Construction workers work in one of the most hazardous work-environments known to man. They are in most situations surrounded by machines, tools and other materials. It has been found the one in four construction workers suffer non-fatal injuries every year. And organizations don’t make it easy and often take shortcuts to get the job done; the result can easily be a fatal accident. This article looks at the most common type of accidents that occur in construction sites:
1. Falls
Construction workers have to work on really high ladders and scaffolding that is often very precarious. The workers have to combat not just the height but also slippery conditions that either arises due to rain or due to human error. Falls represent a whopping 34% of all deaths that occur at construction sites. The unions are crying out for better safety equipment to be provided to construction site workers,
2. Electrocution
It is very common to get electrocuted at the site due to the presence of exposed power lines and electrical wiring and what not. These accidents usually occur when the worker is unaware of what is happening on the site or due to someone not keeping track of where the power wires are running in. This is one of the facets of the construction site that is well documented to prevent electrocutions. But more often than not, human error takes over, and someone gets hurt.
3. Machinery Accidents
The type of machinery that is used in a construction site varies from heavy machinery such as bulldozers and cranes to equipment such drills, nail guns, etc. The construction site can go from a peaceful work site to a war zone in an instant if any of this machinery are misused, leading to a lot of casualties. There are instances of cranes crashing into each other leading to a lot of debris that fell on the workers and thereby injuring them in the process. There are also instances of machinery falling on workers due to some unforeseen issue. A construction site needs to be checked for quality on multiple occasions to prevent any such machinery related accidents from happening.
4. Trench Collapses
Trenches are necessary for the construction of a structure, but the biggest issue with trenches is that they extremely unstable which can lead to workers falling into them either on to machinery and tools or end up being buried in the dirt.
From the list, it can be seen that a construction site is one slip away from being the cause of death for those who work there. Proper safe equipment needs to be given to the workers, and other safety measures need to be taken to prevent accidents from happening.