In 2009, the construction industry resulted in more fatal injuries than any other field. This is perhaps not surprising: according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), at least 1,000 construction workers suffer from job-related injuries every year. However, the number of fatalities are slowly and steadily decreasing: from 2012 to 2013, the United Kingdom only had 148 construction-related deaths, 18% less than the previous year. Likewise, in the United States, the number of fatally-injured construction workers has decreased by around 200 people on average. But what could be causing this drop? Most likely it is related to the increase of construction safety training courses, such as material handling or crane safety training, and protective gear, including fall arrest equipment. Could your company benefit from adding these safety measures?
Some form of safety precautions are typically in place at every construction site. For example, it is standard procedure for workers to wear hard hats and steel toe boots to protect them over the course of a variety of tasks. However, with the high level of danger inherent in this type of work, it is often necessary for additional safety tactics to protect your employees. Additionally, because OSHA conducts equipment and job safety inspections on random construction companies every year, ensuring that your work environment is safe could be vital to the existence of your business.
While it is often difficult to assess construction safety risk because every day is usually different from the next, there are several common injuries that can be avoided through proper training and the use of the right equipment. The four leading causes of construction-related deaths, for example, are falls, electrocution, being struck by an object, and getting caught between two objects. Falls have been shown to be particularly common and dangerous: from 1995 to 1999, there were an average of 362 construction-related falls each year, all of which were fatal. For this reason, it is typically advisable to invest in fall protection training and fall protection equipment. Meanwhile, electrocution, falling objects, and becoming caught between two objects can be prevented by having employees undergo crane safety training and other courses that teach them to correctly use their equipment and navigate a work site. Don’t put your workers and livelihood at risk: invest in security training and gear today. More.
