6 Ways to Care for Your Construction Workers

Employing and keeping skilled building labour is a major challenge for construction companies today. It is no longer sufficient for employers to offer competitive wages, create a safe working environment, and guarantee employees regular working hours.

Construction work can be tedious and burden construction workers' physical and psychological health. Inconsistent eating and sleeping schedules can disrupt the body's everyday rhythms and make falling and staying asleep difficult.

Establishing a routine on and off the job is one of the most beneficial things construction companies can encourage in their building workers. 

Moreover, companies need to provide equal opportunities for growth, promote a culture of self-expression, and provide opportunities for rest and recreation, such as team building, a day out at the beach, or setting aside time each week for movie night, etc.

This article suggests ways to care for your construction workers and make them feel you mean it. 

1. Training

Place more value on construction worker training because expertise is becoming extinct in the field. It would help if you looked elsewhere besides vocational institutions to staff your business with skilled individuals. It's all about inward development. For instance, an internal training centre in a construction company can instill proper training in its workers to be as productive as possible. Still, it also provides you with an edge over similar construction firms.

2.  Workload Management

Workload management is essential in the construction industry because building labour might be easily persuaded to quit for more financially rewarding opportunities elsewhere if they feel overburdened by their current responsibilities. If your business relies heavily on seasonal workers, retaining them can be especially challenging, as they are more inclined to depart when the season changes and work become scarce. Serious efforts are required on the part of the construction company to keep everyone engaged so that they don't look elsewhere for an extra per hour in pay.

3. Communication/Self-Expression

The top focus should be sharing a company's goals, objectives, and efforts with its staff. Everyone must know where the company stands, where it's going, and what it aims at. 

Involve the building labour to express themselves in open meetings, discuss the company's future with them and update them on any relevant developments. 

You need to value open communication and encourage questions so they may receive the answers they need to execute their jobs successfully. 

Construction workers should get an opportunity to talk about their safety concerns. They should get an equal chance to raise their hands and talk if they don't like anything in the company policy, and it's important to address their concerns, especially about their welfare, health, and safety.

4. Technology

The company should make its construction workers learn how to use cutting-edge equipment.  As the level of expertise in construction declines, businesses have turned to technology to increase productivity and better serve customers. Your firm should get up to speed on new technologies, such as drones, because they may be used to go out and take images of the projects you are bidding on or even simply for general business development. Technologies like global positioning satellites (GPS), 3D, and autonomous machinery also hold great promise. 

5.  Encourage Your Workers

Communicate your appreciation for your building labour. Nowadays, many construction firms make the mistake of treating their workers like a number or a disposable commodity. Make an effort to stimulate the interest of your construction workers and demonstrate their appreciation. For example, throw a Christmas party every year, hold a golf tournament every year, and hold regular cookouts at various construction sites where you can serve up hot dogs and hamburgers to the workers.

6. Worker Engagement

The key to success in any organization is participation. To that end, you need to create a training curriculum for every position in the company, from entry-level workers to CEO. That way, people in a company know there's a future for them there. A clear and concise training plan is in place to help every employee reach their goals by a specified date. Invest a great deal of time, energy, and capital into training and talent development programs for new hires who show promise and commitment to sticking around and learning the ropes.

Conclusion

Continuity of effort and purpose is essential. It's common for businesses to claim that their employees are their number one concern. Many fail to provide proper support for their workers when times are tough. A major problem in the constantly developing construction sector is to take workers for granted and squeeze every last cent out of their output. 

Whether through training, inclusion, appreciation, or self-communication, construction companies should ensure their workers have access to chances for personal development, progress, and rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is responsible for taking care of construction workers?

A safety officer in the construction industry is responsible for enforcing site-wide safety procedures and protocols. A safety officer's primary duty is to ensure the well-being of construction workers, although they may also have other duties as the project progresses.

2. What are the main health and safety regulations in the UK?

• 2015 Building Regulations (Design and Management). 
• Restrictions on Potentially Harmful Substances (COSHH) 2002. 
• The Consultation of Employees Regulations 1996 in the Field of Health and Safety

3. What are the major safety provisions for a construction site?

Use proper personal protective equipment (PPE)

Always wear a safety belt when working at height, driving, or using heavy equipment

• Adhere to environmental guidelines
• Keep the work area clean
• Use the ladder carefully
• Avoid rushing into the site boundary
• Lift safety measures.
• Proper training on how to work on site
• Apply safety measures while using hazardous materials
• Stay away in case of fire and call professional firefighters to handle the situation

4. What are some of the major risks to construction workers?

• Working at a height
• Falls, trips & slips
• Moving objects
• Exposure to dust
• Exposure to noise
• Face extreme vibration
• Manual handling