By Alden Strealy, MS, CIH, CSP Director of Safety Services
An ironic occurrence in safety is that companies with fewer injuries sometimes have less insight into how to prevent the next one, since they have fewer injuries to compare within their organization. To address this, safety teams look toward leading indicators such as completion of training, near misses, safety suggestions, audits, preventative maintenance, safety observations, completion of pre-task plans, and others.
However, looking holistically at how to improve safety means taking a look at what you are doing and evaluating all aspects of your attention. The first step is looking at leadership’s outward demonstration of their safety support. A company’s safety commitment, led by its leadership, is by far the most impactful factor for lasting change. There are many reasons for this, but a written statement from the company president, and saying it out loud, is a great place to start. Our teams need to hear how important it is that everyone goes home safe.
Second is improving your company’s safety culture. This can be built and elevated at every level of the company. A strong safety team (with the help of your AGC Safety Consultant) can provide several ways to improve and strengthen your overall safety program. Some of these include no-blame reporting, engaging safety training, safety incentive/recognition programs, injury trend data, and continuous safety improvement.
Thirdly is better communication. Communicating about hazards (new ones and recurring ones) to team members and trade partners is critical. Setting up regular safety meetings with leadership, your team, and your partners/subcontractors during preconstruction and after job completion can improve safety and provide insight.