Construction workplace accidents happen. Jobsites can be hazardous, filled with fall, trip and machinery hazards. And those hazards can lead to worker injury and, too often, deaths. According to OSHA, 4,764 workers died on the job in 2020 and nearly half of those were in construction, transportation and material moving and extraction occupations. What’s worse, many of those deaths could have been avoided by .
adhering to OSHA workplace guidelines, and failing to do so can not only cause harm to your workers, but financial penalties
In December 2023, the US Department of Labor (DOL) cited a Massachusetts concrete contractor for crushing, fall and energy hazard violations after an employee died on the job. The contractor instructed an employee to remove a soil screen on a conveyor, and the employee was crushed between the conveyor and its frame. In its citation, DOL states the company failed to ensure the conveyor’s power source was disabled to prevent its unintended startup as the employee performed maintenance. OSHA cited the company for six violations and the DOL penalized it for more than $200,000. But, of course, none of this can bring back a worker who should have gone home safe from a jobsite that day.
Top OSHA Violations
Every year OHSA lists its top 10 most frequently cited standards to alert employers about where they should be looking for hazards at their own jobsites, before OSHA shows up. From Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022, the top 10 areas where citations occurred were:
- Fall Protection (Construction)
- Hazard Communication (General Industry)
- Ladders (Construction)
- Respiratory Protection (General Industry)
- Scaffolding (Construction)
- Control of Hazardous Energy (General Industry)
- Powered Industrial Trucks (General Industry)
- Fall Protection Training (Construction)
- Eye and Face Protection (Construction)
- Machinery and Machine Guarding (General Industry)
Understanding where safety violations most commonly occur is only one part of the process, training employees to identify at-risk behaviors is another.
Make Safety Part of Your Company Culture
When safety is ingrained in your company’s daily activities, it’s easier to get workers to accept and adopt to safety standards. For example, starting each day with a Toolbox Talk can set the stage for a safe working day. A toolbox talk is an informal group discussion that focuses on a specific safety issue. As opposed to a project safety kick-off meeting or pre-construction meeting, a toolbox talk isn’t a formal meeting with a broad agenda. More for safety maintenance and specifics rather than a high-level overview, toolbox talks can be held monthly, weekly or even daily. The name “toolbox talk” refers to the idea of a crew gathering around a toolbox for a casual conversation, akin to an office water cooler talk. But technology can help as well, such as the field-based safety platform offered by SkillSignal.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), employers can use environment, health and safety software and mobile applications to enhance their safety operations to prevent serious injuries and fatalities on the job. The NSC published a white paper on the topic which looked at the benefits of EHS software in the categories of risk management and hazard identification, permit management, incident management and safety auditing.
But HR software can have a a huge impact towards the goal of achieving an accident-free workplace as well, like with safety training. A learning management system or LMS helps construction safety by offering a way to deliver accessible and engaging training and it gives construction companies needed flexibility when it comes to workplace safety training. An LMS is used to both house and deliver training, and it can work on a computer, kiosk or mobile device – so workers can train while on the jobsite if need be. Employees can complete the required training and update certifications from their mobile devices or computers 24/7, and the LMS records completion and any certifications. For OSHA safety requirements, construction companies can pair their LMS with approved training developed by industry experts, such as ClickSafety. These courses are already OSHA-approved and are automatically updated. Plus, they are available in multiple languages to ensure workers receive the most impactful training.
Arcoro’s LMS offers the added benefit of integration with SkillSignal, an all-in-one safety and compliance construction technology platform. Together, SkillSignal’s safety and compliance platform and Arcoro’s LMS provides a comprehensive training and tracking solution that keeps workers and jobsites safe.
The partnership between Arcoro and SkillSignal provides:
- An integrated platform that manages all aspects of a construction safety program from an easy-to-use app
- Access to certification management, safety videos, orientations and more
- Managers, safety teams and office staff have instant access to all safety data for reporting and recordkeeping
- The integration with Arcoro’s LMS means real-time access to completed trainings and other documentation
Arcoro’s LMS with SkillSignal integration can help employers make safety an integral part of their company culture while keeping jobsites safe in 2024 and beyond.
Contact us to schedule a free demo.
