The Significant Work and Responsibility of SSHO in Construction Projects
The construction business is considered among the most complicated and work intensive businesses. Though everyone has a role to play in promoting and maintaining safe work practices on construction sites, it is the prime responsibility of the Site Safety and Health Officer (SSHO) to ensure the safety of people in the workplace.
The construction industry is a high-risk industry because it involves a labor-intensive manufacturing process, and it suffers considerable financial losses as a result of workplace accidents.
Occupational workplace accidents result in minor injuries and short-term impairments. While major accidents can cause serious injuries resulting in long-term disability.
Some of the common hazards in the construction industry include
• Falling from a height
• Inhalation of dust
• Exposure to hazardous or any dangerous substance
• Objects being fallen down
The SSHO must be on duty when workers are working on the construction site. The safety officer is responsible for overseeing and managing everything. Moreover, the officer must ensure that everyone is following rules and regulations properly.
• The SSHO should be fully committed to eliminating all the risks and hazards in the workplace.
• They are responsible for improving safety standards on construction site
• Must demonstrate and communicate with employees and workers on safety and health commitment
• Provide resources to the workers and maintain a safety program
Some of the prime responsibilities of SSHO include
1. Maintenance of Policy and Regulation
Accident prevention policies are developed, implemented, and enforced by safety officers. It falls under the duty of the safety officer to determine which policies and strategies are important and how to implement them.
Security Officers are in charge of maintaining current policies, adhering to the most recent standards, and developing new standards.
The data reveals that having an SSHO working for your firm or on a project may cut DME workers’ compensation costs by 37% and minimize employee turnover by nearly 80%.
2. They are Responsible for Site Safety Inspection
The SSHO is responsible for inspecting the condition of the site to determine if the place can cause danger to anyone. They establish policies and follow-up procedures to ensure the safety of the site and remove any hazards if present.
The SSHO checks out the equipment present at the workplace and ensures that there are no broken equipment, defective tools, and other sorts of hazardous material present on the site.
In addition, they also determine the type of protective equipment required to provide safety to the workers. The SSHO also guides workers on the use of equipment and tools present at the workplace.
3. Safety Investigation
The prime responsibility of an SSHO is to eliminate all possibilities of workplace accidents and provide a safe and secure environment for the workers. However, if the accident occurs, the safety officer is responsible for conducting an investigation in order to determine the prime cause of the accident.
They are responsible for gathering all the necessary evidence to identify the root cause of the accident. Moreover, they go through the procedure, check out tools and equipment and ask other employees to find the real cause of the accident.
Then based on the result of the investigation, the officer adds rules and recommendations that should be followed by the workers at the construction site to prevent accidents from occurring again.
4. The SSHO Gives Safety Training to Workers
The safety officer needs to stay ahead of his team members as it is his responsibility to provide a risk-free environment to his workers. Therefore, the officer also gives training to the employees and other workers. They also guide them so that they can stay safe at the construction site.
5. Keeps the Record
The safety officer is also responsible for keeping a record of all the incidents. The officer must review and meet all the federal and state safety standards in order to keep the record.
Final Thoughts
As an SSHO, it is your responsibility to form a strong relationship with your workers. Make sure that all the workers are listening to you when you are giving guidance or telling them how to operate the equipment.
Titan University offers particular courses developed to improve the knowledge and skills of aspiring SSHO. The workers must understand that you are there to keep them safe at work and to ensure that they get home safely. Regardless of the size of the organization, worker safety should be a primary priority.
While workers might feel annoyed by safety officers sometimes, they truly are there to help keep you safe and make sure you get home to your families every night.