Fall Accidents On Construction Sites
Falls on construction sites are consistently the leading cause of death and one of the major causes of all injuries for workers. Many construction sites neglect to either ensure proper safety protocol on site or fail to properly educate and train their workers on safety guidelines. This unfortunately results in the injuries and sometimes fatalities of innocent construction workers.
One of the major deficiencies that cause fall accidents are exposed wall openings, floor holes, and unprotected edges. Improper framing, or “wall openings” can cause pose as a huge safety hazard if not properly labeled as such. Workers who may turn a blind eye towards them, intentionally or not, could suffer. Floor holes are probably just as much if not more dangerous. Workers who are not looking down while working, like carrying materials, are in serious danger of tripping or falling down. Workers new to areas with more than one hole are also exposed. Unprotected edges can not only cause a worker to full but potentially cut them or slip them up depending on the size of the edge or corner.
Ladders are also one of the main types of equipment that can cause many fall accidents on construction sites. Having a proper and updated ladder is the first method to ensure it’s okay for use. Another element to remember is using the right type of ladder for the specific type of work being performed. A miniature ladder, as an example, should be used for smaller tasks and lighter weights. This is speaking generally, of course, but a cheaper ladder can cause any worker to drop, either from a malfunction on the ladder, or the weight the worker carries with them. Movement on the ladder should also be taken into consideration. Workers who do not receive training in ladder operation could be more prone to misusing it, therefore more likely to hurt themselves or those around them.
Workers should be updated on safety procedures on a regular basis. For most cities and states, bi-annual training is mandatory, but seeking further education is never a bad idea. As they say, better safe than sorry.