Six Safety Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring New Construction Staff
It's important to focus on safety whenever you have new staff members coming to work for you on a construction site. New hires might not fully understand the hazards that construction work entails, so you need to make sure you do your part with safety precautions that will prevent injuries.
The following are six safety mistakes to avoid when hiring new construction staff to minimize the chances that accidents will occur on your work site.
Neglecting to insist upon safety training for each and every new hire
The first thing you need to do for your new hires is put them through safety training. This should include informing them of any on-the-job risks and teaching them how to take the necessary precautions to mitigate these risks. It's especially important to train employees regarding safety precautions for working with heavy machinery or in confined spaces. First aid training is also a good idea for construction employees.
Failing to supply employees with the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
Don't assume that new hires will have the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) already in their possession. You should supply any necessary PPE like safety goggles or helmets to make sure your new hires are properly equipped for the job.
Not creating an environment where new hires feel they can communicate openly
Communication is essential for maintaining safety. You need to make sure new hires feel confident about speaking up if something seems amiss. Encourage employees to look out for and speak up about safety hazards that come up around the work site.
Not creating a system for documenting safety procedures in detail
Documentation is another important aspect of work site safety. New hires need to be trained on documentation procedures like keeping a record of equipment maintenance or repairs that are needed for essential safety equipment like scaffolding.
Supplying faulty equipment to new hires
New hires might not be experienced enough to recognize when equipment or tools are not working right. Therefore, it's important to have a manager or another experienced employee inspect any equipment that is provided to new hires.
Failing to adequately mark hazards
If you've got a lot of new hires working on your site, you should put signage up indicating any hazards that are present. This way, new hires will get frequent reminders of safety issues to look out for and protect themselves against as they go about their work day.
For more information, reach out to a construction staffing service company.
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