Risk Management

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Whether you agree or not with the increasing ESG scrutiny on companies, your business and bottom line are in jeopardy if you are not as attentive to ESG as you are ensuring your workers and contractors are safe.

Because construction work is so core to society's well-being, safety managers need to ensure crew members remain protected from any threats that might come their way. Unfortunately, the job becomes much more difficult when crews must work at night.

Workplace violence is on the rise, yet nearly half of U.S. employers report they are unprepared to prevent and respond to incidents on the job.

The intent of a “stop work authority” (SWA) when included in a safety program is to empower employees to take action when they see a situation that is unsafe or think a worker may get injured. Though the SWA process and practice may seem as beneficial at many levels in dealing with operational risk and worker safety; there potentially may be some unforeseen barriers or challenges to its actual utilization.

OSHA violations can happen at any organization, but avoiding a costly citation happens when everyone — not just the management — plays a role in managing risk. Are you doing what's required to avoid common OSHA fines? Is your risk management program adequately protecting your workers?

Research indicates complacency results from what is known as “Confirmation Bias.” This causes a person to interpret or look for information which confirms their currently held belief. This is true of just about everyone, when they assess actions, state of mind or beliefs of other people or groups. 

To improve their safety, outcomes some organizations advocate "everyone is responsible for safety." The thinking behind this is that it will create a universal mindset in their workforce to actively engage everyone. The fundamental problem with this thinking is that it is not practical to hold a group accountable for individual behavior. 

Anger is on the rise across U.S. society. The Covid-19 pandemic is an obvious contributing factor. A 2020 global study found healthcare professionals were roughly 50 percent more likely than other community members to be harassed, bullied or hurt as a result of the pandemic.