Know which construction site safety checklists you need—plus other important strategies to keep your work site safe
The goal of any good business is to minimize the potential for loss that may arise on the job. One of the most effective ways to ensure that your worksite is safe is through a series of safety checklists. Once you have your safety checklists in place, you can educate your team and put the checklists into motion.
After we go over the most important construction site safety checklists, we’ll go over how to get the right insurance for your construction site. We’ll cover how you can establish a culture of safety for your business. Then, we’ll dive into the use of loss control insurance & safety training helps further mitigate your loss risk and provides you with the financial capability to address your loss and continue to operate your business.
Finally, we’ll go over construction equipment insurance and how it helps construction projects proceed without issue in the case of an accident or equipment breakdown. At the end of this comprehensive article, you will have an understanding of how you can keep your worksite secured and properly insured. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Make Sure You Have Your Construction Site Safety Checklists in Order
The best way to prevent accidents is to establish your comprehensive construction site safety checklist
It is impossible to eliminate all risks from the job site, no matter how many precautions are put in place. However, with the use of construction site safety checklists and an overall culture of safety, you can reduce risk to a minimum. Need help determining which checklists are applicable to your site? Let’s take a look!
The Jobsite Hazard Identification Checklist
A job site hazard identification checklist will assist you in overseeing routine inspections, recognizing any impairment or anomalies, and reporting possible dangers.
It is highly recommended that you use this OSHA checklist to thoroughly inspect all equipment, closely examine work areas for potential hazards, and ensure that all employees are strictly adhering to best practices. This type of checklist is crucial for maintaining a safe and secure work environment, which is of utmost importance for the well-being and success of both employees and the company as a whole.
Fall Protection Checklist
It’s important to be aware that falls from heights are a frequent cause of injury in the workplace. However, taking preventative measures can greatly reduce the risk of such incidents occurring. It’s crucial to assess the potential for falls and select appropriate protective equipment to ensure the safety of workers.
Scaffolding Safety Checklist
Most site managers are aware that working at height is an extremely dangerous task, so it is not hard to see why the second most utilized checklist is for scaffolding safety. Before any worker climbs up the scaffolding, every single part of it must be thoroughly inspected. To comply with OSHA regulations and ensure the safety of workers, you need scaffolding safety as part of your construction site safety checklist.
General Ladder Safety Checklist
It is important to take necessary precautions when working at heights to prevent falls. A general ladder safety checklist can guide you through all the necessary requirements and regulations related to the use of ladders.
Electrical Cord, Plug Equipment, and Tool Safety Checklist
It is important to be aware of electrocution as it is considered one of the Big Four Construction Hazards by OSHA. To reduce the likelihood of electrocution, one must take necessary precautions. These precautions include identifying the risks associated with electrical equipment, tools, cords, and outlets to comply with OSHA regulations and pass necessary inspections.
Hand and Power Tool Safety Checklist
An electrical cord, plug, and tool checklist is a good place to start, more is needed to prevent all incidents. A hand and power tool safety checklist is also necessary to ensure that you’re properly handling hazardous tools and avoiding slips and falls. This construction site safety checklist covers essential areas such as cords, wear and tear, damage, and set-up.
First Aid / CPR / AED Checklist
You need to have first aid kits and emergency equipment, as required by OSHA. However, that is just the first step. To ensure the safety of everyone in your workplace, you need to check and maintain your kits and equipment to ensure they are always ready for any emergency situation that may arise.
Hot Work and Welding Inspection Template
It is important to exercise caution when engaging in hot work such as cutting, welding, soldering, or brazing, as outlined in this template. Hazards such as fumes, gases, hot metals, sparks, and radiant energy must be carefully managed and monitored during the inspection process. Failure to do so can result in serious injury or harm.
