Every employee or sub-contractor is entitled to a safe construction site work environment. Unfortunately, every day hundreds of workers are injured at construction sites. Job-site accidents take a serious toll on the $300 billion-a-year United States construction industry. Work-related injuries and illnesses in construction occur at a rate that is 54 percent higher than the rate for all industries, making it one of the most dangerous occupations. In addition to the pain and suffering incurred by affected workers, accidents cost $20 billion annually. Owners are becoming increasingly aware that employing unsafe contractors means higher costs.
There are numerous opportunities for construction site work injuries. Many types of equipment are present and in operation at a construction site. Let's see, there are forklifts, hydraulic cranes, bridge cranes, hoists, lift gates, railways, trucks, conveyors, earthmoving equipment, jack hammers, tractors, hydraulic cranes, and cement mixers to name a few. Every piece of equipment should have a trained operator, be regularly maintained, and be free of defections.
Then there are tools, pallets, drills, toxic substances, scaffolding, and open trenches to contend with.
With all these opportunities for serious or fatal errors, one has to wonder how comprehensive the safety training is for employers, foremen, employees, and sub-contractors. One reason accidents happen is when short cuts are taken to either save money or meet deadlines. An unsafe construction site may be caused by companies that disregard safety procedures. Another reason accidents happen may be that for many workers English is not the primary language and safety training policies and procedures may not be understandable. Also construction sites are macho environments, perhaps less caution goes by the wayside of bravado.
OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is a resource that supplies compliance information on a variety of topics including Spanish translations. When done right, construction site accidents can be minimized in numbers and severity.
If you have been injured seriously in a construction site accident or a loved one has been fatally injured in a construction site accident, contact a law firm that focuses on construction site accidents.
