Let’s imagine, just for a moment, a busy construction site anywhere in Jamaica on a stiflingly hot day.

Having done that, it’s not hard to also imagine a worker declining to wear protective gear such as a helmet/hard hat because of the heat and likely discomfort.

However, we don’t need to be rocket scientists to recognise that protective gear can be a lifesaver on such work sites.

Serious injury, even death, can result from someone without appropriate protection being hit by a falling metal tool, brick, concrete slab, and such. Then there are the horror stories of people — improperly harnessed or not at all — falling to their deaths on construction sites.

We are told in this newspaper’s latest Sunday edition of an “alarming rate” of accidents, some fatal, on construction sites.

Exact numbers are unknown since there is a tendency to under-report, reportedly for fear of driving up insurance premiums.

We are told that record keeping in regards to accidents is below standard across the sector.

And, building contractors are too often inclined to protect their profit margins by reducing safety costs.

But Construction Industry Council (CIC) member and former president of the Jamaican Institute of Quantity Surveyors Mr Dean Burrows argues that doing the right thing by proactively seeking to minimise or prevent accidents can actually save costs.

He gives the example of an officer whose job is to ensure safety protocols are in place and followed.

Mr Burrowes says in part “… if there is no safety officer on site and there is an incident and an injured party claims on insurance, the cost to the contractor can be a lot greater than his expenditure on a safety officer…”

Against all of that backdrop the CIC, now in its 65th year, is on a drive to improve safety.

We are told that the CIC wants to see passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Bill, along with finalising the Building Act regulations, to “give inspectors 21st century teeth and align Jamaica with Caricom (Caribbean Community) and ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) norms”.

The construction council also wants to use available modern technology to audit and monitor safety on construction sites; link planning approvals to safety readiness; have tax incentives introduced for sector players sourcing technology to boost safety; as well as introduce digital innovation that can be tailored to local needs and skill sets.

According to former president of the Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica Mr Michael Archer, “The question is: How can we educate and sensitise people that it is in their best interest to follow protocols that increase productivity [and] reduce potential health and safety risks?”

The CIC plans to roll out a series of workshops to share its safety message as a matter of paramount importance.

We believe that in conjunction with that strategy, industry leaders should consider going into schools.

As we understand it, building and construction as a vocational programme is embedded in the curriculum of many schools and is a recognised subject in the Caribbean Secondary Education certificate programme.

As is well-established, in order to change culture and attitudes a good place to start is among the young.