What are the top safety considerations for construction supervisors?

One thing i cannot emphasize enough is that safety is everyone's commitment. As construction managers, our foremost responsibility is to ensure the well-being of our team members and create a secure working environment. Safety is not just a priority; it is a fundamental value that guides every decision and action we take. From meticulous planning to rigorous implementation of safety protocols, we are dedicated to fostering a workplace where each member feels protected and can perform their duties with confidence and return home to their loved ones every time, everyday!

Lessons learned from previous projects and industry best practices should be incorporated into the risk management process to continually refine and enhance the risk assessment framework. This iterative approach ensures that the risk assessment is an evolving document that reflects the current state of the project and the broader construction environment.

Safety is not just a slogan, it requires desire and effort. Make Safety a necessity and a culture. Campaign for Stop work authority is become top priority when found unsafe action and unsafe contidion. In the end, there is no work that is so urgent that safety concerns must be put aside

Risk assessment and pre job brief is mandatory prior to start any operation in the workplace.High risk activities and hazards should be identified and appropriate control measures to be implemented . Very helpful if we go through the previous operating experience and lessons learned to improve the safety in work place also to achieve the goals in a safe manner.

In my experience, I found if the job at hand is reviewed in detail long before you start the project then you will have plenty of time to choose the right tools, personal and sequence to complete the job safety. The job when looked at as a team supervisor and field can discuss best options and sometimes can eliminate risk using collaborative approach to the task. When push comes to shove you need to make the best call that you have reached a logical decision that will take the uncertainties away from the field.

One thing I have found helpful for our team, training, communication and let them feel their importance and their opinion is always considered if they are right based on the team previous experience and to listen about their feedback and concerns. Training is important for the team to let them be aware about the last procedures update, risks which we may face and how we can solve them in case might happen..

- in my experience safety programs are important and are very simple. Apply all job safety measures and protect workers, employers, and those around them. Keeping both the employees and employers safe and out of harm’s way is necessary to avoid injuries and fatalities.

Es sumamente importante la expertiz del jefe del proyecto, asi como también el respeto y la seriedad con la que se imparten las directrices. Esto en los primeros acercamientos con el personal suele parecer antipático, pero la experiencia indica que con el desarrollo y avance del proyecto, se genera una simbiosis laboral, logrando excelentes resultados.

The primary person who can ensure the safety of an employee is the employee. Education, training and situational awareness are key for employees to work safely. Never degrade or chastise someone for calling “All Stop” when they see or perceive an unsafe condition.

every activity required proper skills and proper training. it is also the responsibility of the project manager to depute the right persons for the right job. if that activity requires training, they should get the training because investment in the people is the best investment. Some people might think that if we train them they might leave, but what if you don't train them, and they stay?

Did you know hard hats come with an instruction manual and recommended care directions? Most employee toss the paper when they get their PPE. Safety training should include fit, use, care and application of PPE provided by the company.

First and foremost awareness and importance of Safety in life which further can lead people to change their approach towards Safety during construction, regular training, inductions tool box talk , safety week celebration, rewards to the neat safety volunteers. We can use the Loss Prevention System as well to teach people about the safety.

PPE acts as a physical barrier between the hazards and the human body, due to physical limitation in terms of its protection efficiency PPE is considered as a last resort of controlling exposure. The effectiveness of PPE is dependent upon the PPE being suitable, correctly fitted, properly maintained and correctly used. Supervisor shall ensure that all the workers are provided with information instruction training as is necessary to enable the workers to use PPE appropriately. the instruction and training shall include theoretical and practical elements which includes an explanation of the risk present and why PPE is needed.

PPE is the gap filler between Engineering, work plans and the work but the human brain is the key to making safety equipment work or fail.

I love it when the superintendents and office staff read an article or some papers on PPE or maintenance of PPE and none of them have had to consistently for years wear them personally my advice for you guys ?? stay in your lane ?? us workers in the field know our equipment better than you.

