Safety oversight on any construction project is critical. Given the potential for injury and the difficulty posed by any downtime, having that oversight professionally managed by an external firm with established expertise offers several advantages.
Key Benefits
“First and foremost is compliance,” says Jacqueline Roche, President of Nova Safety Associates. “Most projects require safety procedures that are legally mandated. Consultants like Nova have years of institutional expertise and understand all the elements and nuances of compliance. Onsite safety oversight also plays a role in keeping insurance rates down. Having that expertise on hand ensures greater overall safety and fewer on-the-job injuries, which helps keep rates in check.”
Another issue is keeping staffing and healthcare costs down. In many cases, companies can’t hire a safety professional full-time because they simply don’t have the work. Some companies may try to create that role for an existing staff member but, Jacqueline says, most projects require professionals that are 100% dedicated to site safety for specific projects, and an existing employee may not have all the required training and knowledge required.
Finally, she says, it helps make sure that your workers go home safe at the end of the day.
The Nova Safety Associates Approach
Nova provides onsite safety oversight professionals and services based on specific client needs.
“Every client is different. Some ask us to provide the safety professional asset only,” notes Jacqueline. “Others request a safety professional and additional personnel to help update documents and for other tasks. There are also those who seek project-engineered drawings and comprehensive safety plans. Regardless of the ask, we first work to understand their projects or operations and range of needs, so that we can provide tailored solutions as opposed to out-of-the-box services.”
Even with a wide range of onsite safety services, Other safety consultants may not always provide exactly what a client is seeking.
“Sometimes, clients have particularly large projects and will ask us for a service that may not be on our roster,” says Jacqueline. “If that happens, we generally find a way to get it done. We work to be adaptive, open to our clients’ needs, and not stuck in the box. And when we have a chance to add a new or different service, we add revenues and grow the company.”
To learn more about Nova Safety Associates’ full- and part-time certified safety professionals for site management, construction oversight, and more, visit Our Services page.