Establishing a Culture of Safety for the Business
Without the right culture of safety, your construction site safety checklists may not be effective
In addition to having the right safety checklists in place, one of the first methods that will help you lower on-the-job risk is the establishment of a culture of safety. Working with the senior management team, policies and procedures should be considered and drafted that take into account the nature of the work you are engaged in
Once discussed, these policies should be announced and acknowledged by everyone associated with the company. Obtaining buy-in is important in order to affect a cultural shift toward safer workplace practices.
When establishing a plan for safety, it is important to solicit a wide range of opinions regarding the standards you hope to implement and how they will impact productivity and employee morale. You may choose to work from your safety planning checklists. However, make sure that the cultural change you are looking to impact is meaningful to the type of work that you are engaged in and specific to your industry.
Implementing a Safety Training Program
A safety training program is an ideal way to not only implement the changes you want to see take place in the workplace regarding safety but also to reaffirm everyone’s commitment toward safety. A program like this should take place annually.
New employees should also be required to attend or engage in an initial safety program that is designed to establish a mindset toward safe practices early on. This type of training can set the beginning tone toward reducing accidents and reinforce the reporting procedures and protocols that you have in place when an accident occurs.
The Use of Loss Control Insurance as a Risk Management Tool
Loss control insurance protects your employees and your worksite
Insurance is another important risk management tool. While insurance cannot eliminate risk and thus the resulting financial loss associated with risk, it can reduce your financial exposure as a result of the loss. Loss control insurance works to provide you with the financial resources necessary to pay for the financial cost that comes from property damage or personal injury arising from an accident or other safety issues on the job.
This protection works hand-in-hand with other insurance that you may have in place, such as equipment insurance. It can also complement your worker’s compensation coverage, which is mandated by almost every state.
Now that we know about safety training and loss control insurance, let’s discover how you can use construction equipment insurance to further protect your worksite.
Construction Equipment Insurance
Without construction insurance, it can be difficult to recover from any accident that may happen on site
The unfortunate reality is that when equipment is not insured, it is more likely to be passed over when it is in less-than-ideal shape. When it comes to the safety of your construction site, faulty equipment poses a great financial and physical risk.
When you lack insurance, you’re more likely to be lenient with borderline equipment that may not be up to par, often settling for whatever comes cheapest. However, this can leave your entire site and work crew at risk, and without builders’ risk insurance, you put the whole job at risk without any backup plan in the event of an accident. With the right kind of construction equipment insurance, you can:
- Improve Your Work Site’s Efficiency
With construction risk insurance, you are able to easily take care of any construction equipment issues that may arise on the job site. Having construction risk insurance or construction equipment insurance is like having a mechanic instead of having to fix your car by yourself. If you encounter problems on the job site, they’ll be handled by professionals to help minimize your risks and vulnerability on the job site. Rather than having to handle and fix all of your problems by yourself, you’re giving yourself a safety net to fall back on in case emergencies occur.
Construction risk insurance moves the burden or risk to the insurance company, allowing your workers to focus on what they do best and keep your site a well-oiled, fast, and efficient machine.
- Improve Your Bottom Line
Should anything happen on your site, you need to make sure that you are insured to protect all workers and equipment on site.
Consider cranes and rigs—they work great 99% of the time. But when they stop working, they cost an inordinate amount of money to repair or replace. With no insurance, you may save money during 99% of the time that the cranes and rigs are working, but you’ll get financially destroyed on the rare occasions that you have issues. If you have crane and rigging insurance, however, you’ll encounter those times with greatly reduced fiscal setbacks.
The goal of a construction team is to do the best job possible, in the shortest amount of time, without wasting money. Safety should be first on the job site, and having insurance is the best way to protect you, your team, your equipment, and your job. With the right insurance and construction site safety checklists, your team will be well-positioned for a successful project.
Our team is dedicated to helping you improve efficiency while minimizing risk, helping you build your bottom line, and strengthening your business. Discover how together we can add value to your company, and contact Gallagher’s Scaffold Team!
