You know how hazardous construction sites can be for crews. That’s why you require workers and supervisors to adhere to strict safety guidelines in work zones.

But what about safety issues involving motorists who enter your work sites, usually unintentionally? Every year, about two-thirds of construction businesses experience at least one vehicle intrusion into a workzone, according to a recent survey by Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America. When this happens, the vehicle’s driver and passengers risk injury or death — and the vehicle endangers the safety and lives of workers. The AGC survey found that 28% of workzone crashes resulted in injured workers and 8% resulted in a fatality.

Make a Plan

When it comes to protecting workers in construction zones, the tone at the top matters. Make sure workers and clients know that you value and prioritize safety — even if it means jobs run longer or a bit over original estimates. Another big part of promoting a safety-first culture is educating workers about potential workzone hazards. Don’t forget to include part-timers in training sessions.

To address roadway hazards specifically, create a written safety plan. Your plan should consider worksite variables — including different traffic conditions, types of roads, the weather, and project scopes and durations — and spell out procedures for protecting workers.

8 Steps: Several best practices can also help keep everyone safe on construction jobsites near roadways.

Consider including these in your safety plan:

1. Operate off-peak. If possible, work near busy roads should be performed during off-peak hours on weekdays and on weekends. Consider detours, temporary roads or bridges to navigate traffic away from workers.

2. Inspect workzones daily. Yes, daily. Note any maintenance issues, drop offs, uneven pavement or other risky conditions and address them immediately. Also check signage every day and assess whether signs are as effective as they could be.

3. Show your colors. Require everyone in the workzone to wear high-visibility vests and hard hats at all times — even if they’re only on site for few minutes. When working at night, crews should wear reflective clothing and hard hats with lights.

4. Put up barriers. Concrete barriers reduce risks for both workers and motorists. Attenuator trucks can also absorb the impact of a crash. But while you should be proactive about providing protection, don’t overdo it. Placing barriers everywhere can increase the danger that workers installing them will get hurt.

5. Monitor motorist speed. Reducing the speed limit in workzones lowers fatality rates, no doubt about it. But setting speed limits too low may lead some drivers to refuse to slow down at all. If one driver slows to the posted limit and another doesn’t, the vehicles could collide. Or the speeding driver may instinctively turn the wheel upon braking and crash into your workzone.

6. Observe federal guidelines. Adhere to the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices standards. This includes providing clear guidance to motorists entering a workzone. Be sure to give drivers sufficient warning by placing signs farther from the worksite when there are hills, curves or other visibility issues.

7. Provide “back-up” support. When trucks and other equipment back up, it creates hazards for workers in the vicinity. Even though these vehicles blast back-up alarms, some workers may ignore them. Consider placing “spotters” in areas where people are working or walking. And develop an internal traffic control pattern so that workers know where trucks are coming in and leaving.

8. Rely on new technology. Use motion-sensing intrusion detection alarms to notify workers when a vehicle has crossed into a workzone. You might also employ variable message boards or warning signs based on sensor data to notify motorists of any delays. This way, drivers can choose to take different routes to their destination. Portable rumble strips can help alert distracted drivers that they’re entering a workzone.

Putting People First

Given the availability of safety-related technology, there’s no excuse for letting work crews take unnecessary risks. Even if safety costs shave your profit margin, you know how important it is to put people first.

The Trust Fund Recovery Penalty (TFRP) is one of the harshest tax provisions on the books. Under the TFRP, a company owner, officer or other employee may be held liable for 100% of the company’s unpaid payroll taxes — which is why the assessment is sometimes called the “100% penalty.” Contractors beware: The TFRP can severely damage, if not destroy, your construction business and threaten your personal financial security.

Broad Interpretations

The TFRP may be applied to any person who’s: 1) responsible for collecting or paying withheld income and employment taxes or for paying collected excise taxes, and 2) willfully fails to collect or pay those taxes. Be aware that the IRS has broad interpretations of these two requirements.

For example, a “responsible person” is any person — or group of people — who has the duty to perform and the power to direct the collection, accounting and paying of trust fund taxes. This person might be:

• An officer or employee of a corporation,
• A member or employee of a partnership,
• A corporate director or shareholder,
• A member of a board of trustees of a not-for-profit organization,
• Another person with authority and control over funds to direct their disbursement, or
• Another corporation or third-party payer.

