Running Effective Safety Training in Small Construction Companies

Updated on April 10, 2021

If you own a small construction company, then you know there are a whole host of factors that go into making the company a success. It’s easy to focus on the finished product as the main indicator of success, but all the things that happen behind-the-scenes also need to be taken into account. A successful construction company is only as good as its employees, so making sure they can do their job in a skilled and safe manner should be top priority. 

In fact, it’s safety that is at the core of every successful construction company, as they understand just how important it is to value the well-being of their employees and create a safe working environment for all. But how do you ensure that safety is a top priority in your company? Effective safety training is a must, and not just during the onboarding process, but on an on-going basis.

Here we’ll take a look at some key tips on how to run effective safety training in your small construction company.

Frame It as a Casual Toolbox Talk

The first tip is related to how you frame and set up the meeting in the first place. Rather than a formal meeting that can feel stressful for employees, why not set it up as a casual “toolbox talk”? Frequent toolbox talks are perfect for discussing upcoming announcements, reminders, and tips, and provide a chance to highlight specific safety hazards. 

Toolbox talks aren’t meant to be a full-blown training session, rather they fill the gap in between more formal meetings and training. They can be held on the jobsite each morning, and be conducted by the crew foreman or supervisor. If they aren’t needed daily, then maybe a weekly toolbox talk would be perfect – for example, each Monday to kick off the work week.

Schedule Safety Training for Each New Employee

It should also become common practice for every new employee to go through formal and in-depth safety training before starting on the jobsite. This ensures that, from the moment they start working, they are following all the safety guidelines and protocols.

Schedule Refresher Safety Sessions with Workers

Sometimes the people who are taking the most risks are those who have been on the job the longest. It’s easy to get over-confident in your role, think that you’re fine and nothing will happen to you, and that cutting a corner here or there isn’t a big deal. This is exactly how on-the-job accidents and injuries happen.

Scheduling refresher safety sessions for all employees ensures you aren’t singling anyone out; everyone is treated equally and has to go through the same refresher sessions. It’s a way of keeping everyone sharp.

There’s also the fact that safety measures and protocols can change, so if that’s the case, it’s important to communicate this to your workers immediately.

Choose the Right Individual to Conduct the Training

The final tip is to make sure that the person who is conducting the safety training is the right individual for the job. This means they need to be well-versed in all safety regulations, requirements, and practices. They should also be on top of all the latest changes and protocols.

If you don’t pick someone well-versed in safety, then it’s basically the uninformed leading the uninformed. This can lead to people picking up on bad habits and practices. 

If the training is intense, or is outside of the realm of knowledge and experience of your staff, then it makes sense to bring in a professional to conduct the session.

At the end of the day safety training is something that every small construction company needs to take seriously from day one. It is what will help to ensure success for all projects.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.