| Anyone involved in the construction industry | | | | heights. In the American construction industry, the |
| would know that construction safety accidents | | | | leading causes of deaths is falls, and as a result, it |
| are part and parcel of the industry. However, this | | | | must be treated seriously and appropriately. All |
| only means that you should be doing all you can | | | | construction safety plans must contain provisions |
| to make sure that they don't occur. | | | | in order to protect workers from falling from |
| The next best thing to completing eliminating | | | | dangerous heights. Here are a couple of hazards |
| accidents is reducing them, or at least reducing | | | | to manage: |
| the risk of them occurring. | | | | - Unprotected sides |
| If you want to achieve this goal, you have to first | | | | - Bad scaffold construction |
| understand what are the main causes of | | | | - Portable ladders not used properly |
| accidents and deaths on US construction sites. | | | | Struck-By |
| Providing a solution to a problem is not impossible | | | | This category refers to dangerous contact |
| without first knowing the causes of a problem. | | | | between humans and heavy equipment. In the |
| You can divide all construction safety accidents | | | | great majority of cases, cranes and trucks are |
| into 4 main categories, all of which are listed | | | | the main cause of accidents and deaths. Apart |
| below. | | | | from heavy vehicles, you must also watch out |
| Electrical Incidents | | | | for falling objects and unstable walls. |
| Electricity is such an essential part of our daily | | | | Trenching & Evacuation |
| lives that we sometimes tend to take it for | | | | Contrary to popular belief, cave-ins are not the |
| granted. More importantly, we take for granted | | | | leading cause of accidents and fatalities when it |
| how dangerous a safety hazard such as electricity | | | | comes to trenching. Here are a couple of other |
| can really be. The OSHA or otherwise known as | | | | hazards to watch out for: |
| the Occupational Safety & Health Administration | | | | - Not having enough oxygen in a closed space |
| says that workers should not work near an | | | | (which leads to asphyxiation) |
| electrical power circuit unless they are wearing | | | | - Toxic fumes |
| adequate protection. Below are a number of | | | | - Drowning |
| hazards that electricity can pose: | | | | - Unexpected contact with underground pipes and |
| - Contact with power lines | | | | lines |
| - Equipment not used properly | | | | Now that you know the leading causes of |
| - Extension cords not used properly | | | | Construction Safety Accidents, it's time to take |
| Falls | | | | appropriate and immediate action to minimize the |
| Construction always involves people climbing great | | | | chance of those occurring any time soon. |