Construction Accidents
Construction worksites are dangerous places. You have workers, equipment and machines all moving about while each contractor is trying to complete its assigned task. These workers are employed by different companies, some of which fail to properly train and supervise their employees. This is a recipe for disaster for not only the untrained employees, but all those working around them. The result is often accidents ending in catastrophic injuries and death.
The most common construction accidents involve falls, workers being run over or struck by operating equipment, electrical accidents, fires and explosions. These accidents can all be avoided through the implementation of effective safety measures.
Construction Site Falls
Falls are a leading cause of death in the construction industry. Of the nearly 1,000 construction workers killed each year while on the job, roughly one third are caused by falls. That means over 300 workers will die each year from preventable falls.
Construction site falls include those from roofs, balconies, scaffolds and holes in flooring. Proper fall protection (ie. guardrails, safety nets and personal fall arrest systems) will greatly reduce the risks of construction site falls.
Struck by Operating Equipment
The construction site is an extremely busy work environment. Workers, tools, product and equipment are constantly being moved about the site. Various tradesmen are on site performing the tasks assigned to their employer/contractor. Everyone has the responsibility to look out for each other’s safety and project supervisors have the additional duty of holding periodic safety meetings for the well-being of all employees.
Nevertheless, when equipment operators are in a hurry or don’t have adequate vision or spotters, accidents happen that can lead to disabling injuries or death. Yet another example of an easily preventable work site accident.
Electrical Accidents at Construction Sites
It is estimated by OSHA that roughly 350 construction workers die every year from electrical accidents. The causes of these deaths are from electrocutions, steam accidents and contact with power lines. The risks of these hazards increases for workers who perform their jobs on scaffoldings or in cranes near overhead power lines.
Working with electrical current is both unavoidable and necessary. As a result, OSHA has created specific guidelines for construction workers to follow when dealing with hazardous situations. Too often however, these standards are not followed which results in serious, yet preventable accidents.
Construction Site Fires and Explosions
According to OSHA, workplace fires and explosions kill 200 and injure more than 5,000 workers every year. As a result, OSHA has established special safety guidelines in order to prevent or at least minimize fires and explosions at worksites.
Unlike the accidents discussed above which may result in injury to only one worker, fires and explosions at worksites can injure or kill many workers or even families living in the surrounding area.
As a result, these types of accidents typically garner the most publicity and are considered the most tragic. However, they are simply one more example of a tragic event that could have and should been avoided.