| There are many causes of accidents on a | | | | someone capable of identifying hazards and who |
| construction site. Many are often attributed to | | | | has the authority to take prompt corrective |
| some form of negligence and may involve unsafe | | | | measures. Despite these regulations, scaffolding |
| work areas, misuse of tools and equipment, and | | | | accidents still occur through unsafe access to |
| failure to use protective equipment. The following | | | | scaffolds and tools and other materials falling off |
| discusses the nine most common examples of | | | | scaffolding and injuring workers. |
| construction site accidents. | | | | 6. Collapsed Excavation Walls and Trenches - In |
| | | | the state of Washington, collapsed excavation |
| 1. Unsafe Working Areas - Injuries due to slip and | | | | walls or trenches kill an average of two workers |
| falls are among the most common on a | | | | each year. The weight of soil (2000-3000 pounds |
| construction site. Unsafe conditions include | | | | per yard) prevents a trapped worker from |
| uncovered holes or trenches and exposed stakes | | | | breathing, leading to death within minutes. |
| and rebars (which implement hazards to those | | | | 7. Power Tool Accidents - These accidents are |
| working or walking above them). | | | | frequently caused by not using appropriate eye |
| 2. Falling Hazards - A common injury that occurs | | | | and ear protection. Nail gun injuries have increased |
| when a worker near an open-sided floor focusing | | | | each year making eye injuries quite common. It's |
| on his work, steps backwards or to the side | | | | not surprising given that a nail comes out of the |
| without looking. Another falling hazard occurs on | | | | gun with the equivalent force of a .22 caliber |
| stairwells with no guardrails. In this kind of | | | | bullet. Also, not having proper guards in place on |
| accident, workers frequently land on their heads | | | | the power tools can lead to cuts and amputations. |
| or shoulders. | | | | 8. Lifting/Body Straining - The number one cause |
| 3. Misuse of Stepladders - This is one of the | | | | of injuries, disability claims and medical costs in |
| leading causes of injury and long-term disability in | | | | construction are soft tissue injuries-strains, sprains |
| Washington. An injury can occur when a worker | | | | and chronic injuries. These are a result of lifting |
| falls from a tipped-over stepladder. Another | | | | with the back instead of using the legs and not |
| accident that can occur with stepladders is when | | | | using panel lifters when carrying sheets of drywall, |
| tools are left on the top platform. When someone | | | | plywood, or siding. |
| moves the ladder, the tools fall on someone's | | | | 9. Vehicle Accidents - Forklift accidents are |
| head. Using household ladders on a construction | | | | responsible for workers' deaths each year in |
| site can also lead to accidents, as these types of | | | | Washington. A common accident occurs when |
| ladders cannot take the weight and stress of a | | | | turning or maneuvering the forklift with the load |
| construction worker with tools. | | | | raised. Another dangerous construction site vehicle |
| 4. Roof Construction Falls - The number one | | | | is the dump truck. A frequent accident involves |
| cause of death in construction occurs where no | | | | the dump truck backing up and hitting a |
| fall protection is provided. Falls can occur when | | | | pedestrian. |
| anchors (designed to provide fall arrest with an | | | | As you can see, a construction site can be quite |
| attached lifeline) are not properly attached or | | | | dangerous. However, many of these accidents |
| more than one lifeline is on a single anchor. | | | | can be avoided through common sense and |
| 5. Scaffolding Problems Washington State | | | | protective measures. Prevention begins with |
| regulations mandate that a "competent person" | | | | adequate awareness and a properly maintained |
| must supervise erecting scaffolds. This is | | | | working environment that is safe and secure. |