If you have not already heard, construction professionals from New York City to Los Angeles are celebrating Construction Safety Week. Beginning in 2014, this tradition reminds us to be steady and mindful in an industry that is fluctuating and impatient. We take pride in building the world’s greatest buildings on solid foundations. Shouldn’t the world’s greatest industry be built on one, too? Our craft workers deserve to work in the best conditions possible that exceed regulatory standards. Surprising to many project managers, these implementations turn out to be great for their bottom line, as well. If a team member who’s not so up-to-speed needs some convincing on safety protocol, maybe a few of our Construction Safety Week tidbits can help:

 

1. There’s No “I” in Team, but there should be if “I” stands for “investment,” that is. Investing in your team is critical to acquiring and retaining the best talent for your project. Great craftworkers, foremen, and project managers know that they are in high demand. Thus, they expect to be working in environments in which they can focus on building without constantly worrying about personal safety. A 2016 SmartMarket Report by Dodge Analytics found that increased safety measures led to a 5% increase in project quality and a whopping 20% increase in staff retention. It was also 10% easier to contract new work. Considering the resources that go into this, not to mention the time saved onboarding each replacement worker, safety is an investment in your team’s (and timeline’s) stability.
2. Impending Regulations – Regulations surrounding new equipment, hours, and hazard checks come from government and union agencies. These put pressure on project managers to step up or face a potentially bankrupting pause from ramifications. If your team is abuzz over finding a new safety loophole that will allow them to go full steam ahead, chances are that the government and unions have found it, too, and are ready to enact the necessary legislation that will close it. Considering the effect that changing tariff rates alone can have on a project, building with high standards keeps you better safe than sorry (in more ways than one).
3. It’s the Future – Embracing safety practices opens a whole new door to embracing great technical solutions that can improve your safety standards, project quality, and bottom line. Consider drones, for instance, which can be used to both consistently monitor craft worker safety and create progress models for the team back at the office. Rhumbix strives to be the best partner in navigating new tech and workplace safety. Our solutions include painless headcounts, timekeeping, and photo updates straight from a mobile device. Good safety and business practices, indeed.