May 8, 2018

The value of safety leadership in construction

Eliminating the phrase “accidents happen” from your vocabulary and saying instead, “accidents are preventable.”

Taking a moment out of a hectic day to ensure the worker on the lift has proper fall protection.

Asking everyone you talk with to repeat your instructions in their own words.

Safety leadership encompasses all of these things and more. It happens when you empower and set the right example for your workers and, in doing so, encourage them to meet your organizational safety goals.

In construction, every moment counts. You have deadlines, and you are subject to the whims of the weather. Everyone on your construction site is busy. So why should you and your managers take the time to demonstrate safety leadership?

Because these small actions pay off in a big way.

Safety leadership begets safety culture, which is the attitude your employees show toward safety, i.e., “we want to do the right thing around here.” The cornerstones of a good safety program are:

Strong safety culture infographic
  1. Management leadership.
  2. Employee involvement.
  3. Hazard analysis.
  4. Safety training.

The approach from the top determines how safety issues are handled, and so it follows that great safety leadership will lead to great safety culture. This leadership includes treating workers with respect, listening to their input and prioritizing your employees’ welfare over financial concerns.

When you have a strong safety culture, you can enjoy so many benefits. Your site has fewer accidents. Employees become more invested in their jobs. Morale rises. Your workplace becomes more productive. Injuries and illnesses decline, leading to lower insurance premiums.

Soon you realize you can’t afford not to have strong safety leadership.

Looking for ways to improve the safety leadership in your organization? Here are a few resources you can check out:

Questions? Contact us at safetyoncall@pinnacol.com.