With all the challenges remodelers face running their businesses, it’s easy to take for granted those parts of the business that seem to take care of themselves. Jobsite safety is one such issue that is commonly overlooked — especially when your field crews are experienced and trusted members of your team.
But for the 27% of this month’s respondents who reported having at least one serious injury on their jobsites, you can bet proper safety practices have become a priority for their crews.
Many of these companies instituted weekly or monthly mandatory safety meetings after an injury occurred. But the key to maintaining an injury-free workplace is taking a proactive, rather than reactive, approach.
Some companies offer bonuses, gift cards, or awards as incentives to maintain injury-free jobsites. But the most reliable method is perhaps the most simple: Identify a clear set of jobsite safety guidelines (a remarkable 35% of respondents have not established these) and review them regularly with your field crews.
What procedural change(s) has your company made as a result of the accident(s)?
“[Now we’re] working slower, thinking before doing, checking equipment before use, and cleaning up the workspace before finishing for the day.” —Bruce Jeffcoat, Hightech Handy Dandy Guy, Lewisville, Texas
“We’ve instituted regular safety meetings, established a company safety policy, and instituted annual safety awards and recognition.” —Ron Reese, REE-Construction, Bellevue, Idaho
What incentives does your company offer employees for maintaining an injury-free workplace?
“We provide a barbeque lunch to employees after 90 days of being injury-free.” —Mark Mersinger, Elm Contracting, Pine, Colo.
“When we all do our part to minimize injuries, we get a portion of our insurance premiums back. I give 100% of that money to the employees in the form of a bonus for being safe.” —Rick Hjelm, Phase II, Lakewood, Wash.
“We pay an additional $0.10 per man-hour for each monthly period without a reportable incident, and $0.25 per man-hour if a project is completed in its entirety with no reportable incidents.” —Henry Friloux, Echo Ventures, Destrehan, La.
Tool Winner:John Shuttleworth of Studio X Architects in New York, N.Y., won a Ryobi 4-piece Lithium Power Tool Kit, model P843, for participating in this month’s Reader Panel. “[The Reader Panel] is important because it facilitates communication. The more I talk with other contractors in the business, the more I’ve been able to learn,” Shuttleworth says.
Each month, survey respondents are entered into a drawing for a power tool. The Reader Panel survey is conducted for REMODELING by Specpan, a division of The Farnsworth Group.