The construction industry is known for its potential hazards and risks, and unfortunately, incidents sometimes occur. Having an incident on-site can be alarming, but your response is crucial in reducing its impact and making sure the team is safer in the future.
Remember, if you’re a HazardCo member we will support you throughout this process, just give us a call.
Incidents can range from very minor, to serious incidents. The steps below can be scaled up or down depending on the seriousness of the incident. If you have a near miss on-site, this is also considered an incident. Learn more about reporting near misses.
The health and safety of the people involved in the incident should be the main concern. Immediately assess the situation to identify any ongoing dangers and take appropriate action to eliminate or minimise risks. Evacuate affected areas if necessary and provide medical assistance to injured personnel. Remember, health and safety should always come before anything else.
Once the immediate safety concerns are addressed, you may need to secure the scene to prevent further incidents or unauthorised access. Erect physical barriers, post warning signs and restrict entry if needed.
Maintaining clear and effective communication during and after an incident is really important.
Notify all the relevant people about the incident as soon as possible. This includes workers, supervisors, managers and contractors.
Using the Report Incident feature on your HazardCo App, fill out the fields to capture what happened. Your reported incident will be added to your incident register in the Hub, and HazardCo retains this for as long as you’re a member.
It’s important to note that some incidents are required to be notified to WorkSafe. These are referred to as notifiable incidents. A notifiable incident is:
In the event of a notifiable incident, you need to preserve the incident site until a WorkSafe inspector arrives or WorkSafe directs you otherwise. This doesn’t prevent you from helping an injured person or making the site safe.
For more information on what to do when it comes to notifiable incidents, head over to the WorkSafe website.
Investigating will help to find out exactly what happened and why. We recommend talking to the people involved as well as any witnesses. For a serious incident, it’s best to speak to everyone individually.
Document all your findings in a report, including photos and relevant data. In the report, you should look at immediate causes as well as bigger issues and potential improvements to prevent future incidents. HazardCo members can use the guided Investigation Report in the Hub to identify any shortcomings or gaps that may have contributed to the incident and implement corrective actions. This may involve improving training programs, modifying procedures, upgrading equipment, or implementing new safety technologies.
Pass on what you have learned to everyone involved. This is your opportunity to emphasise a culture of continuous improvement and learning to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Encourage open communication and create a supportive environment that encourages workers to report near misses and potential hazards without fear of repercussions.
When an incident occurs on a construction site, a swift and effective response is crucial to reduce risks and ensure the health and safety of your crew. Prioritising safety, establishing clear communication channels, securing the scene, communicating and investigating the incident can continuously improve the health and safety of everyone on-site. At the end of the day, these measures protect lives, as well as contribute to the long-term success of the project and your business.
While many industries seem to have recovered post-pandemic, the construction sector is still battling tough conditions.
It’s important to keep on top of your business processes to reduce headaches later down the track. Whether it’s your invoicing, your insurance, or your health and safety, neglecting these things can really hurt later on. Some businesses are choosing to take this time to invest in their current systems and processes, to help them to build a more resilient business that can respond to the market.
If your business has scaled back a bit, such as cutting back on help, switching to smaller renovation projects, or you plan to really tighten the belt on the budget for a while, we’re here to remind you to prioritise your H&S. As long as you or your team are on the tools, you need to manage health and safety effectively. This means:
The HazardCo system helps you to manage your health and safety in the simplest way possible, so you’ll feel confident you are keeping your team and your business safe. The system is designed especially for home builders, and comes with all the reports and templates you need, loaded up with advice provided by experts
Key benefits include:
Health and safety should never take a back seat. It’s still as crucial as it’s ever been and HazardCo’s here to keep you out of strife.
Get a free 7-day trial of the HazardCo health and safety system.
