4. Height Safety Supervisor

In 2015, the Institute for Work at Height Association and Professional Body, along with many other organisations operating in the construction, mining and occupational health and safety environment worked collaboratively to develop new ‘Guidelines for Safe Working at Height’.

Construction supervisors oversee the construction of projects and monitor activities at worksites:

• They manage crews, ensure health and safety codes are observed, and that work is completed to schedule.
• Understand and apply legislative requirements.
• Carry out hazard identification and risk control.
• Understand permit requirements and the duties and responsibilities of all personnel involved.
• Apply work positioning techniques.
• Carry out rescue planning including self-rescue/contact rescue.
• Rapid response.
• Working at heights permit requirements.

Advanced Fall Arrest Techniques Including:

• Anchor selection.
• Provision of anchors (Drop Lines).
• Set up and use of temporary (Static) lifelines.
• Limited free fall.

Attributes of a Construction Supervisor:

• An unwavering focus on safety:  Not only does this mentality protect the employer from liability, but it also conveys to the workers that their supervisor cares about their well-being.
• The curiosity to experiment with new technologies:  Don’t adhere to the “this is how it’s always been done” mantra. Be open to working with digital compliance platforms, and other kinds of advanced technology.
• A “big picture” mindset:  Make sure that all decisions made are consistent with regulatory, budgetary, and scheduling goals in mind.
• Flexibility and adaptability:  Anything can happen on a construction site so you must be able to roll with the changes and keep on trucking.
• The ability to establish goals and benchmarks:  Lay out a weekly or monthly schedule of deliverables and stick to it. It also helps the site work proceed more efficiently.
• Solid writing skills:  Construction supervisors do a lot of writing – from memos and directives to workers to updates and reports for clients and regulators.
• Excellent interpersonal skills:  You also must interact with a wide range of people.
• The willingness to address problems immediately:  If machinery breaks down or someone gets injured, you must remedy the problem at once to minimize downtime – and then report it quickly to the proper authorities.
• A talent for communicating with subordinates:  Good construction supervisors realize that their communication style should vary from person to person and from situation to situation.
• The openness to delegating tasks when necessary:  Smart supervisors delegate tasks and authority to other employees to help keep the project on schedule.
• A knack for embracing smart ideas:  Some of the best ideas come from the workers. If someone makes a suggestion, give them the power and latitude to try it out to see if it works.
• The integrity to follow the same rules and procedures as everyone else:  It’s simple, the “do as I say, not as I do” attitude is the quickest way to alienate subordinates.
• Not being averse to getting their hands dirty:  Every now and then, it’s not a bad idea to pick up a hammer and pitch in to help. That’s an easy way to earn the respect of those who work for you.

Succeeding as a construction supervisor involves a lot more than being competent, following schedules, and knowing building codes. You should make a commitment to do everything in your power to ensure that the project is completed in a timely manner, on budget, and safely. That’s what separates the great construction supervisors from the rest of the pack.