Communication Is Key to Job-Site Safety

You know that saying, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you?” Guess what? IT CAN! Good communication is vital when it comes to job-site safety, productivity, and accident prevention. One of my all-time favorite sayings in my daily crew talks is “Communication is key to any successful relationship.” There are two ways to communicate: verbally and nonverbally. An example of effective verbal communication to employees is conducting toolbox talks. Gather your crew around before, during, or after the work shift or during a break, and then make everyone aware of the potential safety hazards for the day’s operations. This is also a chance to let your field team know the goals for the day and to motivate them; but, in turn, keep them focused on the importance of job-site safety. In the toolbox meetings, it is important to communicate and document upcoming changes in the project and identify specific hazards that may arise with the changing work conditions.

Another crucial part of communication is active listening. Active listening is not only “hearing” what your employees are saying but also taking the time to understand what they are actually communicating. It is crucial that our employees know that we are willing to listen to their input and suggestions, particularly when it comes to safety; it is everyone’s job to take note of job-site hazards and point them out, especially ones that you may have missed. It is vitally important for teams to communicate with each other if they see a potentially unsafe condition.