Nail guns are used frequently on construction jobs, including in residential construction. Like all power tools, nail guns can cause serious injury. Nail gun injuries can happen due to accidental discharges whilst moving, carrying, and repositioning. Injury can also happen when fired nails strike other nails or timber knots causing them to ricochet. Incidents also occur when workers accidentally place themselves into positions where they are directly exposed to the projectile path of a nail gun.
The risk of a nail gun injury is greatly increased when using a contact trigger (bump fire or multishot) compared to using a full sequential trigger (single-shot). Most injuries occur when the nail gun is set to ‘bump fire’ mode, resulting in penetrating wounds to the operator or nearby workers.
It’s important you review the type of nail gun trigger system and the extent of information, instruction and training given to workers, particularly inexperienced and young workers.
There are a number of ways to reduce the risk of injuries. We have put together a few suggestions below and we encourage you to consult with your workers about how you can work together to ensure safe nail gun use on-site:
Note: Bump-fire nail guns potentially may be used to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries (e.g. strains and sprains) for jobs that involve high volume production and repetitive tasks. In these circumstances, ensure only highly experienced and skilled workers use these types of nail guns and implement other additional control measures to reduce the risk of injury.
If you have any questions please reach out to the HazardCo Team
If you perform an activity that is carried out in isolation from other workers without close or direct supervision there is a high chance you or your team will be considered lone workers. While working alongside your team may not be an option, looking out for your staff should be a top priority.
If this sounds like your workforce, then you need to consider the following:
Naturally, lone workers need to be more aware of risks or threats to the safety of themselves or the equipment/material they are working with.
Working on your own can be lonely. With no co-workers or customers to interact with or bounce off, people can become isolated.
Make sure you arrange regular catch-ups to check-in with your team. This could be a simple phone call once a day, group messages or video calls. Don’t underestimate the power of human interaction in these times.
Remote or lone workers require the exact same level of training, development opportunities or important information, as other employees.
In times like this, keep the lines of communication open with everyone. Just because they aren’t next to you on-site, doesn’t mean they should be less informed.
Set your team up for success. Ensure all lone workers have the technology and equipment they need to carry out their jobs as usual.
Employee safety should be your highest priority. Whether they’re working on-site or in an office or remotely, all risks should be considered and managed accordingly.
Protect your team by ensuring they have access to the following:
Whether you have multiple staff working remotely or only a handful, set up a buddy system. It may sound basic, but this is a simple and easy way to not only increase the safety of your team but increase the lines of communication and engagement.
Have team members check in with each other on a daily basis, share their location, daily workload, and encourage a bit of banter. By doing this, you raise the likelihood that if something does go wrong, it is picked up in a reasonable time.
Use the Emergency Plan template in your HazardCo Hub to design a plan for how you can get help quickly to your workers in an emergency. Make sure that this plan is tested and all workers who need to know have been informed of the plan. The idea of having the plan is to cover how (or where) you can get help to your workers should an incident occur. As an employer ensure that you hold up-to-date emergency contact details for your workers.
The biggest tip we can give you is to look out for your team as if they were still with you on-site, or in the office.
As a plumber, you know your business runs better when you’ve got a good process to manage your jobs. But keeping your job management in top form can be a hard task when you’re on the tools everyday.
Time is money, so the less time you spend making calls to confirm service details or buying materials, the more billable hours you have to complete work. To run your business in a more efficient and profitable way you need to be making the most of your time, instead of getting bogged down by admin.
If your team is using paper quotes or sending ad hoc emails, you’ll be wasting precious time every week trying to find this information when you need it. An app-based job management solution stores all of the information you need in one place so you can find all the details you need, when you need them.
Do you find you’re frequently making calls to your team to stay on top of what they’re working on and what jobs have been completed? On the flip side, do you find your team calling throughout the day wondering where they should be and when?
Remove the need for these calls with a job management app that shares all job information automatically between you and your team members. Simply log on and you’ll see exactly where your team is, what jobs have been completed, and any other info that you need for the day. All in one convenient place.
