Implementing Occupational Health & Safety in the Construction Industry

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- Team Kiri Align
22 Jan 2021

Every job has its own set of hazards and risks, but certain industries like the construction industry are particularly dangerous and have high risks associated with daily tasks. The construction industry often requires the employees to work at dangerous altitudes, operate large and heavy machinery, carry heavy loads, and deal with reactive materials, among other demanding activities. Establishing proper health and safety measures at the workplace plays a crucial role in minimizing the number of risks and accidents on site, increasing the team’s productivity, and improving employee morale.

If you run a business in the construction industry, implementing an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) is a great way to monitor and analyze your workforce and the field for occupational health, safety, and hygiene. But before you invest in an OHS management system, it is essential to perform a construction site risk assessment to understand the primary risks and different causes of accidents. The assessment helps you assess the accidents better and understand what type of OHSMS will work best for your business.

occupational health and safety management system

Here are some of the main causes of occupational health and safety hazards that can cause accidents, injuries, or even deaths:

          ●      Falling from a height is one of the most common causes of accidents on construction sites. Lack of adequate handrails or guardrails, unsecured ladders,                     loose edge protection, etc., are often the risks associated with working at a height.

           ●      Workplace safety and health in construction sites are also compromised due to long-term exposure to toxic chemicals, dust, and debris. Prolonged                      exposure to such toxins can give rise to various respiratory diseases like asthma and lung cancer.

           ●      Working in extremely loud noise is also another frequent hazard to occupational health in construction. Being exposed to loud noise can lead to                      permanent deafness in some employees.

           ●      Electrocution due to power tools and overhead power lines and cables is also a common health and safety hazard in construction sites.

By failing to priorities occupational health and safety in construction sites, business owners can lose significant labour hours, negatively impacting the company’s productivity and profit. They can also face issues from a legal standpoint. Using a digital OHS management system will help you manage the health and safety risks at your organization in the following ways:

           ●      Improved health and safety of employees

           ●      Reduced costs related to on-site injuries and accidents

           ●      Quick incident reporting and investigations

           ●      Hassle-free safety and operational audits

           ●      Easier job safety assessments

           ●      Lower insurance costs

           ●      Improved employee morale

           ●      Reduced legal ramifications

           ●      Improved social and corporate responsibilities

When looking for an OHSMS, look for a system that is easy to understand and use, has cutting-edge technology to cater to all your needs, and will help you transform your business and make your workspace more efficient. Kiri Align is one such digital occupational health and safety management system that will help you improve workplace safety and health in construction sites. With flexible inductions for employees and business partners, dynamic training logs for all your operational training needs, a visual scorecard of various occupational health and safety hazards, real-time reporting, and more, Kiri Align can be used in the construction industry to save valuable time, efforts, and operational costs.

Published by: Kiri Align