There are many ways to cut project costs in construction. One of the major expenses for any construction company is to pay for the proper level of workers compensation insurance. This cost can become considerable due to the high degree of accidents on a work site as well as the severity of the injury in relation to other industries. Construction work is one that is specialized and when a worker is injured, there may or may not be the ability for them to return to the job with accommodations for their injury. As such, preventing injuries on a construction site and the subsequent workers compensation claims becomes a significant concern for many site managers.
One of the most effective ways to reduce injuries and the workers comp claims is to properly maintain heavy equipment, tools and to visually inspect all scaffolding and ladders (both of which account for a high percentage of construction accidents annually). These regular practices alone cannot prevent all accidents, but they can reduce the chances of those that are preventable.
Another area which needs to be monitored is that of hazardous material clean up in the event of spills. This can be harmful to the workers on the site, the site itself and even the environment if this material soaks into the soil or enters waste water runoff. Regular training of all employees on proper handling, containment, clean up and disposal of these substances allows the company to reduce the chance of injury as well as to avoid fines for environmental damage due to the spill.
It is critical that every employee have the proper training to complete their tasks, from the initial groundbreaking to the final stages of construction site cleanup so that in the event that they are required to fill in for another employee, they will be able to do so. Companies need to provide the proper training for their employees to keep the risk of injury down.
Keeping with the need for regular training, construction companies should value those employees who work to maintain a safe environment and safe working pace. In today’s world of rushing and multi-tasking, there is great pressure to work fast and long. This practice simply produces fatigued workers who are more likely to make mistakes, thus potentially causing accidents, injuries and lost revenue for the company with lost time, delays, fines and an increase in their workman’s compensation coverage.