When you start out a trades business on your own, it’s easy enough to not treat safety with the respect it deserves. After all, you are working alone, and it’s your risk, right? And if it saves you a little time for each job, it means you can move on to the next a lot quicker and earn more money.
But once you start taking on employees and contractors, it’s time to ensure that your business is up to speed with safety procedures. Otherwise, you could be left facing considerable claims in court if a worker has an accident on your watch. And the result f that could be more money than you can afford to pay, and the winding up of your trades business.
No one wants that, of course, so with this in mind we thought we would go through a few things you need to consider regarding safety for your construction or trades business. Let’s get started right away – read on to find out more!
Always have a plan
Safety has to be a central part of your business plan, and it is worth making sure you draw up a list that ticks off all the legal requirements you must follow as a construction firm. Checklists are vital and a necessary evil, for all aspects of your work. Everything from ensuring workers are wearing hard hats to holding regular training sessions in safety must be covered. Don’t forget, it’s not just you that could get injured – it’s also your workers, contractors, suppliers – and even your customers.
Assessing risk for every job
Some jobs will be riskier than others, of course. If your employees are working on roofs, for example, you must be able to perform fall arrest checks to ensure no one stumbles or slips off high buildings. And if you don’t make these assessments, if the worst does happen, the law will hold you responsible – it’s as simple as that.
Insure your company
Insurance is another necessary evil, unfortunately, and going without it is, quite frankly, stupid. Construction and building sites are incredibly dangerous places, and there is more chance of an accident occurring than anywhere else outside of a battlefield. And if an accident claim is made against you, the chances are you will not be able to afford to pay for it alone – you will need insurance coverage.
Dip into your pockets for training
As we mentioned above, training employees is vital if you want to protect your business from potential compensation claims. If you invest in proper training, it puts all the responsibility onto your staff rather than you. You also need to train workers that unsafe practices will not be tolerated. Many top construction and trades firms operate an instant dismissal policy when it comes to unsafe practice, so it’s certainly something you need to consider, too.
Maintain equipment
Finally, make sure all your gear is well looked after. Your reputation will take a turn for the worse if you force your workers to use unsafe equipment that isn’t maintained.