Similarly, the IRS broadly interprets the requirements for a “willful failure.” The failure doesn’t have to be intentional. For instance, the TFRP may be applied in situations where the responsible person knew, or should have known, about the taxes that should have been paid but, in fact, weren’t.

If the IRS determines that you’re a responsible person, it will mail you a letter stating that it plans to assess the TFRP against you. You have 60 days (75 days if this letter is addressed outside the United States) from the date of the letter to appeal. The letter will explain your appeal rights. If you don’t respond to this communication, the IRS will assess the penalty against you and send a Notice and Demand for Payment.

Once the TFRP is assessed, the IRS can take collection actions against your personal assets. It may, for example, file a federal tax lien or take levy or seizure action.

U.S. v. Samango

A recent Pennsylvania court case illustrates how easily a construction company owner can be found negligent. The defendant in U.S. v. Samango was the sole shareholder and president of a concrete construction company. As president, he supervised all aspects of the business, including reviewing and signing all federal and state tax returns. In addition, he was a minority shareholder and president of a framing company. In this capacity, he approved, signed and submitted various tax forms and documents to federal and state tax authorities.

Both companies had the same business address and phone number. They also shared top-level management and employees. In 2008, the concrete business subcontracted with the framing company to help on a construction project.

While the owner was president of both businesses, he signed checks from the concrete construction company’s account to pay the framing company’s liability for state unemployment compensation insurance. He also approved, signed and submitted to the IRS the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) form for the framing company.

Subsequently, the IRS assessed the TFRP against the owner, claiming he was a responsible person who failed to pay trust fund taxes for the four quarters during which the framing company worked with the concrete construction company as a subcontractor. But the owner objected. He argued that he was only a minority shareholder; had no knowledge of the company’s finances, operations or general decision-making; and held no power or authority to pay its taxes.

Court’s Ruling

However, when the case came before a Pennsylvania district court, it found that the owner was a responsible person who willfully failed to pay taxes. The court rejected the owner’s claim that he wasn’t responsible because he had no oversight or control of the framing company’s finances. After all, the court reasoned, he signed and certified government forms on the company’s behalf. He also paid taxes owed by the framing company with funds from the concrete company’s account for which he had signatory authority.

The owner admitted at trial that he didn’t take any steps to ensure that the framing company’s taxes were being paid. This hurt his case. As president, he should have known that there was a grave risk that the taxes weren’t being paid. And he could have easily found out whether they were being paid. In the end, the owner was ordered by the court to pay $900,000 in unpaid employment tax.

High Stakes

With the TFRP, the stakes for tax compliance are high. To protect your construction business and personal assets, ensure that payroll tax deposits are made to Uncle Sam in a timely manner.

Drones have been used extensively by military units, governments and private enthusiasts. Now drone use is being adopted by companies, including construction businesses. Technically called “unmanned aerial vehicles,” drones offer contractors many practical uses. But before jumping on the bandwagon, identify a drone’s best uses for your construction company. You’ll be more likely to get a good return on your investment should you decide to buy one.

Survey Sites

Instead of relying on traditional resources to develop an overview of a job site, you can use a drone to quickly survey the area and draw up maps. Typically, drones enable you to do the job faster, at a lower cost and more accurately. So, you may be able to allocate workers typically involved in conducting surveys to other tasks.

When surveying sites, drones provide a simplified method for data collection and organization. Piloting drones remotely, you can transmit data quickly and transfer it to a cloud-based storage solution instantaneously. Authorized users of this information can then access it easily via the Internet.

Share Data

Drones with high-resolution technology, including 3D models, allow users to share data by sending a link to clients. The client can log in to the system, view the data and export it to other entities. It’s an easy way to enable multiple users to view sites. A digital surface model can indicate areas requiring special attention — for example, spots where water needs to be drained. 3D models also provide an orbital view of the entire site. Variations in the dirt patterns might show where drainage is working well or causing problems.

Clients can’t always visit sites regularly, but mere photos don’t necessarily do enough to display progress. With drone footage, clients can better view building, renovation and inspection efforts. What’s more, aerial visuals are more revealing — and appealing — than photos from the ground.

