Accidents are, by definition, an event that happens by chance. They’re unexpected and certainly not wanted. Accidents are bound to happen to everyone, and can happen at any time. By being knowledgeable of common accidents and by learning how to recognize dangerous situations, you may be able to avoid tragedy and save lives.
Top Causes of Safety Accidents
According to OSHA, there are four types of construction work that together added up to nearly 60% of all construction worker deaths in 2009. These areas include:
- Falls: where a worker loses his or her balance or bodily support and falls
- Struck-by incidents: where a worker is struck or hit by an object
- Electrocutions: where a worker is exposed to a lethal amount of electrical energy
- Caught-in/between incidents: where a worker is caught in machinery or equipment, or is trapped in a cave-in
All of these hazards can be found on common job sites. The best way to avoid incidents such as these is to learn how to recognize and prevent them.
Recognizing the Danger
Avoid incidents in these four most common areas by learning how to recognize unsafe working habits and conditions. The following tips are not comprehensive—read more about the safety practices mentioned in OSHA’s Construction Industry Digest.
As you read the following tips, please keep in mind how dangerous it can be to ignore them and instead choose to engage in unsafe practices. While some of these tips may seem obvious to you, they are consistently ignored in the workplace. Workers’ and managers’ decisions not to follow these tips are the reason why these four incident types have the highest death rates in the industry.
Falls
Any walking or working surface can be a potential fall hazard, and any time you’re working at a height of four feet or more, you’re at risk. Before each shift, worksites must be assessed to ensure that surfaces have the structural strength and integrity to support the workers.
To prevent falls, OSHA recommends using a fall arrest system consisting of an anchorage, connectors and body harness, and may include a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline or a suitable combination of these. Body belts used for fall arrests are prohibited.
In addition, construction worksites that are at least six feet above lower levels are required to use guardrail systems, safety net systems and/or personal fall arrest systems in each of the following scenarios:
- Where employees are exposed to falling from an unprotected side or edge
- When bricklaying or performing related work on surfaces other than scaffolds
- On steep roofs with unprotected sides and edges
- On low-slope roofs with unprotected sides and edges
- In a wall opening
- At the edge of a well, pit, shaft or similar excavation
- When walking or working on surfaces that feature holes (including skylights)
When guardrail systems can’t be used, workers must be secured by a personal fall arrest system.
Struck-By
Workers can be struck by falling, flying, slipping/sliding and on-ground objects. In addition to having workers wear hard hats, you can protect against struck-by incidents by barricading the area in which objects could fall; erecting toe boards, screens, guardrail systems or a canopy structure; keeping potential fall objects far enough from the edge of the higher level; and being aware of objects above and surrounding jobsites.
Struck-by specific tips:
- Working or walking below elevated work surfaces may expose you to falling objects.
- Materials being moved overhead expose you to falling objects.
- Never work or stand beneath suspended loads—always keep a safe distance.
- Secure all loads and lift them evenly to prevent slipping.
- Store materials at ground level. Only materials that are properly secured should be stored on higher levels.
- Power tools and activities such as pushing, pulling or prying can create flying objects.
- Grinding and striking materials can create flying object hazards.
- Air pressured above 30 psi can drive oils and other particles through your skin.
- Heavy equipment, materials and traffic moving across construction sites can become serious struck-by hazards.
- Never work near vehicular traffic without barricades.
Electrical Incidents
Perhaps one of the most important things that should be stressed in regard to electrical safety is to always use equipment as instructed by the manufacturer. Don’t assume that you’re operating your equipment properly—always check equipment labels and certifications to ensure that you’re operating correctly. In addition, be sure to follow these practices:
- Protect employees from ground-fault hazards at constructions by either providing ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) or an assured equipment grounding conductor program.
- Don’t suspend temporary lights by their cords unless they’re designed to be used that way.
- Any extension cords at your job site must be of the three-wire type. Extension cords and flexible cords used with temporary and portable lights must be designed for hard or extra hard usage (for example, types S, ST and SO).
- Don’t allow employees to work near live parts of electrical circuits, unless the employees are protected by de-energizing and grounding the parts; guarding the part by insulation; or any other effective means.
- When the exact location of underground electrical power lines isn’t known, employees need to wear insulating gloves when using jack hammers, bars or other hand tools that may contact the lines
- Keep work spaces, walkways and similar locations clear of cords. Never use worn or frayed electric cords or cables, and don’t fasten extension cords with staples, nails or wire.
Caught-In/Between
The three most common caught-in/between hazards in construction are being trapped or buried in unprotected excavations and trenches; being pinned between moving materials and permanent structures; and working with machinery that has unguarded moving parts or parts that aren’t locked during maintenance.
- Never remove a safety guard when a tool is being used. Hazardous moving parts of power tools and equipment need to be safeguarded. For example, belts, gears, shafts, pulleys, sprockets, spindles, drums, fly wheels, chains, or other reciprocating, rotating, or moving parts of equipment must be guarded if such parts are exposed to contact by workers.
- Be sure to avoid wearing loose clothing or jewelry that can be caught in moving parts. Be aware at all times of the equipment around you and stay a safe distance from it.
- Never place yourself between moving materials and stacked materials, a vehicle or a permanent structure.
- Stay out of the swing radius or cranes and other equipment.
- Wear a seatbelt to avoid being thrown from a vehicle and then potentially being crushed by the vehicle if it tips over.
- Don’t work in an unprotected trench that is 5 feet deep or more. Use protection methods such as:
- Sloping or benching. Sloping is cutting back the sides of the trench to a safe angle so it won’t collapse. Benching uses a series of steps that approximate the safe sloping angle. The angle depends on the soil type.
- Trench box or shield. These do not prevent cave-ins but protect the workers who are in them if a cave-in happens.
- Shoring. Shoring are wooden structures or mechanical or hydraulic systems that support the sides of an excavation.
- Enter or exit a trench or excavation only by using a ladder, stairway or properly designed ramp that is placed within the protected area of the trench.
Personal Protective Equipment
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an absolute non-negotiable. Under OSHA regulations, you’re required to provide most PPE at no cost, and your employees are required to use PPE in situations that involve hazardous conditions.
In addition, you’re required to train each worker to know when PPE is necessary and what kind should be utilized; how to properly wear, adjust and take off PPE items; the limitations of the equipment and how to properly maintain the equipment.
PPE standards include safety equipment such as:
- Foot protection
- Head protection
- Hearing protection
- Eye and face protection
- Respiratory protection
- Safety belts, lifelines, and lanyards
- Safety nets
- Life jackets, when working over or near water
- Personal fall arrest system
- Protective equipment for use during electrical work
While there are numerous hazards on the job site, committing to safety as a part of your culture will ultimately put your team in a position to avoid tragedy.
Download our FREE Complete Guide to Fatality Elimination. We cover some of the most common incidents within the construction industry, and tell you what you can do to prevent them.
