Be Careful Out There…or else
Be Careful Out There…or else
For companies like yours, safety accidents can exact a terrible toll. A startling barometer of the problem is immediately apparent with a quick internet search on the topic. It listed page after page of law firms hawking their services. Obviously, it’s big business for them.
Who pays for this?
Everybody, that’s who. Companies pay in increased workmen’s comp insurances rates, lost productivity, and production delays. Your employees suffer the most. Although the death rates are trending downward in the past several years, many workers can spend lengthy times in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities, not to mention lost or diminished income for themselves and their families. Sadly, some injuries may end their careers and permanently handicap them for life.
We don’t want to smother you with doom and gloom, but here are some eye-opening facts:
National Home Builders Association’s Rob Matuga cites what OSHA calls “The Deadly Four.”
- Being struck by an object – Construction sites are in constant motion with many people and equipment coming and going. It is not surprising then that there are loose objects falling and debris on the site as well as scaffolding, ladders, and cranes that are part of the necessary equipment to get the job done. These are not stationary tools of the trade, so moving, shifting, or falling objects can cause injury.
- Electrocution – Accidents involving electricity accounted for about 8% of all construction accident deaths, according to OSHA. Loose wiring in a building can easily come in contact with a worker and any nearby power lines may not be properly secured.
- Slip and fall – During the construction process there are often unsecured platforms of different elevations that workers must move among. If steps and railings are not secured, if an area is dark and not marked, if there are different platform levels, or no guardrails, a construction worker can easily be injured on-the-job. Construction slip and fall accidents accounted for nearly 40% of construction worker deaths in 2018, according to OSHA.
- Being Stuck between Objects and Machinery – With heavy machinery and some of it not properly secured, it is not uncommon for a worker to be caught between big equipment and a structure that has collapsed. This can result in a body being squeezed, crushed, or compressed between parts of an object. Strangulation can result if someone is caught in running machinery and equipment.
Matuga also notes:
“The fatality rate of workplace injuries for construction companies with 1-19 employees has been significantly higher than those with 20 or more employees, according to a study published by the Center for Construction Research and Training.
From 2003 to 2016, construction firms with 1-19 employees accounted for 56.6% of all fatal injuries while employing less than 37% of all construction workers.
The problem is getting worse for smaller construction companies. The fatality rate rose 57% for establishments with 1-19 employees from 2008 to 2016, while the rate decreased by about 30% for establishments with 20 or more employees during the same period.
This increasing gulf between large and smaller builder employers has a sharp impact on NAHB members. According to the most recent NAHB member census, 70% of home builders have fewer than 10 employees.”
The fatality rate of workplace injuries for construction companies with 1-19 employees has been significantly higher than those with 20 or more employees, according to a study published by the Center for Construction Research and Training.
From 2003 to 2016, construction firms with 1-19 employees accounted for 56.6% of all fatal injuries while employing less than 37% of all construction workers.
The problem is getting worse for smaller construction companies. The fatality rate rose 57% for establishments with 1-19 employees from 2008 to 2016, while the rate decreased by about 30% for establishments with 20 or more employees during the same period.
This increasing gulf between large and smaller builder employers has a sharp impact on NAHB members. According to the most recent NAHB member census, 70% of home builders have fewer than 10 employees.
Sobering thoughts these. It’s enough for you to grab the Advil or a big chocolate bar. Instead, Performance Point has a prescription for what ails you.
Here’s how we do it. We created a five-part program that includes:
- Education
- Encouragement
- Enforcement
- Participation
- Evaluation
It stands to reason that education is the first step. Companies and employees need to know the facts and importance of workplace safety. Then they need to be encouraged to follow the safety guidelines and use their safety equipment. Enforcement follows. Construction workers are men’s men. “We don’t need no stinkin’ safety equipment.” Making this mandatory and sticking to safety rules and very important. These days you see large compliance in hardhats and safety glasses or goggles. Improvements in safety gloves make their use more prevalent. The last “E” word is Evaluation. This is where we give participating companies a report card to show how they’re doing.
How to get started? Give us a call and we can put together a customized proposal based on your needs.
Channeling Marlon Brando, Sam Galphin is “Making you an offer you can’t refuse.” A momentary lapse of attention can spell disaster. So, workplace safety is very serious business and needs your attention…or else you may have to make a call that every construction manager or owner dreads to an employee’s family with bad news.
704.563.1030
Info@ThePerformancePoint.com
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