Is your Jobsite Ready for an OSHA Inspection?
Team up for Safety
The JobSite Safety Committee is comprised of an experienced team of professionals dedicated to promoting and developing safe working environments in the home building industry. JobSite Safety Committee members work collectively to facilitate the goal of accident and injury free job sites by providing EDUCATION, TRAINING, SAFETY CERTIFICATIONS, and PEER SUPPORT.
Committee members work to minimize construction job site hazards and risks. Among its efforts is HomeSafe® Colorado, a first-of-its-kind program that began as a partnership between the HBA of Metro Denver and OSHA.
The HomeSafe® program offers employers in the State of Colorado home building industry voluntary development and implementation of effective work-site safety and health programs, typically resulting in measurable reductions in work related injuries, illnesses, deaths and overall business operational costs.
Job Site Safety Tips- PPE – Make sure all of your personal protective equipment (PPE) is available and in proper working condition prior to starting the day. Get in the habit of putting on safety eyewear and your hard hat before stepping out of your vehicle. The same goes for equipment and tools!
- TRAINING – Utilize the New Employee Education Program – NEEP videos (see links at upper right, available in both English and Spanish) to provide basic safety training for both new and current employees. Don’t assume new employees who may have “years of experience” know your level of commitment to safety. Do not rely on the level of training (if any!) they received from a previous employer. As for current employees, it is never a bad idea to review basic job site safety.
- HOUSEKEEPING – The old adage “A clean workplace is a safe workplace,” is certainly true on an active job site. A housekeeping issue can contribute to job site accidents, such as a trip and fall. Poor housekeeping can also lead to violations of stormwater compliance.
- 3 MINUTES – It only takes a minute for an accident to impact a job site. Consider taking a minute each day to (1) think about what can be done to improve safety on a job site. Use one minute to (2) enforce safety rules, and one minute to (3) acknowledge when you see an individual or crew taking the time to work safely. That’s three minutes to positively impact the safety culture within a job site.
- SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING – Take advantage of the time during new employee orientations, formal safety meetings, or tool box talks to remind employees that they should say something if they see something. Many accidents can be avoided if someone just speaks up.
- ACTION – Do not rely on past performance, awards and accolades. Complacency can lead to unsafe conditions. Job sites present new safety challenges every day. Both management and employees need to maintain constant vigilance of their surroundings.
Teamwork
The key to effective job site safety is teamwork. It takes a team to complete a construction project and it takes a team to make sure everyone goes home the same way they arrived.
The JobSite Safety Committee regularly teams with other Associations (NAHB, CCA, NUCA, OSHA, AGC and more) to provide safety trainings and support. Mark your calendar for the Trench Safety Summit to be held at the Adams County Fairgrounds on October 3. Details and additional information regarding this event will follow as it becomes available.
You can learn more about the JobSite Safety Committee team and the partnership with OSHA by attending the monthly Committee meeting on the third Tuesday of each month at 2:00, in the lower level conference room at the HBA of Metro Denver.