How Does Construction Safety Software Address the Fatal Four?

There are many physical dangers that construction workers must navigate daily, but the “Fatal Four” — falls, struck-by, caught-in/between, and electrocution — result in the most fatalities.

According to the Associated General Contractors of America, there were 1,069 construction fatalities reported in 2022. The Fatal Four made up a total of 57% of these fatalities:

• Falls (38%)
• Struck by object or equipment (8%)
• Electrocutions (6%)
• Caught in/between structure, equipment, or material (5%)

These accidents, in fact most construction site fatalities, are avoidable with the proper safety training, and the easiest way to create, manage and review this training is with construction safety software.

Key Takeaways:

• Construction safety software have an impact on worker safety with the ability to create, track, review, and refine their safety approach to the Fatal Four.
• Employers can simplify safety training, notify workers to complete training, establish standard operating procedures, reevaluate safety performance and create a strong safety program with the help of a construction safety software.
• Employers can develop standard operating procedures to mitigate the risks associated with the Fatal Four and receive meaningful data to determine performance and future direction.

How Does Construction Safety Software Help Mitigate Risks?

Many risks associated with the Fatal Four can be mitigated with the proper safety program, which can be created, distributed, tracked, reviewed and refined with construction safety software.

Five specific ways safety software can reduce incidents include:

1. Simplifies Safety Training

Contractors can leverage construction safety software to create safety training to tackle construction safety risks. Many contractors opt to rely heavily on Toolbox Talks to educate their workforce with engaging training content that influences safe work practices.

According to the Associated Builders and Contractors’ 2023 Safety Report, daily Toolbox Talks reduce their total recordable incident rate (TRIR) by 78%.

These informative guides can range from staying safe when dealing with electrical wires to using appropriate harnesses while working at different heights. With resources so readily available, workers can be trained and knowledgeable before even stepping foot on the jobsite.

2. Notifies Workers to Complete Job-Specific Training

Education is paramount to reducing construction site accidents. When field workers know what to look as well as know how to react when they identify a hazard, near-misses and fatal accidents are greatly reduced.

Construction safety software makes it easy to provide educational opportunities. As most safety software comes in the form of an app, training videos can be sent directly to every team member’s mobile device.

Foremen, safety administrators, and owners can then check the app’s dashboard to see if the entire crew has completed the certain certification.

If some workers failed to complete a training, employers can send a notification to alert their workers to complete the safety training.

3. Establishes Standard Operating Procedures for Hazards

Contractors can use construction safety software to establish standard operating procedures by creating job hazard assessments (JHAs) for each of the Fatal Four.

Job hazard assessments provide instructions to identify job-specific hazards and offer procedures to avoid or reduce the associated risks of injury.

Some construction safety software — automatically populates potential control options for each hazard at a site.

Workers can then select the most appropriate option for the job and begin building an accurate JHA that offers solutions to avoid or reduce risks.

Examples of some standard operating procedures that should be included at every jobsite for each of the Fatal Four include:

• Encourage Use of Fall Protection

Provide step-by-step instructions on how to use harnesses and identify areas where guard rails, handrails or safety nets should be installed.

• Inspect All Electrical Equipment Prior to Using Them

Keep workers informed about the proper PPE, lockout tagout procedures, construction equipment inspections and nearby electrical dangers like overhead or underground power lines.

• Respect Barricades and Remain a Safe Distance from Equipment

Identify the equipment onsite and create working areas that are a safe distance away. Ideally, section off the equipment from the worker’s area using barricades or fences.

• Tether Small Tools to Work Belts and Wear Proper PPE

Keep smaller tools on work belts, inspect tools prior to using them, wear PPE, such as hard hats and gloves, and develop pedestrian walkways that avoid raised loads. This prevents accidental drops of equipment.

Construction safety software gives you the tools to create engaging safety materials that inform your crews about these safety procedures.

4. Evaluates Safety Performance to Address Potential Blind Spots

After you’ve established the necessary procedures to address the Fatal Four, it’s important you evaluate their performance. Have you recently had any near miss reports? Have asked workers answered questions incorrectly on safety training recently?

Construction safety software gives you visibility into these questions. You can manage near miss reports to easily identify when the last one occurred and create additional safety materials to reinforce the necessary procedures.

A safety solution also allows you to see how your workers have responded to safety training.

If a few workers missed the mark on a particular topic, for example, it took them a few tries to pass the quiz, it may be worth adjusting your education approach with videos, meetings, or safety graphics to clear up any confusion.

5. Encourages a Strong Safety Culture

Construction safety software gives employers the tools to establish a strong safety culture. Their investment in a construction safety software and the necessary safety equipment shows their employees that they value safety.

If workers feel that their employers are taking the initiative when it comes to safety, they are more likely to feel valued and engage with safety training and protocols.

This commitment to safety should start the first day employees walk in the door during new hire orientation.

According to ABC’s 2023 Safety Performance Report, new hire orientation that features safety procedures reduces TRIR by 48%-52% in comparison to companies who do not offer it.

Which Construction Safety Software is the Best to Address the Fatal Four?

Safety in construction is paramount because it affects workers, their families, and employers.

Employers who avoid fatalities can convey a positive reputation to attract new workers and job opportunities and make their current workforce feel safer and more valued.

The Fatal Four are constantly looming safety dangers on nearly every construction site.

It’s important to invest in the right construction safety software so you can build a safety program and safety culture that mitigates the risks associated with the Fatal Four.

SafetyHQ® is a leading safety software that’s built specifically for the construction industry. Its users receive:

• Pre-loaded Toolbox Talks that address the Fatal Four
• Easily create, find, and store JHA’s
• Track the completion of trainings and certifications related to the Fatal Four
• Educate your team with the click of a button
• And More!

While the Fatal Four can seem unavoidable, investing in a construction safety software and leveraging it to build a strong safety program drastically reduces the risks of your crew being affected. For more information, chat with a SafetyHQ specialist today.