Occupational health and safety programs play a critical role in safeguarding the well-being of workers in the construction industry. Let’s delve into why these programs are essential and how construction companies can routinely re-examine and enhance them.

Importance of Occupational Health and Safety Programs

Occupational health programs are essential for a number of reasons:

  • Employee Health and Safety: Occupational health initiatives are dedicated to averting job-related diseases, injuries, and health perils while maintaining a drug-free workplace. These initiatives foster comprehensive well-being and safety by tackling physical, psychological, substance-abuse, and ecological elements.
  • Risk Assessment: Early detection and mitigation of hazards with established construction safety practices can forestall enduring health issues/accidents and curtail medical expenses.
  • Compliance with Regulations: Construction companies must comply with certain occupational health and safety regulations (i.e. OSHA and DOT). Implementing effective programs ensures adherence to those legal requirements and minimizes risks. Following these guidelines helps foster accident prevention in construction settings.
  • Enhancing Productivity and Morale: A workforce in good health is invariably more efficient and motivated. Occupational health programs play a significant role in elevating staff morale, decreasing absenteeism, and heightening job satisfaction.

Remember, prioritizing occupational health and safety not only protects your workers but also contributes to a safer and more productive worksite.

Drug Free Workplace

Having a drug free workplace not only minimizes potential workplace accidents but also increases productivity and helps to ensure construction site safety. Upfront you must have a drug testing policy in place so that your employees know and understand its parameters — what is tested, how it is conducted, how random and reasonable suspicion tests are handled, etc.

Right from the start, it’s crucial to keep a close watch, gauge progress, and document the results of your drug-free initiative. Even if certain aspects of the program are in place and haven’t been assessed, it’s never too late to initiate the evaluation process. Establish a consistent practice of thoroughly reviewing and judging your program’s performance.

These assessments play a key role in enhancing your strategy for a drug-free workplace and understanding its influence on your workplace atmosphere. They shed light on how effective and economically viable your measures are. A continuous evaluation process will help identify any areas that need fixing.

The landscape of drugs of abuse is constantly changing. For example, some states have legalized the recreational use of Cannabis (THC) aka Marijuana and over the last few years we have also seen a significant uptick in Fentanyl overdoses. So, with this ever-evolving area it is important to review and adjust testing as necessary to keep in line with trends.

Re-evaluating Your Program

As mentioned above regarding your drug testing program, routine evaluations of your construction site safety program help to ensure that you are staying in tune with changes in the industry whether they be new workplace concerns, new regulations, etc. This involves several key steps to ensure it is effective and aligns with the organization’s safety goals. Here are some actions you can take:

  • Track Performance and Advancements: Establish metrics to gauge both performance and advancements. Incorporate retrospective measures like injury frequencies and proactive measures such as staff safety recommendations.
  • Confirm Program Execution: Validate that the safety program is operating as planned. Verify adherence to safety protocols and the currency of safety education.
  • Adjust Program Deficiencies: Perform a hazard evaluation to pinpoint where the program is lacking and apply the necessary modifications. This may include updating safety measures, enhancing your drug-testing procedures by adding more tests, or offering extra instruction. Evaluate how on-site injuries are managed and consider integrating an on-site injury response component to your program. Is employee wellness an issue? Have you included a wellness portion in your occ health program?
  • Engage Employees: Foster employee engagement in the evaluation process. Their insights are vital since they are the primary beneficiaries of the safety program.
  • Define and Monitor Objectives: Set explicit, quantifiable objectives for the safety initiative and monitor the progress in meeting these targets.
  • Review and Interpret Data: Systematically scrutinize safety records, such as reported risks or close calls, to discern patterns and pinpoint areas for enhancement.
  • Acknowledge Achievements: Publicize the outcomes of the monitoring and assessment within the workplace and commemorate triumphs to motivate ongoing advancement.

For a really comprehensive review, you should refer to resources like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), to bolster accident prevention in construction, and also consult with industry experts like Third Party Administrators Origin. The National Safety Council also offers some great resources. Remember, the goal of evaluating a workplace occupational health and safety program is not only to comply with regulations but also to create a safer work environment for everyone which also makes for a better bottom line.

Third Party Administrator (TPA) Solutions

Working with a TPA like Origin will help you in managing your occupational health and safety needs. Applying our industry expertise, we can review your program and make suggestions of services to best address your requirements. Origin is trusted by some of the largest construction general contractors, manufacturing giants and prominent logistics companies nationwide so we’ve learned a lot along the way and have tailored our services to meet their needs.

As a Third Party Administrator (TPA) we offer a wide range of services that you can manage seamlessly online through our Origin-One platform:

  • Drug Screening – lab-based and instant testing; urine, oral-fluid and hair testing
  • Physicals and Immunizations – DOT & NDOT physicals; OSHA silica physicals; lift, vision, & hearing tests; several essential vaccinations (i.e. Hepatitis B, Mumps, Covid-19, Tetanus, Varicella, Influenza, Measles, Rubella MMR, Diphtheria, Meningococcal)
  • Injury Care – customized injury care to meet your specific needs and budget
  • Onsite Services – bringing drug testing, physicals, immunizations, clinicals and injury care to your job site
  • Background Checks – comprehensive screening and several different packages available
  • Clinical Testing – access to a nationwide network of clinics/providers
  • Wellness Programs – biometric screenings and immunizations
  • General and subcontractor management – screening and credentialing all in one platform
  • Badging – digital badging offering comprehensive verification, streamlined access, and real-time monitoring

Want to review your current occupational health and safety program or need help setting up a new one? Contact the Origin team of experts today at info@origin.net.