Construction job sites are filled with hazards that can lead to worker injuries if proper safety procedures aren’t followed. The workers who help to construct new roads, buildings and other structures count on their employers, equipment manufacturers and each other to stay safe.
Machinery poses a serious threat to workers, so ensuring that all machinery is in proper working order is vital. One possible injury that workers can suffer is a crushing injury. A worker can be crushed or trapped under heavy equipment. This can occur because of unsafe operation of the equipment or because the operator was thrown from equipment.
Another hazard that is possible occurs when a worker is buried in a cave-in accident. Workers who are buried in a cave-in accident can suffocate. Cave-in accidents and buried-in accidents can occur in a variety of situations, including excavations and underground projects.
Workers can get burned, scalded or electrocuted. Burns and scalds can occur in explosions or when a worker comes into contact with steam. Electrocutions are possible when workers are completing projects near active electricity.
In some cases, construction workers might not be injured in accidents. Instead, they might suffer from illnesses because of on-the-job exposure to sewage or hazardous materials.
In all of these cases, proper safety procedures might have helped the construction worker to avoid being injured or getting sick. When an illness or injury occurs because the construction worker wasn’t provided with necessary safety equipment or procedures, the worker might choose to seek compensation for medical bills and lost wages by filing a workers’ compensation claim.
Source: OSHA Directorate of Training and Education, “Construction Focus Four: Caught?In or ?Between Hazards,” accessed Nov. 03, 2015
