At Built Interiors, we’re all about reducing risk and improving safety on our sites. So it’s great to see that CIF Construction Safety Month for 2023 is focusing on the management of critical risks such as working at height, plant and pedestrian safety, access and egress, and working around underground or overhead cables or pipes.
How can you reduce risk of accidents on a construction project?
We’ve said it before. Every building site is different with its own set of unique risks. That’s why, on a live construction site, you can’t afford to leave any stone (or brick for that matter) unturned. Everything – and we do mean everything – has to be looked at, and looked at again, and have its risks and potential for danger assessed and mitigated.
Risk is not something you can eliminate entirely once people are included in the equation, but it is certainly something you can take steps to minimise to get closer to achieving zero incidents.
Our 10 steps to zero risk on every project
There are no sure things when it comes to safety, but the steps below help us to achieve and maintain our high safety standards at Built Interiors on each and every project.
1. We make sure our whole team is on the same page safety-wise: Every member of our team - from those working in the office to our team members on the tools, from our newest apprentice to those with decades of experience in the trade - have safety top of mind at all times.
2. We’ve got crystal clear standards for workplace safety performance: We regularly update and assess the level of health and safety knowledge amongst our team and have a system in place to recognise adherence.
3. We set a strong safety example: Our team leaders, supervisors and managers set the standard and the example by following all of the safety rules themselves. Even if they are not getting their hands dirty, or they’re only there for a two-minute chat, our leadership has to wear proper PPE and take all of the same precautions as site workers.
4. We get our team involved: At Built Interiors we make safety checks a way of life, encouraging our team to take responsibility for their own safety planning and inspections, to assess work hazards themselves and develop their own safety checklists.
5. Safety saves lives: Our team understands that safety protocols are not there to slow work down or get in the way. They appreciate that hazards put people’s personal health and safety in danger, making safety a priority and motivator for them.
6. Training, training, training: We train our people in safety regulations and protocols frequently to ensure no complacency creeps in.
7. We welcome our team’s input: We promote the identification and correction of potential risks or hazards, rewarding team members for their vigilance when and wherever we can.
8. Learnings at every opportunity: Our team members record every hazard they identify and the way in which they remedy it, sharing it with everyone at safety meetings. When any member of the team encounters something they can’t find a solution to, they have been trained to use it as a learning opportunity and consult a colleague with more knowledge.
9. We fix safety issues fast: Safety comes first before any other item on our to-do list – no ifs, ands, or buts. Whenever a risk is identified, it has to be dealt with immediately in our book.
10. We never sleep on safety: We’ve already mentioned how we mitigate the risk of complacency arising. No matter how our good safety standards are, we don’t sit on our hands. Our mission when it comes to safety is to keep raising our game.
