Folks setting up commercial construction safety programs may wonder how they should set priorities. A lot goes on at a construction site, and even under ideal conditions, it's hard to characterize much of it as 100% safe. Still, you can implement commercial construction safety training by using the following 5 tips.

Regulations

The simplest place to start is to look at your industry's regulations. OSHA, your state's safety agencies, and even local governments will publish guidelines and data regarding safety. Develop a list of the types of events that might occur on your typical worksite. Meet with a professional who is familiar with these regulations and how to implement them through commercial construction safety training programs. Show them your list and ask them what they'd highlight. You can then begin building a program that will keep you on the straight-and-narrow with regulators.

Workers

Sometimes the simplest way to address a problem is to go straight to the people who deal with it every day. Your workers have seen the consequences of safety issues, and they can tell you what bothers them. Including them in the process of developing commercial construction safety training protocols should also yield greater buy-in. They'll have a stronger sense that these are their rules and not just some stuff the white hard hats made up.

Data

Taking a data-centric approach can help you find areas of concern that other stakeholders are missing. Compiling incident reports into a spreadsheet will allow you to see whether trends are emerging. You can then tailor your commercial construction safety training programs to the incidents that are prevalent. Likewise, persistently tracking incident data will allow you to stay ahead of the curve. If you start to see new problems, you can make adjustments in the next iterations of the programs.

Tail Risks

The tail comprises a class of risks that rarely happen but can be extremely costly. A crane doesn't crash every day on a job site, for example, but it can cost lives, millions of dollars in property damage, and lost time. Itemize these potential risks and plan training around prevent them.

Insurance and Bonds

You should also contact your insurer and bond company to learn what issues they feel are most important. It's a good idea to ask them what discounts they may offer to operations that implement specific training program elements. Not only will this help you to develop ideas for your programs, but it will put you on a path toward saving money on premiums, deductibles, and bonds.