By Matt Hornsby

 

Health and safety is very important in all industries, but there are some types of businesses which must take extra care to make safety a priority. One of these is construction.

 

Here are SafetyShop’s top five of the most pressing reasons why construction business owners need to take health and safety seriously. In fact, some of these reasons show you what can happen if you indon’t make safety a priority within your business.

 

1. A worker or visitor could be injured

 

This is the most important reason to invest in health and safety equipment and training on

construction sites – because people could be injured or even die as a result of a construction

accident. As an employer, you have a responsibility to look after the welfare of all your

workers.

 

2. The construction industry is the most dangerous to work in

 

Last year, a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report revealed that there were 50 fatal

injuries to construction workers and 36,000 cases of work-related ill health within the

industry. Construction business owners need to develop health and safety policies and

implement measures to tackle the unique challenges faced within the industry, to try to

reduce worker injuries and deaths.

 

3. Working days are lost because of health and safety failings

 

The HSE report from 2010/11 also revealed that around 2.3 million working days were lost

as a result of workplace injury. This is costing the construction industry a lot of money, as

well as hampering progress.

 

4. Businesses can be fined, sued or banned from operating

 

If the HSE finds that unsafe working practices are being carried out on your construction

site, it can issue fines and prohibition notices and it can even prosecute. Similarly, workers

who are injured can file compensation lawsuits against you, which also hurts the business

financially.

 

5. Projects can be compromised

 

If a serious accident takes place on your site, this could halt progress on the project,

angering the client and potentially losing the business the contract.

 

Thank you, Matt, for pointing out the importance of safety on construction sites.  Businesses should provide the correct personal protective equipment for their workers, and have extra construction hardhats for visitors to wear while on site.  Pat