And it’s not just offsite clients who can benefit. Drones also help stakeholders track projects that haven’t yet begun. Designers and architects who your construction company often works with may use drone-collected data to develop concepts for future structures.

Monitor Jobs

When you must travel between sites, a drone can help you monitor developments at each location. Project managers want to ensure that their crews are productive. But you can also use drones to detect problems such as missing equipment or special accommodations that may be required.

Drones are flexible monitors. You can easily raise or lower their altitude based on your needs. If, for instance, a drone is flying too low to assess safety issues, simply adjust to a higher aerial view.

Conduct Inspections

Don’t put boots on the ground for inspections when drones can do the “leg work.” They enable you to check in real time the stability of structures, aesthetic issues and possible deviations during construction — all without leaving your office.

Drones can also make annual (or other regularly scheduled) inspections of completed projects easier. Instead of climbing buildings with scaffolding or harnesses, deploy a drone to safely and quickly do the job.

Improve Safety

With eyes and ears in the sky, your business may be in a better position to improve safety conditions. Drones can hover over locations that are too difficult or dangerous for workers to access. Instantly relayed images can help you identify issues that might lead to injuries.

Take construction companies that use prefabrication or modular components. Drone imaging provides data on erection sequences, crane locations and perimeter security so you’re able to pinpoint bottlenecks and forecast hazardous situations. Also, a drone can help you make more informed decisions regarding weather and other environmental concerns.

Track and Budget

In general, the more information you have for analysis, the better you can manage a construction site cost-effectively. Delays and overruns can be extremely expensive. If you use drones to look for parts of a project that aren’t working as planned, you can then act to limit the impact on your budget.

Review Projects Now

Construction companies are just starting to realize what drones can do for them. You don’t want to be left out. Scrutinize current and upcoming projects now to determine where a drone might help your business boost speed, efficiency and cost savings.

The construction industry is well known for having a high physical injury rate. Perhaps less well known is its elevated risk for mental illness — specifically, high suicide rates. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studied more than 22,000 individuals working in different market sectors. The CDC found that construction workers had the highest suicide rate, at roughly four times the national average. Clearly, this is an issue that construction company owners and managers need to know about so they can take steps to prevent loss of life on their own crews.

Small Company Blues

Construction businesses face several challenges when it comes to their employees’ well-being. First off, most are small companies. More than 90% employ fewer than 20 workers, and only about 1% employ more than 100 employees. These smaller operations typically don’t have the HR staff to, for example, mediate disputes, direct disciplinary actions or provide crisis management resources. What’s more, owners and managers of smaller companies usually don’t have the training — not to mention the time — to handle HR functions.

What’s the owner of a smaller business to do? Implement an effective suicide prevention program, which may be relatively easier and less expensive than you might think. The key to success depends on fostering a friendly and supportive environment.

Here’s where small construction companies may have an advantage over their larger peers. With a compact team, your leaders are more likely to interact frequently with workers and get to know their personalities and work habits. An owner who regularly visits jobsites and participates in safety training with crew members opens the door to conversation. Even if an employee doesn’t feel comfortable approaching the boss about his or her problem, other workers may be more willing to discuss coworkers who seem to be in trouble.

Proactive Actions

Of course, being personally supportive of your workers isn’t enough. You also need to provide benefits. Make sure your employee health insurance plan provides adequate mental health benefits. With many plans, mental health coverage (including copays and deductibles) is less generous than coverage for physical maladies. Some plans also require more stringent referral requirements and place limits on the number of office visits and lengths of hospital stays. Try to ensure that,
if one of your workers needs mental health services, he or she can afford the cost. Otherwise, a suicidal worker may go without.

Research mental health services in your geographic area. Contact providers about whether they accept your employee medical insurance and whether they’re taking new patients. Then create a directory of these qualified providers and give employees a copy. They’ll be more likely to take advantage of such services if they have a list of vetted providers handy.

Also post community counseling and local crisis services information (provided, for example, by your city or county) in a public area, such as a break room or in the job trailer. National suicide prevention hotlines, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-7255) and Crisis Text Line (text 741741), give employees someone to talk to any time, day or night.

