Risky business: What keeps contractors up at night?

It’s no secret that construction sites are covered in potential hazards, but ‘risk’ refers to much more than the possibility for physical harm. When faced with such a broad and complex issue, how can we go about delivering projects on time, on budget and without error?

In an industry where no two jobs, no two sites and no two workforces are the same, one constant is the element of risk involved. Before anyone steps foot on site, it is someone's job to identify all potential slip ups so they can be monitored and mitigated for the duration of the project. In an area so multifaceted, where do we start?

As a contractor, risk management underpins everything you do. Before you can put together a plan around mitigating risks, you must first understand the myriad of ways in which a project can be negatively impacted.

Risks can be broken down into four key categories:

Over the years, legislation has been put in place to streamline the way we work, ensure that construction sites are as safe as possible and maintain high quality standards. This guidance covers a whole range of areas from environmental standards, employment law and health and safety.

One such regulation is The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) which was put in place in 2015 with the aim of reducing risks in all areas of construction. CDM underlines the laws which apply to the entire construction process, from concept to completion, and how to comply with these laws to carry out projects with health and safety at the forefront of our minds.

As with many things in the construction industry, these regulations can only make a difference if following them doesn’t become a box ticking exercise. The stigma around rules and regulations means that many see compliance as red tape which prevents them from simply turning up and doing their job in the quickest and easiest way possible. Instead, regulations should be viewed as a minimum standard and best practice should be the aim.

Unpreventable accidents unfortunately happen, but there are actions we can take to limit their frequency and reduce the impact they have on individual projects and the industry as a whole. One thing is for certain, donning a hard hat, hi vis vest and steel toe cap boots isn’t going to cut it.

It’s becoming increasingly apparent that data is the construction industry’s best friend, and we can add risk to the list of areas we can gain insight. By analysing the performance of previous projects as well as live projects, we can maximise results and minimise risk.

Solutions such as our pre-registration software can give contractors peace of mind that their workforce is made up of people who are safe to be on site, arriving on site pre-enrolled, with relevant and up to date qualifications. Not only is this more time efficient, reducing time spent completing on-site inductions, but it also ensures compliance – a step in the right direction towards making construction sites a safer place to be.

Find out more about our pre-registration solution here or contact us for a personalised consultation. Alternatively, explore our range of pre-site, on-site and in-site solutions that manage and reduce risk in a variety of helpful ways.