Safety is always the best policy for any construction company, no matter which way you look at the issue. Many companies think cutting corners will save the company time and money—there’s the old joke where two construction workers are looking over a completed project, and the first asks the second, “How’d you get done so fast?” and the second replies “So many OSHA violations”—which illustrates this concept perfectly. Companies think skipping safety procedures, rules, and PPE will save time and money, when in actuality the opposite is true. The National Safety Council tracks statistics related to worksite accidents; they shared that worker injury costs totaled $167 billion in 2021 alone; this total includes wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, administrative expenses, employers’ uninsured costs, and more. When an accident does occur, the employer will be paying, not saving.

Additionally, the cost is incalculable when it comes to employee loyalty. Few employees want to work for an employer who cares more about their project schedules and bottom lines than an employee’s physical well-being. Tucker Paving has been in the paving industry for nearly 30 years, and we can tell you that companies that don’t value employees can’t seem to keep quality employees for very long.

For companies who want a loyal workforce and a bottom line not eaten up with worker injury costs, creating a company-wide safety culture is the only option.

Creating a Safety Culture

Actively managing your company’s safety culture minimizes the chance of job site accidents, benefiting both employees and employers. Companies can foster a company safety culture using these options:

  1. Create Incentives. Creating incentives for employees to meet safety goals, get safety certifications, and engage in safety training goes a long way to achieving employee buy-in.
  2. Manage Accountability. Have clear rules and expectations when it comes to safety and dole out clearly defined repercussions for breaking those rules. Also, give employees a safe way to speak up about safety violations.
  3. Conduct Random Inspections. Check up on what’s going on at jobsites in a random manner. Employees will keep up with safety protocols as they never know when inspections will occur.
  4. Really Lean Into Employee Health and Wellbeing. In addition to sharing the benefits of safety with employees, make sure your company looks beyond hazard controls; focus also on preventing issues like heat stroke and soft tissue damage injuries. Ensure the health coverage you offer employees is robust and affordable, and that mental health is covered.

Safety is always our leading concern at Tucker Paving. We have nearly 30 years of experience in the asphalt and concrete paving industry. We complete projects for residential, commercial, and municipal clients. Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or fill out our contact form online, and let us help you with your next project.