Know the Warning Signs

Would you recognize the warning signs of a potential suicide? These types of employees could be at risk:

A star employee who’s suddenly underperforming.
A usually reliable worker who starts making mistakes.
A careful crew member who experiences several near accidents.
An individual with perfect attendance who begins missing work.
A former “team player” who’s suddenly uncooperative or disgruntled.
Any worker who has recently experienced a disruptive life event such as a divorce, death in the family or big financial setback.
Any employee who appears to have an alcohol or substance abuse problem.

Do Good and Do Well

An effective suicide prevention program doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. Cultivating a supportive “family” atmosphere and making yourself available to workers can go a long way to preventing tragedy.

Of course, establishing your program isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also good business. When workers feel respected and cared for, they’re more willing to work hard and remain loyal over the long haul. And investing in good health care — both physical and mental — can reduce absenteeism and disability claims.

There’s a construction business commodity that’s incredibly important but often in short supply. Despite needing more of this resource, companies can’t buy it because it’s not for sale. It’s time.

Busy owners often have trouble managing time properly. In fact, the ultimate failure of some construction businesses can be traced to poor time-management habits. Even if you think you allocate time effectively, there’s probably room for improvement. After all, when you can’t get more of something, you need to make the best use of what you have.

4 Best Practices

Review these four simple and practical time-management practices and consider adopting them:

1. Delegate, delegate, delegate.

Delegation is the most important theme in time management and is, therefore, worth repeating. Letting go, especially if you tend to micromanage every aspect of your business, is hard to do. But if you allow others to pitch in, you can focus your time on the most important aspects of the job.

Delegation isn’t simply a matter of assigning crew managers to knock off tasks on your to-do list. It also involves training and mentoring so that both you and the managers feel comfortable when responsibilities are handed over.

The risk of poor delegation is that tasks won’t be performed to your expectations and you’ll be tempted to claw them back. Not only is this demoralizing for managers, but it’s a waste of your time. Try to set aside the mantra “if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself,” and recognize that different people may accomplish goals differently.

2. Set priorities.

It’s not always easy to identify what’s truly “urgent” and what can wait. Often, what seems to be extremely important at first glance can be postponed, at least for a while. Consider establishing a system to label activities that warrant your immediate attention and those that are important, but not critical.

For example, you might allocate tasks to lists labeled “top priority,” “second priority” or “third priority.” Pay attention to where you’re spending precious time. If you find yourself continually diving into the third group while the top priority list is full, you’re probably not using time efficiently. You may even be harming your company.

3. Don’t procrastinate.

Are you the type of person who waits until the last minute to accomplish tasks? Maybe this behavior has worked for you in the past, or you believe that you work better under pressure. For most procrastinators, however, such bad habits eventually catch up with them and harm the quality of their work.

Look deep inside to understand what drives your procrastination. It may not simply be laziness. It’s possible you’re afraid of disappointing clients, workers or other stakeholders. Or perhaps you’re in the wrong business.

Be honest about the reasons for your procrastination and then try to fix them by setting small goals. For instance, aim to cross off three items on your top priority list each day. Gradually increase the number of items until you feel you’re using your time productively.

4. Block out distractions.

Distractions can also trip up contractors trying to make the most of their time, for example:

• Technology in the form of email, texts and social media accounts. Consider dealing only with work-related communications during business hours, and forward less-important messages to your managers to handle. Let friends and family members know when they shouldn’t contact you (unless there’s an emergency).
• Meetings that waste time and are counterproductive. Before you sit down, ensure that the meeting is, in fact, necessary, set a firm agenda for it and conclude the meeting as soon as you’ve covered the agenda items.
• Recreational habits such as watching TV or playing video games. Everybody needs occasional breaks, but you should restrict sports-watching and gaming to 15 or 30 minutes stretches, then force yourself to get back to work.

Thanks to new technologies, it’s possible to automate some tasks — such as allocating costs to your accounting system and getting job-site status reports — so that they don’t take up as much of your time.

Find What Works for You

For most people, effective time management is personal. What works for one construction business owner might not be effective for another. But if you’re struggling to meet completion dates and your habits are negatively affecting clients, you owe it to your yourself and your company to tackle the time-management issue head-on.