The Pen | Edwin Lokkerbol, Program Manager Safety in Construction

The most written and heard word of 2020 is undoubtedly "Corona." The virus has literally turned the world upside down. The "new normal" is inculcated into us all like a mantra, and most people are acting neatly according to RIVM guidelines. We are suddenly aware of our own role and that of others when it comes to ensuring safety for ourselves and toward our fellow man. So too in the construction world, where the principle is honored: "Take care of yourself first, then your colleagues, and only then get to work." I can't point to anyone who doesn't think that makes sense.

Therein lies immediately the crux. Our own safety and that of our loved ones is at stake because of the Covid-19 virus. So we have an enormous responsibility to deal with this properly. Even in the workplace! Good protocols have been developed in construction and suddenly everyone can and will cooperate to work as safely as possible and get back home healthy. But isn't that something we in construction have been advocating for years? Processes to increase safety for everyone have been running for years. Often successfully, but sometimes they have been extremely difficult. 

Now, because of Corona, safety is suddenly under a magnifying glass. Let's learn from this! Apparently we are perfectly capable of establishing protocols and agreeing on rules of conduct that are observed by almost everyone. People look beyond the nose. Critical questions are being asked, questions such as, "Can you still have two people in a van?", "How do we deal with each other in situations where we have to lift something together?" and "What is or is not acceptable in a construction site booth?"

It would be nice if this mentality continues to live on in the work atmosphere. Let's take a good look at what we can learn from how we deal with the situation now. And keep the good things from that. Maintaining a critical eye after Corona should be possible. We have now shown that we are capable of doing so. A construction site can give you energy, but just as easily cost you your life after all. Basically, every construction site is a hostile environment, there are 18 to 20 deaths a year in the construction industry. Construction has to be safer, we will have to do what is best under the circumstances. Thus, after analysis, it appears that many accidents could have been prevented. Safety-or danger-is sometimes in small, physical things, such as a radio that is too loud or an uncluttered construction site. Safety is really also in the dialogue. The likelihood of dangerous situations increases as a construction site becomes busier, time pressure enters the picture and the moment of completion approaches. We must learn to take these factors into account.

Meanwhile, initiatives have been taken to arrive at a uniform safety instruction. In doing so, we will have to be stricter with ourselves and more critical of each other. The main question should no longer be "When will the project be finished?" but "When can we complete the project safely?" That alone can make all the difference. Safety is not a contract, not a bundle of agreements per se. As an employer, you also have an obligation to facilitate safe work to the best of your ability. Be transparent, share information and be willing to learn from each other.

Returning to the Corona crisis and the resulting measures, there is a construction project where an employee was diagnosed with Corona. However, no one else was infected on the construction site. That was because everyone acted neatly according to protocol and the guidelines for working safely together were seriously enforced in Corona time. So it works, it can be done, is my conclusion.