Workplace Safety and Economics
Today, more than ever before, safety on the job is becoming paramount. This is due largely to the fact that technology has begun to take over and many of us are operating in high-risk environments without realizing it.
We’re not talking just about the obvious dangers such as construction or manufacturing, but also desk jobs and outside of the office settings like home DIY or even our own kitchens. So it’s up to you—as a self-employed individual or CEO—to stay safe on your own time and protect your livelihood from injury in moments when work isn't happening.
This is especially the case as your business grows. As larger companies and projects begin to require more specialized safety tools, such as cameras, selfie sticks, flashing lights and new construction methods, you must be prepared to make sure your own employees are not put at risk when they are not at work.
To do this you have two options. The first is to outsource these new safety techniques to a team of trained professionals but this requires you to pay for the service on a per-project basis. This requires that your team be full time, which in turns requires you to put even more money into overhead costs because of the inherent risks of being an entrepreneur.
The second option is to hire a dedicated safety professional to do the job for you and often times these professionals are quite expensive. But there is a third option, which we will discuss below that has been successfully implemented by many small and mid-sized companies over the past three years: the Safety Chief.
The term "Safety Chief" is relatively new, yet being used in a growing number of U.S.-based companies today. They are not just overseeing safety at work, but also helping the company both financially and medically when injuries or incidents occur, both at home or in the field (i.e., construction site).
A safety chief is the middleman between your employees and outside safety contractors to ensure that you are properly protected in the field, office or wherever you are conducting business.
The best way to find someone reliable is through a recommendation from an active member of the community such as a city planner. That way you know that they will be credible and trustworthy with your employees, your equipment and your finances.
A Safety Chief can act as a liaison between your company and the local or state government, ensuring that they will be providing your business with the proper safety training certifications and qualifications.
They are also responsible for conducting regular safety meetings and seminars to ensure everyone is staying safe on the job, both in the field and at home. Just like a standard CEO, they hire other specialized contractors-- such as construction crews, crane operators or even emergency response teams-- to protect you if an accident does occur.
Safety is all about risk management. If you are at risk, you need to find a way to lower your risk so that the likelihood of injury or business interruption remains minimal. This is where a Safety Chief can help you form a two-way relationship with the government and even with insurance companies.
Many safety chiefs are able to lower your accident insurance rates by finding innovative methods of decreasing accidents such as video surveillance systems (CCTV) in an effort to decrease your chances of being held liable in matters of injury or property damage.
In fact, they may become the only entity that can effectively obtain damages from the company for any injuries sustained while on the job in an effort both to pay for lost time and medical compensation.
So why go through all of this? As we mentioned above, it’s about risk management. Many small and mid-sized businesses are responsible for more than just the bottom line, but are also responsible for the well-being and future of your company members and employees.
An experienced safety chief is an investment that protects you and your employees against the potential costs of injury or, in some cases (like construction sites), even death. If you consider this an important aspect of your business then you should strongly consider hiring a safety chief. But don’t take our word for it; consider what two other companies have to say: Walden Properties & Waring Companies.
“Whether it is a new construction project, an existing property where safety is a large concern, or even a commercial development without which a property would not pass code, the Safety Chief’s role is critical.”
-Walden Properties & Waring Companies
"If we have injuries on our site, they are our responsibility. If we have injuries off our table, we pay for it. So we need to know what kind of risk management and supervision tools our contractors have in their tool box."
-Field Safety & Construction Manager - Balfour Beatty Construction Platform , Inc., Wichita , KS .
There are many benefits associated with utilizing the services offered by Safety Chiefs. They provide the safety necessary to protect your business and employees from liability, injury, and accidents which could result in lost revenue and injury to your employees.
Ultimately they are responsible for protecting your company, staff and customers from financial loss, leaving you free to focus on the important business aspects of running a successfully-run enterprise.
Walden Properties & Waring Companies uses a safety chief in many of their large construction projects as well as training each field contractor with proper safety practices while on the job site. Having each contractor go through firsthand safety training not only protects the general contractor's reputation, but also allows for proper record keeping to be maintained which can act as an additional safeguard for your company in matters of liability.
Balfour Beatty, one of the largest construction companies in the world, employs a safety chief on their large construction projects as well as on any development site or property where safety is a large concern. Having a safety chief present at all project meetings and planning stages will allow both parties to have the necessary items discussed at these meetings rather than being brought up informally during casual conversation. This alone will lower your risk while still ensuring that proper procedures are followed throughout construction.
The safety chief is a liaison between the construction company, the property or development company, and the city/state government. This means that they are responsible for ensuring that each entity has the proper certifications and qualifications to conduct business safely on your site.
Each state has different requirements for certification for various fields; however, a good safety chief will have a firm understanding of those qualifications and will be able to keep you in compliance with current standards. By keeping you in compliance with both federal and local laws and regulations it ensures that your company avoids fines or other repercussions from those municipalities should an accident occur.
Conclusion - Safety Chiefs are not just for construction sites, unless you’re a construction company. Safety Chiefs ensure that your business stays safe on the job as well as at home in order to prevent loss of revenue and potential loss of life.
Safety Chiefs are one of the most unique positions in the industry. The safety chief is a professional who takes on the role of a mentor and can guide your company through difficult situations that would not be possible without their expertise, experience and knowledge.
An experienced safety chief will be able to provide complete solutions to most safety related issues for your company while acting as a sounding board during these critical times when questions occur or when new ideas arise.