Employees who come to work every day knowing there is little risk of getting hurt, bullied, harassed, or criticized feel empowered. An organizations most critical asset are their employees. Happy employees produce more work and want to engage and contribute to the organization’s success.
It is leadership’s responsibility to provide a safe environment for all employees. Every construction manager, project owner, and foreman plays a significant role in preventing occupational hazards and accidents. The good news is they are not alone in this effort. While management may be responsible to produce and document a quality safety program, it will require all employees to adhere and follow all safety procedures for a successful safety program to flourish and thrive.
Inclusive to an encompassing quality safety program, there are simple safety standards, if put into motion effectively, will promote a safe, rewarding, and productive employee experience.
- A Clean and Organized workplace or construction site – Establish standards for general operating processes, governance procedures, and equipment use, to promote higher standards for safety, cleanliness, and general housekeeping.
- Allocate the required Personal Protective Equipment – Employers are concerned about liability and protecting workers. A Company should clearly identify and outline all appropriate protection equipment that is required for a safe experience and actively instruct how to use for maximum performance.
- Emergency Guidelines – Define and document all procedures in case of specific types of emergencies that may take place.
- Employee Training – From on-boarding new employees to active employees, a standard safety training program should be delivered consistently and at least twice a year.
- Communicate – Important to communicate openly and frequently all company safety procedures, guidelines, rules and updates through newsletters, placards, and posters.
Implementing these simple safety standards, coupled with a rigorous overall safety program, will deliver long term benefits. A safe work environment fully led by leadership and embraced by all employees, drive employee loyalty and in return promotes brand equity to clients. Simply put, clients want to work with companies that are safe. Safe working employees deliver increase productivity and reduces costs due to less unexpected workflow delays and interrupted time-off.
The primary objective is to bring awareness to all employees that safety is important and is the top priority for the company. At KCI we take safety seriously. Our focused work, helping clients maintain stormwater compliance, puts our team at risk every day. Give us call at (888) 346-7779 and allow us to tell you about how we have implemented a thorough safety program for all our employees.
