July 2023CONSTRUCTIONBUSINESSREVIEW.COM8IN MYOPINIONSafety in construction is of paramount importance as it has one of the highest fatality rates of any industry. Construction safety involves implementing rules and regulations to ensure that there are no hazards during the construction and to the occupants once the building is passed over to the client. Contrary to common belief, construction safety begins at the planning and design phase of the project. Risk reduction at the design phase minimizes the risk of accidents during and after the project is built. In a construction project, accentuating safety in the design and planning phase is as crucial as it is in the construction stage. Incidents tend to occur when the design is poor, and contingency plans are not developed in advance to eliminate the potential risks. Even with all the safety measures taken during the design and planning phase, accidents occur during construction when there is inadequate communication between stakeholders. To minimize hazards, contractors must ensure that employees understand and diligently follow their company's safety programs. Spending the right resources to ensure that all the safety standards are met will be beneficial in the long run. At Haskell, we like to walk the talk when it comes to safety. My two decades of experience working on projects and the recent five with Haskell have been an eye-opener in terms of Safety and Compliance. Working in different geographics with fragmented cultures and societies where English is not always the first language of communication trying to implement a safety culture that we follow at Haskell has been a continuous challenge. Who are we?Haskell is a Design-Build company started by Preston H Haskell in 1965. The vision of Mr. Preston Haskell was to be the single point of contact providing solutions to the client from conception to completion of the project. Since its inception, Haskell has grown as an industry leader with its innovative project delivery approach and excellent client care. By adopting the design-build delivery process, Haskell can assure the client of a definite outcome in schedule, budget, and performance on any given project. Safety in HaskellAt Haskell, our top priority is to provide a safe and healthy environment for our workers. We develop safety policies and procedures to protect our employees, contract partners, client personnel, and the public. At Haskell, we never compromise on project safety in the interest of time and profit. We evaluate the project's success by its safety performance. We work closely with our contract partners to continuously improve our safety policy through training and accident prevention programs that are unrivaled in the construction industry.At Haskell, we implement the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations company-wide and follow safety programs other than the basic OSHA regulations to have a better workplace environment.Nimesh KediaENSURING SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE IN CONSTRUCTIONBy Nimesh Kedia, Project Director, The Haskell Company
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