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It’s officially summer, and construction has entered its peak busy season. Combined with a large number of backlogged construction projects from 2020 and a widespread shortage of workers, there is little time left in the day for your team to focus on training. However, ongoing training is a necessary part of keeping your workforce safe on the job site and ensuring projects continue moving on time and on budget.
At MindForge, we make team training efficient and engaging by delivering content directly to workers on their mobile devices. Our two-way communication platform and training hub allows you to share reminders and assign your team interactive refresher courses and safety trainings that can be accessed anywhere and anytime, making it easy to keep your workers safe and informed during the busy summer months. With courses that can be paused and revisited, 15 minutes of downtime during the workday can turn into a valuable, active break used for completing essential trainings.
Here are 5 trainings you should prioritize for your team during the summer construction season (find them in the MindForge Content Marketplace!):
1. Heat Illness
In the hot summer months, construction workers have more than just worksite dangers to be aware of. Exposure to extreme temperatures can lead to heat-related illnesses and injuries, including dehydration, fatigue and hazardous sun exposure. According to the CDC, 285 construction workers died from heat-related causes between 1992 and 2016, and 75% of those deaths occurred during the months of June, July and August. MindForge’s Messaging Center makes it easy to quickly share important reminders with your entire team on the dangers of working in hot temperatures, ensuring workers are informed on how to prevent and identify heat illness.
2. Work Zone Traffic Control
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, more than 20,000 workers are injured in work zones each year, with nearly 100 workers being involved in fatal accidents. With more drivers on the road in the summer, the season is one of the riskiest times of year for driving, and in turn, your traffic zone workforce. CaHill’s course, “WTH is WZTC”, defines the basics for Work Zone Traffic Control as well as the responsibilities and methods used to communicate with the traveling public. In less than 10 minutes, your workers will feel prepared to work in highly trafficked construction zones.
3. Safety Awareness: Excavations
As outdoor construction projects increase, it is essential that workers are equipped with the necessary training to remain safe on excavation sites. According to OSHA, an average of 2 workers are killed each month due to trench collapses. Furthermore, falls, falling loads and hazardous trench atmospheres put workers at additional risk for injury or death. The MindForge “Excavations Safety Awareness Course” prepares workers to use the OODA Loop framework (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) to recognize and mitigate hazards in and around excavations and understand safe practices for work conditions.
4. Falling Object Safety
When summer work picks up, your most important safety procedures should stay top of mind, including falling object safety. OSHA records over 42,000 falling object incidents each year. That’s about 116 incidents a day. What’s worse is that these incidents are easily preventable by using some standard job site controls. That is why the MindForge “Falling Object” course aims to provide workers with the skills and know-how to identify and mitigate any falling object-related hazards on the job site.
5. Fire Protection and Prevention
Between hot work operations, temporary electrical wires, and lack of fire protection in structures under construction, the hot summer months are not the time to neglect proper fire protection and prevention. The MindForge “Fire Protection & Prevention” safety course will give your team a basic understanding of fire risks and the key elements for preventing and controlling fires, including steps to control fires, knowing how to read all fire extinguisher labels for proper usage and where to locate fire extinguishers. This course is a great refresher to keep your workforce safe all year long.
During the busy summer months, it’s easy to put ongoing training on hold to make room for increased project demands. But with MindForge’s brief and easily accessible training courses, you don’t have to. A well-trained team is a productive (and safe!) team, ensuring projects are completed efficiently and up to quality standards.
See a complete list of training courses in the MindForge Content Marketplace or reach out to us to learn more.