In November 2015, the Associated General Contractors (AGC) announced a short but comprehensive list of 13 steps to improve workplace safety. According to an AGC press release, “The new safety measures were needed to address a growing influx of new and inexperienced workers that is contributing to an increase in the number of construction fatalities.”

The recommendations, “13 Proven Steps to Improve Construction Worker Safety,” are based on an in-depth analysis of effective safety programs that AGC performed as part of its Willis Construction Safety Excellence Awards. In studying the awards program, the AGC and Willis looked at what makes winning firms’ safety programs effective and then distilled this information down into what AGC terms “easy-to-implement steps that are proven to improve safety.”

The 13 steps are organized into three categories:

New employees
1. Establish a buddy system for all new hires.
2. Hold safety orientation sessions for all new hires.

Ongoing training
3. Ensure managers and supervisors have the appropriate leadership and effective communication skills critical to instill safety culture and concepts into the workforce.
4. Institute two separate pretask hazard-analysis training programs (one for the crew and one for first-line supervisors).
5. Hold monthly lunch-and-learn safety training programs.
6. Require all foremen and superintendents to attend Leadership in Safety Excellence certification courses.
7.Hold targeted safety training to address all safety incidents.
8. Ensure all safety training and safety materials are in the languages of the entire workforce.
9. Train your trainers.

Operating procedures
10. Create task-specific “pocket safety guides” for every task that workers are assigned.
11. Establish craft-specific safety-mentoring programs.
12. Issue easy-to-read badges to all workers, indicating training level.
13. Authorize all workers to issue “Stop Work” cards to address safety risks