Construction Safety: Importance of Updated OSHA Training

Every week, employers across the country pay out nearly $1 billion in direct worker’s compensation costs alone. That does not include the negative impact to a company’s reputation or the productivity losses that can come with a workplace accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has implemented new safety standards and helped reduce the number of workplace injuries and deaths by more than 60 percent since its inception in 1970. Because workplace accidents are so expensive, OSHA training is an important part of ensuring construction safety and keeping your business profitable.

The Cost of a Workplace Accident

A workplace accident costs an employer an average of $48,000 per incident, and that does not include the indirect costs, such as:

• Employee retraining
• Workplace disruption costs
• Productivity losses
• Repairs and maintenance

These costs total almost as much as the cost of cancer treatments. That is a big bill for businesses. OSHA training for construction workers can help reduce those expenses.

OSHA’s Purpose and Success Record

In 1913, 23,000 people died due to industrial accidents. Today, that number is approximately 4,000, even though the number of people employed in these fields has expanded dramatically. The year OSHA started working to reduce workplace accidents, there were 14,000 deaths. Several decades later, in 2009, the workforce had more than doubled and the number of deaths had declined to 4,400. OSHA’s recommendations and requirements help reduce accidents and prevent the loss of life.

Four Violations Are the Biggest Issues

When looking at workplace accidents and deaths, OSHA has discovered that four categories were responsible for 64.2 percent of construction worker deaths in 2015. Simply by implementing proper safety measures for these four categories, businesses can significantly improve worker safety. These fatal four are:

1. Falls
2. Strikes by objects
3. Electrocutions
4. Being caught in-between

Why Poor Safety Can Impact Business Reputation

With death a possible price for employment in the construction sector, workers may be reluctant to work with employers that have a reputation for on-the-job accidents. Cities like Houston, Chicago, Miami, New York and Las Vegas are hot spots for workplace deaths and may find it even more difficult to find enough skilled labor for construction projects. Ultimately, that means a business with a poor reputation among workers may wind up with less choice and less skilled labor. Of course, that can also be a recipe for more accidents, creating a downward spiral. That is where a new OSHA certification training class can help.

Importance of Updated OSHA Training

We all know OSHA compliance in construction safety is critical and to maintain that its necessary to stay up to date on your OSHA certification. When it is time to renew your OSHA safety training, it can be challenging to work around current projects and track all employees. Origin offers a customizable program that automatically collects employee data and tracks their engagement. It also instantly offers reports that show where employees might need improvement or show those interested in bettering their understanding of safety procedures. Our program helps not only to boost safety but morale as well. With Origin you can:

• Manage all learning from a single, centralized platform
• Deliver information through digital platforms for convenient and portable classrooms that can be set up at the site
• Deliver exams and certifications whenever and wherever needed

By making flexibility part of the language of learning, Origin makes it easy for you to stay up to date with changing safety recommendations and help prevent the next fatal workplace accident. Your employees and your bottom line will thank you.