Every industry comes with unique job risks. Some professionals, like retail workers, are at elevated risk of violent criminal acts. Other workers, like truck drivers, have to worry about motor vehicle collisions on the job.
Construction workers face numerous threats at work, but four kinds of accidents account for the vast majority of construction work fatalities. What are the four most pressing safety concerns for construction workers?
Electrocution
Installing an electrical supply is always a risk, especially when someone has to handle live wires. Beyond that, the temporary electrical supply used to power tools at a construction site could also lead to electrocution and severe injuries or death for the workers involved.
Struck-by accidents
Working at a construction site often means having people above or below you. If one of those people falls or if they drop an object, you could get hit from above and suffer a serious injury.
Caught-in or caught-between accidents
Someone working down in a trench could end up seriously hurt in a cave-in, and anyone trapped between the equipment and a wall could suffer severe injuries as well. Moving earth and heavy machinery can easily cause caught-between or caught-in accidents with tragic results.
Falls
The single most significant risk factor at a construction site is the possibility of someone falling. Employers sometimes fail to provide proper safety equipment or training, which can increase the risk of a worker getting hurt by one of these known on a job site.
Identifying and preparing for the main workplace injury causes can help workers be a little bit safer on the job and help them know when to seek workers’ compensation benefits after an injury.
