While being a construction worker can be very beneficial towards your family and community, it is no secret that the job has far more safety hazards than many career paths. There are numerous incidents or injuries that could occur that would impair your ability to work and cost you thousands in medical bills. It is imperative that you take as many measures as you can to ensure your personal safety.
Wear the correct protective gear.
No matter how well you know the equipment’s functionality on the site, failure to apply the correct protective equipment can result in short and long-term injuries. Hard hats can minimize damage from falling objects, and protective facial gear can protect you from foreign substances that contain harmful chemicals found in the materials you work with.
Make sure your gear correlates with the tasks you perform. If you work near loud equipment, use earplugs or headphones to prevent long-term hearing disabilities. There are multiple types of gloves to be used for different tasks such as welding or insulation, so ask your site leads for their recommendations on gloves and any other type of equipment you might need for the task.
Inspect all equipment.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set guidelines for workers to make sure the scaffolding for the site is ok for use.
If it is not carefully examined, it can collapse and cause injuries, potential fatalities and cost millions of dollars in property damage. Doing this will reinforce site efficiency and overall safety. Any heavy machinery also requires proper inspection to ensure the safety of the workers and the construction.
Make sure the site has fall prevention equipment.
According to recent studies, almost half of construction worker fatalities are from falling. Over half of those deaths are because the workers do not have access to a personal fall arrest system.
Whether you are building a house or skyscraper, the right preparations will prevent these accidents from happening. Plan out how many people will be operating from higher locations and the best places to put fall arrest systems. Even a short fall can cause serious injuries. It can take as little as five or six feet.
In addition to the lack of fall prevention equipment like harnesses, studies also show that nearly a fifth of all fall-related fatalities were inexperienced construction workers. This reinforces the importance of proper training and mentoring while on the job.