Falling Hazards
Falls are the leading cause of construction site fatalities. Lack of a railing, holes in upper floors and improperly constructed or anchored scaffolding can all lead to serious injury or even workplace fatalities. Ensuring that workers are employing portable ladders correctly, addressing any hazards that might lead to a fall and ensuring safety equipment and harnesses are used at all times can drastically reduce the risk of an accidental fall or other mishap occurring on a construction site.
Excavation Hazards
Digging a trench or excavating an area suitable for below-ground construction can be more dangerous than you might imagine. Cave-ins, trapped limb injuries and even below-ground hazards like power cables and natural gas lines can all be a serious safety concern. Knowing where to dig, ensuring excavation sites are highly visible and suitably marked and ensuring that workers are monitored at all times are all necessary in order to ensure safe excavations and injury-free working environments.
Electricity and Power Lines
Working with or near overhead or underground power lines can place workers at extreme risk of electrocution. Failing to ensure that all power lines have been properly de-energized and safely grounded can all too easily result in a serious injury or fatality. Even power lines that are not being worked on directly can be a hazard should they be damaged or grounded by workers who fail to pay proper attention to their surroundings or those that may be laboring on a site where electrical safety concerns are not being properly addressed.
Airborne Contaminants
While the vast majority of construction materials pose no real safety risk in and of themselves, many materials can pose a serious health risk should they be become aerosolized and inhaled. From hazardous materials like industrialized acids and asbestos to more mundane substances like concrete dust, failing to handle materials appropriately, provide workers with protective equipment in situations that may warrant it is a serious safety infraction that is all too commonly overlooked.
Falling Objects
Dropped tools, falling debris and other objects that may cause injury to those on the ground level are another safety concern that business and property owners would do well to take seriously. Mandating the use of hardhats during demolition, erecting protected walkways and ensuring that heavy equipped is not being used or operated improperly can make a real difference in ensuring workers, associated and even visitors are not being placed at greater risk. Issuing hardhats and other protective equipment as well as ensuring those working or visiting a construction site is taking proper precautions can reduce the risk of a falling object injury.
