Construction Law

Understanding Risk Assessment Part 2 featured image

Understanding Risk Assessment Part 2

In this two-part article, the Florida construction attorneys of Cotney Construction Law are discussing the benefits of implementing a risk assessment process into your business model. In the first part, we introduced you to the basic concept of risk assessment. In this section, we will discuss how to properly utilize this process to ensure that your construction projects mitigate or eliminate these potential risks.

The 5 Steps of Risk Assessment

Construction professionals should consider performing the following five risk assessment steps to achieve successful results on projects:

  1. Identify Hazards: The first stage of risk assessment is to inspect your workplace and identify any issues that have the potential to cause harm. There are a few options on how to successfully survey your workplace:
    • Inspect your own jobsite and look for common hazards
    • Create a reporting system that encourages workers to report any findings
    • Partner with a Florida construction attorney that can provide a safety audit    
  2. Decide Who Might Be Harmed: The second step is to determine who is at risk because of this hazard. Consider the following questions:
    • Will the hazard potentially harm the workforce or public bystanders?
    • Have your workers received proper training related to the potential hazard?
    • Will they know how to react during a time of emergency?  
    • Are they constantly or only briefly at risk during the day?
  3. Evaluate the Risks: Now that you have discovered potential hazards and have determined how they may harm your workforce or the general public, the next step is to decide on control measures to either eliminate or reduce the risk. It’s important to note what actions must be taken to eliminate the risk entirely as opposed to controlling it.
  4. Record Your Findings: You need to keep detailed records in regard to your findings. Moreover, you need to document your plan to eliminate these hazards and the process you utilize to successfully remove this risk. You should also track the amount of time this assessment process takes out of your day. With many effective cloud-based systems being utilized in construction, you should consider keeping these records on a web-enabled device.
  5. Review Your Assessment: It’s important to track your assessment and see that the changes are successfully implemented until completion. Although some changes may need to be made to this assessment over time, it’s important to continue to monitor this process until the risk has been controlled or removed from the workplace.  

Understanding Safety Regulations

Contractors and project managers need to review Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and be mindful of all the safety and health information related to their projects and the potential hazards involved with their work. If you need assistance identifying hazards on your site or require defense against a citation issued by OSHA, consult an experienced Florida construction attorney.

If you would like to speak with one of our Florida construction attorneys, please contact us today.

 

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.