Construction sites are inherently dangerous. Heavy machinery, loud noises, and the potential for falling debris can all conspire to create safety hazards that are difficult, yet essential, to avoid. Not only could these risks impact the health and livelihood of your construction crew, but it could also affect your construction project’s timeline and profitability. These potential consequences speak to your project manager’s responsibility to reduce construction site accidents and increase the overall safety of the job site. Paired with an effective Ohio construction insurance policy, your project manager can enact meaningful strategies that protect your team and your company.
How Can You Prevent Construction Site Accidents?
Safety starts at the top. To reduce onsite accidents, your construction project manager should take daily actions to highlight safety and eliminate risk. Conducting daily safety meetings, for instance, can help notify the crew of any rule or regulation changes. By keeping everyone on the same page, your manager sets the standards by which they’ll judge onsite safety.
However, actual safety is more than just an awareness of potential hazards or thefts. Crewmembers and other people onsite need to wear the right safety equipment:
- Hardhats
- Eye and ear protection
- Harnesses
- Slip-resistant, safety-toed boots
- Heavy-duty gloves
- Protective masks
- Reflective or otherwise highly visible clothing
As construction projects near their expected end date, it becomes easy for once staunch rules to slacken. However, this puts the health of your team at risk. Project managers should make efforts to avoid night work when possible. Working late into the night reduces visibility and increases the likelihood of a worker operating heavy machinery while fatigued or in a state of lessened alertness.
Your project manager should give your workers regular and frequent breaks, especially during days of extreme heat. Your workers should use these breaks to refuel, rehydrate, and rest. These breaks present an opportunity for your crew to recover and regain focus.
What Is Construction Insurance and Why Is It Important?
Even with these injury reduction strategies in place, injuries can still occur. This is why construction insurance is important. It can protect your company should be it found liable for claims of personal injury, property damage, and illegal employment practices.
As no single policy will cover you from all your risks, your business will likely need to purchase multiple types of coverage. It’s difficult to know what risks from which your company needs protection, but your coverage should cover at least the basics:
- Commercial auto liability
- Commercial general liability
- Commercial property
- Contractor’s equipment
- Professional liability
- Worker’s compensation
You can help mitigate risk at the job site through effective safety management and the right construction insurance coverage. This combination leaves your company well shielded from injury, damage, and financial loss.
About Haughn & Associates
Founded by Michael Haughn in 1986, Haughn & Associates is a full-service, family-owned, independent insurance agency based out of Dublin, Ohio. H&A strives to provide the best possible price and unique insurance solutions across a myriad of industries, including construction, IT, Habitation & Commercial Property, Agriculture, and Engineering. Devoted to providing the best of business insurance, life and disability insurance, personal insurance, employee benefits, and bonds, H&A is proof that success lies in long-standing client relations and satisfaction. To learn more about how H&A can be of service to you, contact us at (877) 802-2278.
