Safe, Green, and Sustainable Construction

Construction work that takes the environment and worker safety into account is possible today thanks to Prevention through Design practices. The aim of this program is to reduce site hazards, risks to workers, and harmful emissions via greener methods and equipment. In other words, sustainable construction work is designed to control risks at the source or as early as possible. This includes redesigning work environments, facilities, work processes, and other essentials to ensure environmental impact. This is all possible through green construction practices that are based on standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to the organization, green construction practices create buildings via sustainable processes and materials from design up to demolitions.

What is a green building?

A green or high performance building can do more than just minimize environmental impact. As an ideal sustainable structure, it preserves most of the flora and fauna around it and still deliver on its main purpose. The construction and the operations involved are designed to prevent disruptions to the surrounding water and land based resources to promote a healthier environment.

A green or high performance building can do more than just minimize environmental impact. Click To Tweet

The materials used to build these structures are obviously green as well. Some are even recycled or repurposed for use, since alternatives have a bigger impact on the environment. By using sustainable materials, businesses reduce their carbon footprint significantly and especially if they source those materials from the local industry. By understanding the impact of these solutions and the massive cost savings it offers, more and more businesses are adopting green construction practices. To understand the materials needed, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are used. These help site managers and contractors understand the impact of those materials throughout their lifecycle. This includes but is not limited to:

• Air and water emissions
• Chemicals used
• Energy efficiency
• Soil emissions
• Materials found in the soil

Contrary to popular belief, green building solutions do not cost more in the long run. Even though you may have to pay a bit more in the initial stages, the savings more than make up for the cost. Any structure that is built with sustainable solutions is designed to conserve energy which can reduce energy bills significantly. Think of it as an investment that will result in saving money and resources that can be utilized elsewhere in operations. Save the environment and your money at the same time. With sustainable and resilient engineering, organizations will be able to have structures that can hold their own in areas that are prone to disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, and storms among other natural calamities. To determine type of construction needed, areas that are susceptible to such incidents should be thoroughly assessed, including its history with natural disasters. This will help contractors determine the most appropriate design against the weather systems that are likely to surface on that area. To learn more about sustainable construction and construction safety, enroll in our OSHA 10-Hour Safety Course or OSHA 30-Hour Safety Course!