Before starting the works Knowing what can go wrong and being prepared with knowing how to deal with it if it goes wrong. Example: you don't wait to buy a fire extinguisher when something is on fire but rather keep it available for immediate use in case of emergency.

Regular reviews and run-throughs are definitely recommended. It is easy to make a plan and then to assume accidents won’t happen, but when they do and you don’t remember what to do, a plan is useful. Having routine stand down meetings going over procedures such as who communicates to your safety department, who contacts emergency services, who is roadside ready to direct emergency vehicles to the scene of an incident are all critical roles that can make a difference in critical situations.

Being prepared for emergencies is paramount to ensure the safety and well-being of workers, site visitors, and the general public. Some items to consider may be: Designating and training a team responsible for coordinating and executing emergency response procedures. Ensure that team members are knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. Establishing a clear evacuation procedure, including designated assembly areas, escape routes, and procedures for accounting for all personnel during evacuations. Implementing a reliable communication system to alert workers and site visitors in case of an emergency. This may include alarms, sirens, two-way radios, and notification systems.

Emergemcy action plans must be job specific, have a clear path in case something goes wrong, evaluate the plan constantly, make sure the right numbers are per job specific everyone assumes that 911 is the answer but when you are in different jurisdictions you will learn the hard way. I.E. military facilities, government agencies, remote locations and so forth....

Prioritizing the health and wellness of construction employees not only fosters a safer work environment but also enhances morale, productivity, and retention. By including an assessment of both physical and mental health risks that workers may face on the construction site, you can consider factors such as exposure to hazardous materials, heavy lifting, extreme temperatures, noise, and the potential for stress or fatigue. You can consult with employees and involve them in the risk assessment process. They can provide valuable insights into the specific health and wellness challenges they encounter daily.

The Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) can help construction supervisors in a number of ways. Improve safety knowledge and skills: The SSSTS covers a wide range of topics related to construction safety, including risk assessment, hazard identification, emergency preparedness, and personal protective equipment. By completing the SSSTS, supervisors can gain a better understanding of the safety risks on a construction site and how to mitigate those risks.

Here are some specific ways that SSSTS can help construction supervisors: Improve communication and teamwork: The SSSTS teaches supervisors how to communicate effectively with their workers and other stakeholders. This helps supervisors to build strong relationships and work together to achieve common goals. Identify and mitigate hazards: The SSSTS teaches supervisors how to conduct risk assessments and identify potential hazards on their site. This helps supervisors to develop and implement controls to mitigate those hazards.

Bottom line, a construction supervisor is a component of the site leadership team to build, remodel, demo, etc. and ensure the project is successful. Safety is a capacity to be successful in varying conditions. The supervisor must to be able to multi task production, schedule, planning, quality, budget, safety, manage people and crews and 20 other things throughout the day to ensure the successs of the project. I think safety people need to understand and consider this. Yes, safety is critical, but everything on that project is important. Building your organizational culture that integrates safety into all aspects of the project takes years, but by doing this, the supervisor is able to ensure his/her decision making includes safety.

All the above mentioned points are equally important, however, in my opinion supervision must also consider implementation of safe work methodology... to make sure all anticipated safety considerations are in place.

Your relationship with your crew can lead to a great savings and on time completion of tasks. There are no. of situations when you will have to ask the crew do long hours to meet the deadlines and if you are not in good term with them, the crew will not care about the work and the importance if getting it finished in time. End result delays and extended cost..

Safety is paramount in construction industry. But even if you ve got: Best documentation Best teams (engineers & supervisors) Best methods Best plant Best briefings Office & site personnel need to be switched on at all times!!! There are so many antecedents on big sites, to make work safer of course, but also easier and not to think much during activities & processes. Signage, highlighted areas, hazard tapes, plant with auto switches, alarms etc etc… Human brain tends to relax & getting used to seeing those antecedents all the time, takes for granted certain things being in place, before & during various tasks…thus turns usually in auto mode, sometimes completely off & not paying the required attention… Being switched on = being safer