Olympics might help businesses with health and safety

Numerous construction companies had a hand in creating new buildings for the Olympics. Before work could even begin workstation risk assessments had to be completed. From the assessments, those in charge of safety and health determine the best protocols for risk management with regards to the building of the Olympic structures, traffic management, and any risks that could occur from terrorism. There is a suggestion now that a research study has been completed and that the safety and health techniques used during the Olympics to prevent deaths can be reused, even harnessed, to benefit construction companies in the future.

The HSE and IOSH commissioned a study in how safety techniques were used for communication and to prevent safety incidents. Researchers have announced these results after studying managers, supervisors and focus groups that all had a hand in the Olympic set up. The construction industry has one of the highest records for major incidents and deaths. It is not surprising given the work at heights, manual handling, and equipment used for the industry.

Agriculture and oil and gas are two other industries that suffer from high incident rates. Figuring out how to avoid health and safety at work breaches is important for any industry. When there is a study that has examined what a major construction event required, it can help smaller companies learn and hopefully prevent incidents from occurring. It is not just about saving the individuals who work at the construction company, but about saving the company as a whole.