Topics You Should Be Addressing in Safety Meetings
In every construction project, safety is paramount. Meetings discussing precautionary measures and accident prevention policies can play an important role in keeping workers safe. Here are some key topics to address in meetings.
OSHA Rules
The first safety meeting on a project should include a thorough primer on applicable OSHA regulations. It is advisable to revisit the topic of compliance at subsequent meetings. It is a good practice to include practical on-the-job examples of what people need to do to comply with regulatory safety standards when carrying out certain tasks.
Electrical Safety
Workers need to be able to recognize electrical hazards on a jobsite. Generators used to power equipment and the possibility of coming into contact with live lines could present a risk of catastrophic or fatal injury. During meetings, it may make sense to do a walkthrough of a site to identify specific hazards and give workers explicit instructions on how to avoid injuries.
Personal Protective Equipment
Contracting companies have to establish internal policies about the use of personal protective equipment. Workers should not need to make on-the-spot decisions about whether they need to use a particular item of PPE for a specific task. Instead, company policies mandating the use of PPE for completing various duties or walking through designated areas should eliminate decision-making concerning safety gear.
Beyond simply creating PPE policies, it is vital that contracting companies implement protocols for enforcing them. Project managers and foremen need to lead by example and use appropriate equipment consistently. These team leaders need to intervene when they observe that workers are not following mandates.
First-Aid Resources
Everyone on a site has to know where emergency first aid equipment is located. It is also advisable to go over what items a kit includes. A project manager should assign responsibility to a senior staff member for ensuring that kits are in correct locations and contain all essential items.
Situational Awareness
When talking to workers about safety, it is crucial to review the potential dangers of distraction on a jobsite. Workers have to be alert to their surroundings when they are in an area where heavy equipment is in use and structures in progress are unstable. Talk to workers about the possible ramifications of seemingly harmless horseplay in addition to the safety risks of cellphones on an active site.
Fall Prevention
Completing any type of work at a height puts workers at risk of falling. Even highly experienced workers are vulnerable to this especially common occupational injury. Make sure that your meeting topic includes scaffolding safety basics.
Show your workers that their safety is your priority by providing comprehensive training in project meetings. Get in touch with the safety professionals at Construction Safety Experts online or by calling us at (919) 463-0669, for help creating a training initiative that effectively mitigates risk and empowers workers to be more vigilant about their own safety.
