Anything can happen in a workplace, especially if it involves construction. Risk management techniques must be available to ensure nothing goes wrong, and an appropriate insurance coverage is in place. As a contractor, you should manage your risks right. Here are a few things you can do.
Employee Injury
The first thing you should do is to ensure no one gets injured at the workplace. Provide safety training and manuals, if possible. Enforce regulations that standardize protective gear and clothing. You should also have specific certifications for some jobs and ensure that only qualified employees are on the field. Try everything possible to ensure your employees are safe.
Problems at the Site
Regularly inspect the site to ensure everything is in order. If there are issues, fix them immediately. You may even ask to pause the project while waiting for these issues to get solved. You can’t take the risk if there’s a problem at the site.
Quality Assurance
You should have a quality assurance team that checks the products before accepting them. You can't take the risk with even the most minor problem. You can also prevent this risk by working with quality suppliers. You don’t want to partner with a supplier just because the supplies are available at a low price. It’s even better if you sign an agreement that passes the responsibility to the suppliers. Then, if anything happens, you can come after them instead of getting sued for liability.
Third-party Injury
Apart from the employees, people who don’t work there might also get injured. Children might come around the area without knowing that they might get hurt. You don’t want them around, and it’s a preventable injury. Make sure you create a policy for all visitors in the area. You should also have clear signs to prevent unauthorized people from coming in. When you allow guests, there must be an escort explaining the safety procedures . Remove potential hazards before allowing anyone to walk in a specific location. If too risky, cancel the visit. Erect fences and gates to prevent people from coming in.
Property Risks
Contractor properties are usually mobile. Equipment gets transported often and for more extended periods. Therefore, it's crucial to avoid having highly flammable materials close. If these materials are necessary for the site, ensure they're properly stored. If you have important documents, move them to a safer location. Find a fire-resistant place that will keep these documents safe. There should also be a no-smoking policy to prevent unwanted fires. You may designate areas for people to smoke. Fire extinguishers must be on site to prevent fire immediately.
The point is you can prevent these problems from happening. Again, you don’t want to face legal challenges and spend a lot of money paying people off. You must do it if you can reduce the risks at the onset. Constantly evaluate the practices and ensure you do things correctly. Ask your employees to review these practices with you and share ways to help maintain a safe workplace for everyone.
