2.1: Introduction
- Page ID
- 63097
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Construction is a high hazard industry that comprises a wide range of activities involving construction, alteration, and/or repair. Construction workers engage in many activities that may expose them to serious hazards, such as heights, unguarded machinery, heavy construction equipment, electrocutions, silica dust, and asbestos. Therefore, establishing a safety and health program at your job site is one of the most effective ways of protecting your most valuable asset: your workers. Losing workers to injury or illness, even for a short time, can cause significant disruption and cost—to you as well as the workers and their families. It can also damage workplace morale, productivity, turnover, and reputation.
Safety and health programs foster a proactive approach to “finding and fixing” job site hazards before they can cause injury or illness. Rather than reacting to an incident, management and workers collaborate to identify and solve issues before they occur. This collaboration builds trust, enhances communication, and often leads to other business improvements. Employers who have implemented safety and health programs, including many who are in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) or the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) for small and medium-sized businesses, have also found that managing safety results in higher-quality product or output and higher profits.
The “find and fix” approach to workplace hazards refers to the “Hazard Identification” and “Hazard Prevention and Control” core elements. Because of the wide variety of site conditions, these two core elements should be implemented on a site-specific basis in order to effectively detect and correct hazards. The concept of continuous improvement is central to these recommended practices. As with any journey, the first step is often the most challenging. The idea is to begin with a basic program and grow from there. By initially focusing on achieving modest goals, monitoring performance, and evaluating outcomes, you can help your company progress over time along the path to higher levels of safety and health.