Suggestions for the Site Safety Observer Role

Engage the House Leader, and Crew Leaders in a dialog during their morning line-up meeting with the HFHSL Construction Coordinator about the potential hazards associated with the day's work.

This will raise their awareness about these issues and at the same time it will provide you with material for the Morning Safety Huddle with the Volunteers.

Either lead the Morning Safety Huddle with the Volunteers or assure that the House Leader or one of the Crew Leaders is prepared to lead a safety discussion with the Volunteers.

This discussion should include information about the hazards on the work site and also specific work practices designed to reduce exposure to these hazards.

Be sure to cast your coaching remarks to the volunteers or Crew Leaders in terms of the risk to which the worker may be exposed rather than specifically critiquing the `behaviors' which may cause the risks.

People do not often respond well to criticism, even when it is constructive and intended entirely for their benefit. If possible, provide safety coaching or suggestions in a one to one setting so as to reduce any discomfort the volunteer might feel discussing their work practices in front of others.

A particularly challenging coaching opportunity is presented when someone who is very experienced (perhaps even a professional) takes a short-cut or uses a risky work practice. Those who have a great deal of residential construction experience may have the skill and judgment to take these risks for many years before the eventual injury takes place. We have found that while the more experienced Volunteers may not respond positively to coaching from a relative novice about their work practices, they will often see the logic to the assertion that they are setting an example for less experienced Volunteers that may lead their observers (and emulators) into a very risky situation.

Try to supply a `solution' when you identify a `problem'.

For example: If you believe a Volunteer ought to be wearing earplugs while using a power saw, hand the Volunteer a pair while you make this suggestion.

Similarly, if you are concerned that a Volunteer is using a ladder which is not on firm footing, find a piece of a 2"x8" or something similar and say "Why don't we put this under the left leg of that ladder or dig out from under the right foot with a hammer? I'm concerned that it might not be as stable as it could be."

In this way, you will be providing a helpful solution at the same time that you identify a hazard or an unsafe practice. This will be valued more by the Volunteers, than only pointing out the potential problem.

Due to the press of events and/or their enthusiasm for the work, most Volunteers do not take sufficient breaks or drink enough water. The Volunteers should be offered water while they are on the job. You may need to periodically prompt the site support folks to make the rounds on the Work Site offering water to the Volunteers.

In the event that dehydration begins to cause fatigue and/or headaches, the Volunteers will have a difficult time maintaining a high degree of safety awareness.

Most injuries result from a brief lapse of awareness. It is the role of the Site Safety Observer, to raise the awareness of the Volunteers and Crew Leaders about Work Site Safety Issues. Only about 5% of the injuries in construction result from a failure to mitigate the effects of an unsafe condition. The remaining 95% of the injuries on a construction site result from unsafe acts. While we must recognize unsafe conditions when they exist and take intentional steps to protect our Volunteers from these hazards, many of our efforts will be concentrated on raising their awareness about unsafe work practices.

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  Page last updated Saturday, May 3, 2008 at 6:40:30 PM