Keeping your team safe at work is your most important responsibility as a manger. These three tips will help you put safe systems in place, so you be assured that your crew has what it needs for a productive, safe day on the job.
Determine Material Handling Needs Early On
Materials handling is a critical activity on every work site, so understanding what your equipment needs are is an essential first step in creating a safe work environment. Your material handling arrangements will change depending on the project, and for certain projects they may even change from day to day. That’s why it’s important to have the resources you need at your fingertips so your team never has to push past the limits of safety to get the job done. Your job may only require wheelbarrows and shovels, but if there’s a chance the situation could change, be sure to have a trusted source with heavy duty equipment and a material handling bucket at the ready.
Set Clear Expectations for Required Gear
You can’t be everywhere at once, so it’s important that your crew has the information and gear they need to stay safe and healthy. Before work begins at a new site, make sure your team understands what the required safety gear is. This is particularly important when working with new hires or when you’re bringing on extra hands for a big project. Create a culture on the site that makes it clear that taking shortcuts when it comes to personal safety is unacceptable.
Invest in Training
If your project requires special equipment, make sure your team is all sufficiently trained and experienced. When things get busy, it’s easy to rely on crew members learning on the job or to assume that they know what they’re doing with a new tool. These assumptions not only lead to sloppy results, they also create opportunities for serious accidents.
Investing in the time and effort to follow these three simple steps saves time in the long run, leads to better results and keeps everyone safe.