Reddy Kancharla on Issues in Construction Safety

 

Reddy Kancharla: Three Construction Safety Issues

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While the hazards faced in construction may be similar to those in other industries, there are unique problems that contractors and safety professionals must consider.

Implementing a safety and management system in the construction industry is a lot more challenging. These challenges include transient workforces, low bid processes, environmental conditions, multi-employer job sites, and an always-changing job site, to name a few.

Here are some more issues in construction safety and how they can be addressed, according to Reddy Kancharla.

Educate the workforce.

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For workers to work safely, they must understand the risks and hazards they face on the job site. Given the transient nature of the workforce in the industry, some workers may not always be familiar with the work and hazards involved, explains Reddy Kancharla.

That's why contractors and safety professionals must ensure that those working on a project have the proper knowledge and skill set to complete their tasks safely and efficiently. Contractors and safety professionals also need to ensure that workers know the common dangers in construction, including the OSHA "focus four" of fall hazards and how to prevent those types of hazards.

Look out for the well-being of workers.

Along with the hazards that all workers face on the job site, more dangers have emerged as serious problems in the industry. According to a 2015 U.S. Centers for Disease Control study, the excavation and construction industries had the highest suicide rate among men of all major occupational groups. In addition, a 2018 Midwest Economic Policy Institute study showed that nearly 15 percent of construction workers suffer from drug abuse.

Reddy Kancharla notes that protecting the health and safety of workers goes beyond preventing hazards on the job site. Some measures, like employee assistance programs, offer a confidential forum for workers to tackle personal issues so they can get the help they need.

Understand the project.

When undertaking any project, everyone involved must comprehensively understand the work to be done. The requirements that work must meet and who is responsible for what tasks also need to be clear, adds Reddy Kancharla. It is more important in the construction industry since some sites have contractors from several employers working side by side and dozens of workers doing various tasks for different periods.

Reddy Kancharla has been involved in many projects over the years. These include several high-rise developments in New York City, the USTA National Tennis Center, Yankee Stadium, the Giants and Jets Stadium, and Terminals 1, 4, 5, and 7 of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Airport. For related posts, visit this page.