How can you ensure your site supervision team adheres to the latest safety and environmental standards?

We must use our “car salesman” skills for this. The idea has to be bought by upper management and one of the many ways to do this is the no bull approach. Keep things simple and always mention the benefits a new policy can bring to the table by pointing out the ways it can help the company by prevent it from losing valuable time.

The site foreman disperse the information I give them, and hoped they would deliver. Quickly found that they often are too busy with tasks to do this regularly but would still sign off that they were doing it. Now when on my job site visits I will ask team members something from the toolbox training or alerts - and find out the reality. I reward those that can answer correctly with gift cards, or even reward the crew with pizzas or energy drinks if they tackle a big ask. Pre use inspections are slowly being done, site housekeeping is much better

If safety programs are in place then everything else is ‘trust but verify’. These articles are construction centered but whether the industry is construction or other industry, safety professionals who work in that industry set a framework for supervision to follow. Supervision has to follow specific industry standards. The entire workforce has to be invested in safety. How is that accomplished? Well, site supervision should lead as safety role models. If policies/signs are in place that day you will wear PPE, staff need to wear their PPE. Supervision needs to be engaged and know the aspects of safety programs. OSHA provides materials such as Compliance Assistance Quick Start which provides OSHA info to ensure compliance.

I have often thought that Hierarchy of Controls has a foundation in training. Why? Because each layer of control can be connected to training. At a minimum encourage open dialogue train on the importance of the layers and which have most to least impact. Training can take place by different methods/forums. It is important to establish a training needs assessment. This will pinpoint areas for improvement and the current skills/knowledge base. This will flush out areas for improvement. Once this information is collected a training plan can be created. An important aspect of the safety organization is information management systems. These can track training requirements and dates for any required recurring training or certification.

There are so many advancements in technology from day to day. Organizations are learning that they do not need boots on the ground to monitor safety. The use of drones in fire protection, environmental monitoring, and for general safety is relatively new when looking at how long it has taken the concept of safety to grab hold in industry. Technology has a very important place. Drones can carry monitoring systems that make them very important in various safety capacities. Drones can be retrofitted with all technology discussed in above article. Monitoring can take place from the safety of an office somewhere removing the risk to human welfare. Drones can be used to safely monitor from heights again removing fall risk.

A safety culture does not grow overnight for an organization that has not upheld standards. That being said, in order for a bottom up top down safety awareness to be infectious, leadership sets example for staff to follow. It is possible that safety initiative derails if a culture is not cultivated. An organization will not follow safety requirements if it sees upper management disregarding safety policy. Leaders support policy and procedures and ensure others follow policy. Industries can support a safety culture by rewarding outstanding performance and encourage support of safety initiatives throughout an organization. This shows an organization is consistently monitoring for improvement.

Team of safety officers who must supervise and ensure compliance to safty rules, Safety oficer must conduct daily toolbox meetings where all workers on site are reminded of their obligations and responsibilities to safety.