Reduce Risks on Construction Sites: A Risk Assessment Guide

Construction is an inherently dangerous business. Between heavy equipment, work heights, falling objects, hazardous material, complex logistics, and severe storms, taking every precaution is necessary to mitigate the risk of someone getting hurt. 

Not only must construction managers and insurance companies worry about accidents on the jobsite, but they also need to remain compliant with federal and local regulations. The costs of non-compliance range from legal liabilities and fines to potential jail time, should an accident result in death. 

Responding to these events after the fact isn’t good enough. A risk assessment for construction site plans is necessary to prevent accidents, remain compliant with safety regulations, and mitigate hazards.

In today’s article, we discuss construction site risk assessments and how they involve systematically identifying hazards. We’ll talk about implementing control measures to protect workers, site visitors, and the public. Discover how effective construction risk assessment reduces costly delays, helps avoid legal complications, and enhances overall project success. 

What is a Risk Assessment for Construction Sites? 

A construction site risk assessment is the process of identifying, evaluating, and mitigating potential hazards. It’s a systematic approach to analyze and prioritize potential risk factors while implementing controls to reduce or eliminate those project risks. 

Construction risk assessments aim to hone in on the hazards that arise on the typical construction site, such as heavy machinery, electrical risks, height risks, and dangerous tools and materials. Site managers can engage in a risk assessment using four strategies: 

1. Identification of hazards: Identifying specific hazards that range from physical to environmental risks and everything in between is essential. Noting potential risks raises awareness among management, contractors, and subcontractors. 
2. Assign a risk level: Various hazards present different levels of risk. Rate and prioritize the risks with the most significant cause for concern. 
3. Implement safety measures: Effective risk assessments lead to control measures, such as hard hats, signage, site adjustments, and training, to prevent incidents. 
4. Re-evaluate risks: Risk assessment is an ongoing operation that requires constant attention and modification. New and improved ways of doing things and mitigating risks are constantly emerging, meaning there is always room for improvement in terms of safety and efficiency. 

Why Risk Assessment Is Essential in Construction

Mitigating risk through assessments isn’t busy work. Risk assessments aren’t for show, either. Instead, they perform vital roles on the jobsite, from preventing accidents to avoiding project delays and cost overruns. Here are a few other reasons they’re a must-have on your site: 

• Protecting Workers and the Public: Proper procedures, appropriate PPE, and signage prevent injury or death of workers and public bystanders.
• Preventing Financial Losses: Preventing accidents means less medical costs, legal fees, and project delays. Reducing financial risks means more bottom-line profit for owners and stakeholders.  
• Ensuring Compliance with Regulations: Regulatory bodies, such as OSHA, the EPA, and the Department of Labor (DoL), set standards for the jobsite. These regulators require documented risk assessments to meet legal obligations and remain compliant. 
• Supporting Long-Term Project Success: Proactive risk assessment fosters smoother project execution, supports adherence to best practices, minimizes disruptions, and promotes a safety-oriented workplace culture. 

Following sound risk assessment practices sets the tone for how you prioritize safety on the jobsite. Lower risks also improve brand reputation, giving confidence to workers, financiers, and insurance providers. 

Conducting a Construction Site Risk Assessment

With an understanding of the benefits a construction site risk assessment provides and the basic components of one, let’s look at how those components come together to produce a construction risk assessment that is compliant and makes sense for your site: 

• Identify Hazards: Conduct site walkthroughs and inspections to pinpoint the various risks associated with your on-site equipment, materials, work heights, electricity, and environmental factors. 
• Evaluate Risks: Assess the likelihood and impact of each risk factor. Use tools like construction cameras to observe and document areas prone to risk in real time. 
• Implement Control Measures: Introduce standard safety measures, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), signage, fencing, safety barriers, MSDS sheets, and ongoing surveillance to reduce risks.
• Document the Risk Assessment: Keep a written record of identified risks, their severity/priority level, and the measures implemented to mitigate their potential impact.
• Review and Update Regularly: Schedule routine reviews and updates, especially for changing conditions, new equipment arrivals, and project phase shifts. 

Part of mitigating risk will be implementing worker training and revising standard operating procedures (SOPs) to meet your safety risk mitigation needs. Get your teams involved by delegating important safety tasks to team leaders and encouraging everyone to stay aware. 

Tools and Resources for Effective Risk Assessment

Construction risk assessment doesn’t have to be a manual process, and many construction technologies are evolving to the point of complete automation. While nothing replaces the quality of a human, there are plenty of resources available to make the job a little easier, such as: 

• Construction Cameras and Surveillance: Real-time construction cameras enable an eyes-on approach, even when you can’t physically be on the site. These cameras help you catch unsafe practices and maintain compliance while doubling as a project progress monitor. You can even save recordings for documentation.
• Safety Checklists and Templates: Efficiency comes from repeated processes guided by detailed checklists. Checklists ensure that teams review all safety procedures while reducing the chance of overlooking potential hazards. 
• Training Programs and Workshops: Regular training sessions and refresher courses provide the knowledge workers and managers need to be aware of hazards and how to mitigate potential risks. 
• Project Management Software: Construction project management software deploys digital tools to streamline task tracking, risk documentation, team communication, and certification management. These tools organize and unify teams, making critical project data available at the push of a button.

Consider deploying several of these tools in conjunction with each other to create a comprehensive construction risk assessment procedure. 

Best Practices for Maintaining a Safe Construction Site

Tools and working knowledge will get you far, but a few best practices maintain site safety and compliance. Consider working these strategies into your risk assessment plan to further boost effectiveness and efficiency: 

• Conduct Regular Safety Audits: Regular audits verify that safety protocols are consistently followed. Conducting audits with the help of third-party providers keeps you at the top of your game and identifies new or unaddressed risks you might have missed. 
• Encourage Open Communication: Foster a culture where workers feel comfortable reporting hazards. Insitute an open-door policy and address potential issues immediately to facilitate faster resolution and trust within your teams. 
• Leverage Continuous Monitoring Tools: Leverage ongoing surveillance, such as construction cameras, for real-time safety, constant oversight, and immediate feedback on safety protocol adherence. 
• Stay Informed on Regulatory Updates: Keep up-to-date on safety regulations and incorporate changes to your construction risk assessments. Subscribe to the TrueLook blog for construction industry insights and advice on keeping your sites secure. 

The more of these best practices you can implement, the easier it will be to assess the risks of your jobsites. Regardless of construction project details, location, or phase, a risk assessment plan ensures you’re adhering to requirements and adjusting where necessary.

Commit to Safer Jobsites with TrueLook

Conducting comprehensive risk assessments is essential to maintaining safe and compliant construction sites, especially when managing more than one. Each risk assessment should foster elementary components like identifying, rating, and reducing construction risks inherent in the machinery, the materials, and the overall nature of the job. 

Construction risk assessment is an ongoing process that benefits from technology, such as construction cameras, to enhance documentation and project visibility. To build the safest construction site possible, leverage industry best practices, use advanced tools, and stay informed. 

Ready to install cameras to record and document security risks on your jobsites? Connect with TrueLook today and start designing your ideal live-viewing system.