Every construction project is dangerous, and there are safety hazards in every nook and corner of the site. Fatalities and injuries occur annually on these sites, and workers are electrocuted, fall from heights, rolled over, or crushed by heavy machines or scaffolding collapsing on them. Project managers have the onus of checking construction sites to ensure they are safe and workers are not injured or even killed while working on them.
Kanat Sultanbekov – An emphasis on safety on the construction site
Kanat Sultanbekov is an esteemed construction project manager from New York known for his outstanding track record when it comes to boosting the safety and quality standards of construction projects.
According to him, construction firms that have attained good safety records do not get them by chance. They have made safety a top priority in their company’s culture and have established safety programs that have assisted them in creating a zero-accident environment for work to protect their workers.
Working on the safety culture for the project
Every construction company and manager should focus on safety being the top priority for the project. The staff and team should work together to inculcate a culture of safety as one of the core principles of the company’s policy.
Every company should have a safety committee to organize training sessions for the project team members so that they are aware of the potential hazards on a construction site. Managers should note that every project is different and come with its own challenges and hindrances. This is where planning plays a key role in managing a project and taking it to completion. The above task determines the resources for the project that are needed and its work scheduling based on the duration and order that it takes to complete specific tasks.
Planning for the construction project’s safety
Project managers should note that a part of the construction project’s planning process includes site-specific safety plans. The manager should start with a site inspection and determine the potential hazards that already exist. The next step is to plan out the safety measures that should be implemented to mitigate these hazards and prevent accidents.
The above extends to both your employees and supervisors. When it comes to the safety plan, you should share it with everyone on the site and ensure to emphasize the expectation that everyone must follow this plan. Other construction workers and contractors should also be briefed about the plan so that they know the potential safety hazards and how to protect themselves.
According to Kanat Sultanbekov, a safety orientation for all of the employees should be conducted to completely review the expectations of all employees. You should also ensure that all the evacuation procedures and first aid plans are fully covered. The project team should be correctly trained on how to do tasks correctly so that they can be performed without risks to life and accidents around them.