A top-tier job management solution cuts down on double data entry and saves you time transferring data between quotes, accounting systems, timesheets, and payroll. By housing all of your information in one central location, all of your data populates where it needs to be so you can say goodbye to unnecessary manual data entry.
From staying current on all projects to collecting invoices, keeping on top of your customer data is a huge part of your business. A job management solution does more than just keep your contact list in order, it also connects all the information you need to run your business such as current quotes or invoices and past jobs. That way, you can keep your customer history in order, as well as being able to easily check in on outstanding items.
The time you save when you partner with a leading job management system will not only benefit your efficiency but also increase your bottom line. Ultimately, it helps you direct your time and energy to where it’s needed most. Luckily for you, we have just the guys in mind.
FieldPulse is a job management tool with a bucketload of slick features. They give plumbers the tools they need for customer management, quoting, scheduling, and invoicing. You’ll even be able to search the entire Reece product catalogue with live pricing information and submit purchase orders directly to Reece without having to leave FieldPulse.
With FieldPulse’s system, you can save yourself 10+ hours of admin a week. Plus, FieldPulse members have seen a 60 percent increase in customer enquiries converting into paying customers resulting in an average of five new jobs being scheduled each week. Sounds good? Yeah, we thought so.
As a HazardCo member, you’ll receive 20% off a month-to-month Fieldpulse membership. Sign up for a yearly membership and receive 25% off!
Get on top of your health and safety with HazardCo and keep track of job management in FieldPulse. It’s a win-win!
Get a free trial of Fieldpulse.
As part of our ongoing partnership with Buildxact, we’ve recently built a connection between our two systems to help residential building companies and renovators further simplify their business processes.
Buildxact is a Software-as-a-Service company specialising in residential construction management systems. Buildxact is headquartered in Melbourne Australia and is used extensively throughout Australia and New Zealand.
We share a common goal of wanting to simplify home construction by offering easy-to-use digital tools. We are excited to bring together two leading systems and help our members work more efficiently. Our shared vision is to empower builders by helping them to transition to digital systems and reduce their paperwork burden.
There has been strong market demand to build a connection between HazardCo and Buildxact. The first version of this connection automatically uploads important health and safety documents created using the HazardCo system directly to Buildxact. By storing project documents, such as estimates, quote letters, invoices, alongside safety documents like SWMS or safety induction notes in one easily accessible location, builders can save time. We are continuing to work with our members to get their feedback on these tools and discover what other functionality would be valuable.
The integration between HazardCo and Buildxact comes at no additional cost to builders who are already using both systems.
An estimate being created using BuildXact:
At HazardCo, the safety and well-being of every person on the job site is our top priority. By connecting our leading health and safety system with Buildxact’s residential construction management system, we are providing builders with an integrated solution that enables them to complete their projects efficiently while ensuring a safe working environment.
Learn more about Buildxact and the integration here
Angle grinders are versatile hand-held tools that are used regularly in the residential construction industry.
Serious incidents can occur when using grinders on-site. The most common causes of injury to operators and nearby workers from angle grinders are:
Here are some control measures to consider when it comes to managing the risks associated with grinders:
Before using an angle grinder, check that:
Follow these suggested safe practices when an angle grinder is in use:
If you’ve got a question about safe grinder use or any other health and safety matter, the HazardCo Advisory Team is here to help. Give them a call on 0800 555 339.
The Health and Safety at Work (Health and Safety Representatives and Committees) Amendment Bill has recently been passed. These changes increase workers’ access to health and safety representatives, and health and safety committees.
Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) are a well-established example of worker participation and can also support worker engagement. HSRs provide workers with a formal, visible way to have a say in work health and safety.
The Act does not make H&S representatives or committees mandatory for businesses. But it is a requirement to have worker participation practices so workers are engaged with health and safety. Businesses will only be required to initiate an election for representatives or establish a committee when they are requested by workers.
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA), a business must support its workers in their role as Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs).
