800 Introduction to Construction Safety Management

The Supervisor's Safety Responsibilities

Construction supervisors must have adequate leadership and management skills to perform effectively. The supervisor's leadership skills are most important in making sure employees willingly comply with safe and healthful work practices, policies, and procedures. The supervisor's management skills are important to make sure employees have the necessary physical resources and psychosocial support to work safely.

It is the supervisor's responsibility to:

• enforce employer safety and health rules, policies, and safe work practices
• identify existing and potential hazards,
• identify methods to control or eliminate worksite hazards,
• provide employees the necessary tools, equipment, and environment to perform safely
• ensure workers use safe and healthful work practices,
• ensure everyone receives effective safety and health instruction and training, and
• review, investigate, and take corrective action on incident and accident reports.

OSHA Requirements

OSHA regulations require the following employer actions primarily accomplished by site supervisors:

• provide employees with sanitary and safe working conditions [29 CFR 1926.20(a)]
• assign safety and health responsibilities [29 CFR 1926.20(b)]
• give safety and health designees authority to correct hazards [29 CFR 1926.32(f)]
• ensure employees that they may voice safety and health concerns without fear of reprisal 29 CFR 1903.11(d)]
• inform employees of hazards [29 CFR 1926.21(b), 29 CFR 1926.33, 29 CFR 1926.59, 29 CFR 1926.454, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart Z]
• coordinate hazard communication with other employers on site [29 CFR 1926.59, 29 CFR 1926.65, 29 CFR 1926.652]
• post the OSHA State or Federal Poster [29 CFR 1903.2(a)]

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.