“Uh, oh…” Whether you’re a parent or a contractor, that is truly the last thing you want to hear. Mishaps are no fun. They involve delays, increased paperwork, and in the worst case scenario, injuries. When these unfortunate events occur, you don’t want to be unprepared. As the old saying goes, “It’s better to be safe than sorry.” We’re here to help you be safe with a quick guide on how to address mishaps on the job.
Create a plan.
It seems so simple, but creating a plan is the most effective way to address mishaps on the job. Depending on your area, you will want to create a plan for any issue that may arise. This could include natural disasters such as fire, rain, or even hurricanes. Even if you think, “Oh, that’ll never happen,” create a plan for it anyway (unless it’s something that really will never happen – you don’t need to prepare for a hurricane in the Midwest). Your plan can also include human accidents and injuries.
These plans should include what you should do immediately, as well as follow-up plans. For example, in the case of fire or tornado, where should your workers go? If it’s a small, manageable fire, how should it be put out? Do you have someone designated to call 911, if needed? Can all of the necessary paperwork (incident reports, accident reports, etc.) be easily located? What do we do in case of an injury emergency? Do we have a first aid kit within reach at all times? If you can’t answer any or all of these questions, start working now to get a plan in place.
Once you have a plan, you’ll want to educate your workers on it and evaluate it periodically to keep it up-to-date. Keep track of what worked well and what didn’t work during the year so you know what needs to be changed. This will make your job much easier when it comes time to review!
What if I can’t prepare?
There are some things you just can’t prepare for. What if one of your pieces of equipment breaks during the construction process? What if the materials you received aren’t the ones you ordered? What if one of your workers gets hurt on the job? These issues are where you need some flexibility. When you’re creating your project plan, make sure to set aside some money. This will help you address any issues you may have, such as equipment breaking. Be sure to also include some flex space in your timeline. This will give you time if you need to reorder materials from the manufacturer or fix your equipment. Also have a backup solution for temporary personnel if one of your workers is injured on the job. Creating this space in your budget, timeline and staffing ahead of time will help keep you on track and will keep your clients happy.
Give away some of that paperwork.
As a contractor, you have so much paperwork to deal with, especially when you have to address mishaps on the job. Let us handle some of that business paperwork for you. When you partner with HFS Financial, you won’t have to add “helping clients with financing” to your list of things to do. All you have to do is give your client our information. That’s it! They’ll fill out our 60-second application, and we’ll handle the rest. It really is that easy. Give away some of that paperwork today by giving us a call at 1-800-254-9560. “You Dream It, We Finance It.”