TRUTHFULLY, physical and emotional safety is often not a priority in male-dominated fields. This is because, for some reason, it is seen as inherently feminine. While there are already safeguards put in place by the government and other regulatory bodies which aim to keep construction workers safe, it needs to be actively enforced, and you should also think about how you can build upon these policies to encompass the emotional safety of your team too. Let’s dive in.
Safeguarding Their Physical Health
Working within the construction industry does pose risks to workers. Carrying out health and safety assessments and demonstrating compliance with the necessary regulatory bodies is key, although it can be quite admin-heavy, which is tedious at times. Instead, you could choose to work with a business like SMAS, which can help you in this regard via SSIPs.
In addition to the health and safety assessments, in construction, you are also likely to need to provide and encourage your workers to don protective workwear on site. They are deeply important when it comes to ensuring that your workers are protected from harm. Providing the workwear may or may not be your legal responsibility depending on what it is, so be sure to double-check. You should also think about any other safety protocols that you have in place. Perhaps you require workers to carry out hazardous tasks together. Is everybody trained on the equipment? Has the equipment itself been tested lately? All of these will be things that you need to consider.
The Overlap
There are a few things that overlap in terms of safeguarding your workers’ physical and emotional safety. To start with, you really should implement an open-door policy to encourage workers to come to you or your management team if they have any concerns. Sometimes concerns for their safety can impact their emotional well-being when they worry that they won’t be listened to or taken seriously, or their objections will affect how the rest of the team views them.
It would also make sense to do everything you can to foster a good working environment for the team by encouraging cohesion. A team that doesn’t respect each other or work well together is likely to translate into a more lackadaisical approach to work which could mean more accidents and injuries as well as affecting the morale of the whole team and taking a toll on their emotional well-being.
Encouraging Their Emotional Well-being
This is actually pretty straightforward; a lot of men think that encouraging the emotional well-being of their workers means that they have to get all namby-pamby, but this is not the case. You can start by encouraging a better work-life balance. Obviously, within construction, you are always working to a deadline, but it is still important that you ensure that your workers have enough time to themselves away from work. Being supportive of your staff is also vital, and this relates back to making yourself seem more approachable.
To Sum Up
In a male-dominated industry like construction, it is easy to find yourself and your workers dismissing their physical and emotional safety, but it is important. Not only does it speak to the efficacy of their performance, but it also translates into how successful your business is. Your staff are going to be happier and therefore work harder.
