a successful and safe work environment.
Here are some ways to engage and empower your team:
- Open communication– Help team members feel valued and heard by opening communication during team meetings for them to share safety concerns on the job site.
- Recognition and appreciation– Take the time to acknowledge and thank the efforts of team members that have identified potential safety hazards and taken steps to fix them.
- Involvement in decision making- Enable team members to take ownership and commit to excellence by involving them in decisions that affect their work.
- Training and development- Provide your team with the skills and knowledge they need to perform their tasks safely and efficiently. This will build their skills and show you’re invested in their professional growth.
- Delegate responsibilities– Foster a sense of responsibility and accountability by delegating responsibilities to team members.
- Stop work authority– Regardless of planning, conditions can change unexpectedly. Giving team members the authority to stop work, if needed, builds trust and empowers them to perform at the highest level.
Commit to Excellence, Deliver with Intent
Every great team knows that success depends on every teammate’s commitment to follow the plan, work safely, and support one another. Construction is the ultimate team sport where the playbook is clear, and every role is essential to achievement. When we work together, we’re stronger, safer, and more successful.
As part of the game plan, it’s important to follow all the steps laid out in this post, but to also be ready to call an audible. Being flexible when plans change, keeps your team safe and at the top of their game. Approach each task with pride and remember that doing the job right brings pride not only to you but to your entire team.
But don’t be afraid to speak up and voice your concerns when they arise.
Excellence is your goal, but safety is the Most Valuable Player (MVP). It’s critical to have each other’s backs. Following safety protocols and wearing your personal protective equipment (PPE) is your badge of honor and a symbol of you and your team’s commitment to get everyone home safe.
Working Together to Maximize Safety
Ultimately, no one rides the bench in construction. Regardless of whether you are a builder, contractor, or homeowner, every member plays a crucial role in the safety and success of every building project or home DIY project, every day. At Specialty Group, we take pride in our contributions to the world of construction through our insulation, air sealing, and environmental services for new and existing homes. Together, we are building a culture of trust and mutual respect where our team is committed to excellence and delivers with intent- safely, efficiently, and proudly.
Safety is our top priority, and we ensure our team is properly trained in insulation safety measures to mitigate risks at every job site. These steps guarantee a safe work environment and a job well done. Contact us today to learn more about Construction Safety Week and how Specialty Group works diligently to keep you and our employees safe on job sites and during home projects.
