A number of years ago Hascall & Hall formed a safety committee encompassing individuals in management and other members of our team, which we fondly refer to as the “troops;” those guys in the field doing the hard work day in and day out.
It’s obvious that a Safety Committee is all about workplace safety, and ours is no different than most others in that regard. While we address all areas of safety related to our work as a masonry restoration and specialty flooring contractor, each year members of our safety committee choose a particular safety topic on which to focus. This year the committee chose to focus on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with a special emphasis on Fall Protection and prevention.
Masonry restoration can be dangerous by the very nature of the work, from the tools we use, to the scaffolds and aerial lifts we work from, to the dust and debris generated from grinding out and replacing mortar joints. The flooring work we do has its own safety issues, not the least of which is the equipment used to polish concrete floors and the chemicals we use to install epoxy and other types of resinous flooring.
While we place a great deal of importance on personal protective equipment such as hard hats, safety glasses, work boots, etc., fall hazards are the most dangerous of all hazards faced in the construction industry; therefore, focusing on fall protection is an absolute must.
The fatality rate for construction workers is extremely high according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In 2012 there were 290 fatalities from falls and although disturbing, most injuries from falls are not fatal. While that may be good news, even non-fatal falls can impact the health of an injured worker for the rest of their life.
And from the employer’s prospective, the increased costs of worker’s compensation insurance, and more importantly, the loss of the injured worker, can place a significant burden on the company.
As an employer, it is our responsibility to provide our employees with all the tools and training they need to work safe. Keeping our employees ever mindful and aware of the inherent safety issues at their jobsites is one way we can increase the odds that no one gets hurt. But most important to Hascall & Hall is that every single one of our team members goes home at the end of every single workday safe and healthy.