What Does a Construction Safety Supervisor Do?

A construction safety supervisor is a member of a construction team whose primary responsibilities include monitoring safety procedures on a job site, establishing safety training, inspecting safety equipment, and essentially ensuring the safety of both workers and bystanders at all times. This person must be certified by a regional governing body in order to become a construction safety supervisor, and this training can be quite extensive to ensure the professional is knowledgeable and reliable when it comes to construction safety. Various types of construction workers transition into this job after developing significant work experience.

One of the jobs of a construction safety supervisor is analyzing a job site and determining what safety equipment and procedures will be necessary throughout the construction process. Beyond the essentials, such as hard hats, eye protection, and ear protection, workers may need to be outfitted with harnesses, and job sites may need to be cordoned off to prevent bystanders from entering the job site. Employees may need instruction on using certain safety equipment, and all operators must be knowledgeable concerning the safety features of each machine he or she will operate. First aid kits must be on hand at all times, in addition to fire extinguishers. If hazardous chemicals are to be used during the construction process, the construction safety supervisor must ensure the proper safety equipment is present to deal with hazardous spills.

The construction safety supervisor is on-site almost the entire time a construction site is active. If he or she observes practices that are not in adherence with safety regulations, a warning may be issued to the construction foreman, who will need to make appropriate changes immediately. The supervisor may also be able to issue citations or fines if the construction site is out of compliance. Various machines present on a construction site need to be maintained regularly, and if they have not been inspected, the construction safety supervisor may make recommendations to do so. Machines must be working properly to ensure safety, so the supervisor must take the time to find out the status of each piece of machinery.

Accident investigation may also be the responsibility of the construction safety supervisor. Accidents can occur even when all safety regulations are adhered to, but the supervisor must do an investigation anyway to find out what caused the accident and what might prevent a similar accident in the future. The supervisor will write up a report and submit it to relevant superiors or law enforcement agencies.