Construction sites can be very dangerous working environments if there aren’t any health and safety measures and precautions put in place to protect the workers. This type of job can be very dangerous if the risks are not taken care of. Employers need to make sure that their employees are safe. Failure to do so can lead to serious damage. Below are the major causes of accidents in construction sites and the actions that can be taken to avoid them.
Falls from heights
Unsecured ladders, faulty scaffolding, and lack of personal protection equipment (PPE) and safety railings can all increase the risk of falling from high areas. Falls from height can cause very severe injuries like spinal cord injuries, brain and head injuries, and even cause death. Employers should ensure that workers are safe while working at heights by providing them with appropriate training and providing them with the correct PPE. Employees are supposed to be protected. If they are on a ledge and don’t have the right materials to keep them safe, it could lead to serious injury or death.
Trips, slips, and falls
You can find loose cables, equipment, and holes everywhere on the ground in building sites, which increase the risk of slipping, tripping, or falling in the workplace. The employers and employees can reduce the risk of trips, slips, and falls in the building sites by removing obstructions in walkways, keeping sites free from debris, and reporting any dangers to management. Slipping accidents are not a joke. If a person is not aware of the hazard they could seriously hurt themselves.
Defective tools and equipment
All tools and equipment in building sites should be in good working condition and safe to use. However, this is not always the case and some employees may be given faulty tools to work with, which can cause bodily injuries to the workers. To protect employees from getting injured, employers should provide appropriate PPE, regularly maintain machinery and tools, and conduct a health and safety check on the equipment and tools being used on the sites. Employees need to have rigorous training before getting on any type of equipment. Employers need to make sure that everyone is taken care of so they can avoid any type of accident.
Electrocution
Building sites have a lot of electrical equipment and if they are faulty or used incorrectly, they can cause electrocution, which can cause injuries like scarring, burns, nerve damage, or even death. Employers can reduce the risk of their employees getting electrocuted by only hiring qualified staff to do electrical work, and by regularly maintaining and inspecting electrical tools and equipment. This type of injury is no joke. They can lead to serious health issues that could have been avoided if employees were in safer conditions.
Manual handling of heavy objects
Injuries can occur when employees do manual handling tasks like lifting, transporting, pulling, pushing, and carrying heavy loads. When the workers try to transport objects that are very heavy or fail to use the correct techniques taught in training, they may sustain injuries. An employer should conduct health and safety training to demonstrate to the staff the safe ways of doing the task and implement measures that can help in moving heavy loads, like using conveyors, pallet trucks, or hoists.
Vehicle accidents
Some workers die while others sustain injuries from vehicle accidents on building sites. The risks of these crashes can be minimized by; keeping pedestrians and vehicles aside by providing designated barriers, walkways, and crossings. In addition, these incidents can be prevented by hiring fully trained workers to operate vehicles on building sites and by having signs and instructions in areas where vehicles will be coming in and out.
Conclusion
If you have sustained injuries on a building site through the negligent actions or inactions of someone else, then you should contact a New York construction accident lawyer who can help you gain financial compensation, rehabilitation, care, and support. They will make sure that you get the justice you deserve. These types of accidents can easily be avoided if employers were paying attention. You deserve to get money back for any type of injuries that were sustained while on the job.