Our H&S Training partners BeSafe and Safety n Action have H&S Representative courses available to help you navigate these requirements. As a HazardCo member, you get access to a 10% discount on all courses.
It could be a good time to run a toolbox talk with your workers and ask if they want to be a HSR or start a committee. Give us a call on 0800 555 339 if you have any questions about HSRs or Committees.
Musculoskeletal disorders account for 27% of work-related ill-health in NZ
The musculoskeletal system is made up of the bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage of the human body. Maintaining good musculoskeletal health through prevention and early treatment can make for a long healthy career if you work in the construction industry.
Common injuries for construction workers can range from sprains, strains, and contusions (bruising) which can be caused by heavy lifting, repetitive movement, poor body posture, forcefulness or muscle effort, or the vibrations from continuous use of hand tools. Symptoms of a workplace injury can range from any kind of pain and discomfort located in and around the neck, shoulders, wrists, back, and knees.
When should I seek help if I suspect an injury?
As soon as you detect any pain or discomfort, inform your employer. It may mean adjusting your work for the day so as not to worsen the pain. You can seek medical treatment from a Habit Health physiotherapist if the pain or discomfort is preventing you from working or if you have any concerns. These health experts specialise in a range of areas and can tend to your unique needs before your injury gets worse.
How can physiotherapy help?
Provide support to get back on the tools quicker after injury. They can also assist with creating a return to work process, so employers know if and when workers will return to work. Including working with you to understand what work can be done, whilst you return to full mobility.
Musculoskeletal physiotherapy aims to help the patient recover from their condition more quickly through regular treatment sessions and to develop coping strategies to aid the patient during the recovery process and prevent secondary problems from occurring. This is achieved by manual therapy, education, exercise rehabilitation, and finding alternative ways to accomplish your goals and live your best life. The ultimate goal of your unique treatment plan is to bring your body function back to optimal so you can continue carrying out duties on-site and the activities you love in your personal time.
What can I do to prevent injury?
Prevention and early intervention are key to maintaining a healthy musculoskeletal system so you can carry out your day-to-day duties on-site as well as personal activities you love to do in your own time. Ensure you keep fit and healthy; regular exercise, a good diet, and sleep can assist in keeping your body ready to take on work and recover faster.
Try these simple exercises to help you warm up before you start your shift and continue throughout the day.
Habit Health’s Early Intervention Physiotherapy program
The RESOLVE Early Intervention Physiotherapy Program provides proactive support for your team, helping them get on top of pain, discomfort, or minor injuries quickly.
The program enables your employees to access a physiotherapist quickly to treat musculoskeletal issues. Early intervention can improve your employee’s health and well-being and help them to return to full fitness sooner. It can also reduce workplace costs resulting from pain, discomfort, or injury, and related absenteeism.
Inductions are mandatory on all construction sites and are essential for both yours and your team’s safety. We want to make sure you get home safe at the end of the day, so prioritising your H&S is a must.
A site induction is necessary to inform workers of the dangers and risks associated with their work at the start of each project. No two projects are alike, and each has its own set of teams, tasks, work types, environments, risks, activities, and layout.
It’s important for everyone on-site to have a clear understanding of the risks involved. Site inductions are designed to protect people, so it’s crucial we all do them.
At times, a supervisor may not be available on-site to perform an induction. That’s why we’ve made it easy for everyone to conduct an induction on-site. The HazardCo app allows you to complete a site induction easily and digitally, and it be accessible to your entire team.
Our site induction process includes a QR code that can be scanned on-site, acknowledging and reading the site-specific safety plan. With all the necessary information in one place, workers will know what the site/task-specific arrangements and regulations are.
Conducting site inductions properly can save time, stress, and lives. Get in touch with the HazardCo Team to see how we can help you.
If you’re a HazardCo member, click here to find out more on scanning on-site and completing an induction.
If you’re not, click here for a 7-day free trial.
