You might be wondering how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting contractor safety. Well, to put it plainly, contractor safety is now a top priority for businesses across the globe.
To keep workers safe, many companies have implemented strict health and safety guidelines that must be followed by all contractors. And in some cases, companies are even requiring their contractors to undergo a health screening before starting work.
This is a major change from the way things were done just a few years ago. Back then, health and safety was often an afterthought, and contractors were often left to their own devices when it came to safety precautions.
Clearly, the pandemic has had a dramatic impact on the way businesses approach contractor safety. And as the world collectively and gradually removes pandemic-related safety measures, we can expect even more changes to occur.
The new normal for contractor management
The pandemic has impacted hiring organizations and the nature of work they complete with their contractors. Companies are taking on new safety measures to protect their workers, and the pandemic is accelerating the integration of digital technology in many industries.
You may have already seen the effects of the pandemic in your own workplace. Contractors are being required to take on new safety measures, such as wearing masks and enhanced personal protective equipment, and many companies are now requiring that all workers be vaccinated for the virus. While the world collectively is beginning to phase out many pandemic-related protocols such as vaccine mandates, the newly learned approaches to health and safety are here to stay indefinitely.
The integration of digital technology in these industries has been speeding up for years, but the pandemic has helped accelerate it even further. Many companies are now using contractor management software to keep tabs on their overall compliance levels, and assess risk. As companies adopted and implemented COVID-19 measures, they began to realize that health and safety are not topics that are isolated strictly to just the pandemic, but rather something that they must carry out in all facets of their business. The approaches established to mitigate workplace virus outbreaks have been replicated and carried out in other functions of occupational safety such as injury and incident mitigation, supply chain management, and site auditing.
How to ensure contractor safety in the post-COVID world
It’s clear that the pandemic has had a significant impact on contractor safety. But what can we do to ensure contractor safety in the post-pandemic world?
Here are a few tips:
1. Implement incident management within your pre-existing risk management framework. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to safety protocols.
2. Identify areas of vulnerability in your workforce in which you can assist your workers through difficulties brought on by the pandemic. Some examples of those difficulties are mental health struggles, physical illness, and financial turmoil.
3. The COVID-19 pandemic has uprooted existing assumptions about worker safety, health, and well-being. Make sure to reassess your safety protocols in light of this new information and adapt accordingly.
The future of contractor safety
It’s safe to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on what we consider as safe practices. For one, the pandemic has disrupted the regular scheduling of subcontractors and the supply of goods and materials. This has made it difficult for companies in all industries to continue with their work as usual. What’s more, the pandemic has upended some of our existing assumptions about worker safety, health, and well-being. In particular, we’re now realizing that contractors face and continue to face new and unprecedented challenges when it comes to their safety and health. All in all, COVID-19 has presented a number of challenges for contractor safety. But with those challenges came windows of opportunity in which all industries could collectively transform the perception and practice of safety.
Conclusion
The pandemic has changed the way health and safety are viewed in the workplace, and contractor management is no exception. Contractors are now being asked to take on a more active role in ensuring their own safety and the safety of their coworkers.
Health and safety has always been a priority for contractors, but COVID-19 has elevated it to a new level. Contractors are now being required to comply with increased safety regulations, and they are being held accountable for any accidents or injuries that occur as a result of their work. The pandemic has had a major impact on contractor safety, and it is likely to continue to do so in the future. Contractors need to be aware of the new regulations and take steps to ensure that they are compliant. Failure to do so could have serious consequences.
Faris Badaro is Junior Marketing Specialist for Contractor Compliance, a SaaS software for contractor management.