Safety management
Construction companies use a wide range of safety practices as part of their safety management programmes, with an increasing emphasis on creating a safety culture throughout the organisation.
Some of the practices that can be employed on projects to manage safety include:
- Involving workers in the safety process, through toolbox talks, safety briefings, site inductions, offering safety incentives, and so on.
- Analysis of potential site safety hazards during the preconstruction phase.
- Adopting the principles of prevention: avoid risks where possible; evaluate those risks that cannot be avoided; put in place measures that control them at source.
- Encouraging an open-door policy for workers to report accidents, injuries, hazards and near misses.
- Conducting thorough near miss and incident investigations to ensure effective action is taken.
- Employing specific personnel assigned to manage safety.
- Designating health and safety duties to on-site staff, such as a first aider.
- Conducting regular project safety audits.
- Developing a site-specific health and safety plan.
- Site specific training programmes for workers and subcontractors.
- Proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Safety management is a very broad subject. Some of the articles on Designing Buildings Wiki that provide an introduction to the practices, principles and regulations involved include:
- As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP).
- Briefback.
- CDM.
- Construction health risks.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH).
- Emergency plan.
- Environmental health.
- Health and safety.
- Health and safety at Work etc act 1974.
- Health and safety consultant.
- Health and Safety Executive.
- Health and safety file.
- Health and safety inspector.
- Health and safety policy.
- Incident reporting system.
- Injuries on construction sites.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
- Manual handling assessment chart.
- Method statement.
- Near miss.
- Personal protective equipment.
- Pre-construction information.
- Principal contractor.
- Principal designer.
- Project risk.
- Proximity warning systems.
- Reporting accidents and injuries on construction sites.
- Risk assessment.
- Risk management.
- Risk of rats in construction.
- Safety.
- Safety as a Service.
- Safety audit.
- Safety briefing.
- Site induction.
- Site inspection.
- Site safety.
- Toolbox talk.
- What is a hazard?
- Work at height regulations.
- Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.
For a full list, see Health and Safety / CDM.
[edit] External references
Featured articles and news
ECA Industry Awards 2024 shortlist revealed
22 leading businesses from across the electrotechnical and engineering services sector.
Government unveils Skills England strategy
Skills England to transform opportunities and drive growth.
New Government Hub for York Given Planning Green Light
For up to 2,600 civil servants, due for completion by 2028.
Construction Skills Certification Scheme cards
July update on Professionally Qualified and Academically Qualified Person Cards.
BSRIA Briefing 2024, November 22
Sustainable Futures: Redefining Retrofit for Net Zero Living.
The CLC on driving competency in the retrofit sector
Previously published roadmap on skills for net zero.
The first labour government King's speech in fifteen years
Construction industry reactions, support and some concern.
CIOB Retrofit of Buildings Technical Information Sheet
What retrofit is, the approach to be taken and processes to be followed.
Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency
Historic England advice note 18, free download published.
10 retrofit projects revisited 10 years after completion.
Information orders, building liability orders and SPVs
Key BSA terms and how they impact special purpose vehicles.
Listed despite problems with its design.
Zen and the art of cycling exploration.
Design Council Homes Taskforce launched
To support government 1.5 million homes target within UK climate commitments.