Even if you put your safety management plan in place, do you really believe that it is going to be monitored and accompanied by actions that are going to ensure it is effective? Have you ever had the feeling that although you have a safety management plan, it’s not enough? You are likely right. It seems that many of these plans just end up as a pile of documents. This guide shows the reader how to implement an effective construction safety management plan and follow it with actions so as to ensure its effectiveness.
It cannot be emphasized enough the importance of having an effective safety management plan in place. The consequences of not having one can be heartbreaking. Every year thousands of people lose their jobs due to construction accidents in Australia alone. It is almost impossible to determine whether or not you are at risk until it is too late.
It’s time to take action.
Our guide is designed to walk through each step of developing a safety management plan and provides templates for assembling and updating your plan with each project.
Now it’s up to you. Do something!
What is a construction safety management plan?
A construction safety management plan can be a written document containing the actions and instructions for daily activities related to workplace safety. These plans help you keep track of your safety routine and ensure that everything is being done to keep your site safe. They also help verify site equipment and personnel are following safety procedures on a regular basis. An effective safety management plan can reduce injury costs, reduce hazardous materials used in construction work, and improve communication among team members when incidents occur.
Why do you need a construction safety management plan?
Creating a safety management plan for a construction site can save your team and the public money in the long run. There are mistakes that can be made on the job site and in the shop that can cause damage and loss of income, all of which add up to more injuries and even fatalities. Knowing what’s considered safe can help prevent these accidents from happening on your construction site and in the shops where you work.
A Construction Safety Management Plan is also required by WHS regulations for construction projects in Australia. It gives contractors legal responsibility for all individuals working on their site – contractors, subcontractors, employees and anyone else working under the direction of a Contractor.
When do you need a Construction safety management plan?
As a construction business owner, you will need a safety management plan for compliance and insurance purposes, but you will also need it when conducting ongoing audits to make sure safety standards are being met at all times.
How to implement a safety management plan for your construction site
Now, you’ve got your safety management plan to help you keep your site safe like a responsible, proactive and safety conscious construction company.
However, you need to translate the brilliant strategies in the document into reality. And to achieve this, you need to implement the plan.
Want to know how?
Follow the steps below:
Step 1: Be realistic with your expectations
Before you begin implementing a safety management program, you should establish an action plan and set realistic expectations for the plan’s results.
Remember that, this won’t be a walk in the park. You need to continually assess risks and identify areas of improvement within your organization to ensure that your new plan is comprehensive and effective.
It is important you and your team have this at the back of their mind – so no cutting corners or throwing in the hat half way, instead the team should be prepared to take time to do what is required and expected of them. Also, for your safety management plan to be proven effective, you must clearly define what is to be expected from each member of staff so that they have a thorough understanding of their role.
Step 2: Pick your team and secure needed resources
The process for safety management implementation for a construction project/site requires a team and resources. Decide and choose the individuals from your workforce that would be responsible for carrying out tasks required for the plan to succeed.
A quick note here: sometimes, members of your implementation team could be outsourced where it is appropriate. Whatever the case, make sure they are qualified and could handle their responsibilities.
Secondly, you would need resources. This includes tools, materials, training, and funds etc. so ensure you secure those. On the issue of resources, a very crucial component of any successful safety management plan is the WHS management system – a centralized safety management system that streamlines all your health and safety management activities allowing you to meet your WHS obligations efficiently, in record time and at a fraction of the cost.
Step 3: Communicate the construction safety management plan
Communicating the construction safety management plan is one of the key aspects of implementing a safety management plan. Share your plans with workers, subcontractors, suppliers, and clients as well as to relevant government agencies that could assess your project. It can help avoid misunderstandings or conflicts of interest since everyone is aware of what is expected of them and outlining what their health and safety responsibilities are, is vital.
In addition, by creating clear communication on how your company will manage its activities to be in compliance with industry standards and regulations, you are less likely to experience an accident due miscommunication.
Step 4: Create an implementation timeline and tasks
When creating a safety management plan, you’ll need to create an implementation timeline and assign tasks. This will keep your team on track and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Striking the right balance between risk and action is key to creating a solid safety plan. Convert all the brilliant points in your plan into a workable system that won’t get bogged down with huge piles of paperwork.
By specifying what you will need to do, how and when, your company will be one step closer to keeping everyone safe at work. You can use this free construction safety management tool for free to assign tasks, create schedules, and make it easy to stay on top of your site safety’s plan.
Step 5: Monitor and Track the process
There are lots of activities that make up a safety plan for a construction site which include record keeping, identifying hazards, policy and procedures, There are lots of activities that make up a safety plan for a construction site which include record keeping, identifying hazards, policy and procedures, site safety training classes, and follow-up to ensure that the safety management plan is working as intended. It’s important to monitor and track the progress being made. training, and follow-up to ensure that the safety management plan is working as intended, it’s important to monitor and track the progress being made. You can use an electronic system to make sure you collect the data needed to assess progress in fulfilling the requirements of your safety management plan.
Step 6: Adapt
One of the benefits of monitoring and tracking your implementation process is that it allows you to quickly discover areas where your plan is struggling or not. Where you are less than satisfied with the outcome, you need to come up with ways how you can turn the tide around – tweaks here and there could be all you need to achieve the desired result. The point here is that you shouldn’t be afraid to make changes; be flexible and willing to accommodate changes that are not in line with your initial safety management plan so long this would lead to achieving workplace safety within acceptable means.
Step 7: Communicate results and Review efforts
Communicating results and reviewing the safety management plan allows for continual improvement of the plan and is an essential part of every safety program. As part of this objective, the review process will allow you as an organization to adapt the existing plan to meet future objectives within your environment and organizational structure.
