When it comes to safety, we walk the walk and talk the talk. In short, we take the safety of our employees and job sites very seriously. That’s because one in five workplace fatalities are construction-related, according to OSHA. The top three leading causes of work-related injuries or death are due to slips, falls, and contact with objects and equipment. Falls alone account for approximately 33% of all construction deaths. Simply preventing falls could save more than 300 lives every year. That fact alone is a powerful reminder of why safety is a top priority at Quality Buildings. Being safe also has a financial impact in terms of injury and illness losses.
Safety is Serious Business
To keep our employees and job sites safe, Quality Buildings developed a Safety Committee to hold the company and our employees accountable for achieving and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment. To be effective, Quality Buildings focuses on fact-finding, not fault-finding. The goal of every incident investigation is to discover what can be done or changed to prevent an accident or a near-miss from happening again. By proactively looking for hazards, we not only save lives but also can educate our team on ways to work safer and smarter.
The Quality Buildings’ Safety Committee includes at least four members and leads every incident investigation. The Safety Committee has three main functions:
- Identify or detect hazards
- Analyze and solve safety-related problems
- Help manage workplace safety
Using the following model, the committee drills down to the cause of an incident which then identifies what steps are needed to prevent a future incident.
Safety Makes Good Cents
Despite efforts to reduce the risk of injury and illness among construction workers, the industry continues to be among the most dangerous industries in the United States. It’s also among the most expensive. According to a report by the National Institute of Health, the cost of fatal and non-fatal injuries in the construction industry is estimated at $11.5 billion or about $27,000 per case. Workers’ compensation claims for non-fatal falls account for $2.5 billion annually, according to Liberty Mutual. Add in the cost from a loss in productivity due to workers missing days and potential OSHA penalties and it’s easy to see why it doesn’t pay to ignore safety.
Quality Buildings’ Safety Steps
As part of our commitment to creating a safe and healthy environment for our employees, Quality Buildings participates in the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Safety Management System (STEP). STEP is a world-class safety management system that dramatically improves safety performance. To date, we are the proud recipient of 7 Excellence in Constructions awards from the ABC Keystone Chapter. The award recognizes our efforts to create and instill safe work environments. Read about a few of our most recent projects to earn recognition – Oakwood Hills Community in Mechanicsburg, PA, LongCrest Senior Housing Renovation in Lancaster, PA, SVN Square West in Allentown, PA, and Wilbur Chocolate in Lititz, PA.