How to Handle Construction Hazards

If you know how to handle construction hazards, you can help keep your team safe and protected. Prioritizing hazard mitigation and education could prevent severe injuries and accidents.

Why Is Construction Safety Important?

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the fatality rate for full-time equivalent construction workers is about 13 deaths per 100,000 workers. This outcome makes construction the second-most dangerous field, trailing closely behind transportation and material moving occupations.Construction safety is vital for protecting workers, and it plays a significant role in finishing projects on time and within budget. If employees get injured, downtime can be costly, and locating suitable replacement workers is often just as expensive.Learning how to handle construction hazards can help protect your company from lawsuits and compensation claims due to negligence. Adequate safety measures also protect the public. Most construction sites are situated in busy areas, and falling objects or faulty machinery can pose a threat to bystanders.

How Should You Handle Construction Hazards?

There are countless hazards you could encounter on a construction site. Here are three general tips that cover a range of common dangers.

1. Prioritize Training and Education

Safety training is crucial to ensure all workers remain on the same page regarding the best practices for avoiding injuries. Training promotes better adherence to industry standards and improves productivity. Ongoing education keeps workers aware of construction hazards and ensures they’re up to date on any changes.Attaining safety certificates also improves a company’s reputation and establishes it as an organization that prioritizes safety. Plus, when you emphasize safety measures, you’re more likely to land high-profile clients. Earning certificates through better training ensures workers are able to assess their environments and work safely.

2. Communicate From Start to Finish

Construction workers must be clear on what they should and should not do on a site. They must understand what is expected of them. Additionally, when starting on a new site, it’s crucial that they’re aware of any potential construction hazards and how to handle them.What’s the best way to get this information across? Communicate. If there’s a lack of communication, workers may engage in guesswork, which could result in serious injuries. Supervisors should inform employees of potential hazards and expected tasks before and during each shift. You can also place signs around dangerous sites to keep workers and the public aware.

3. Establish a Safety Program

You should implement a well-thought-out safety plan from the get-go. This measure includes briefing workers before they even enter the site. An effective safety plan helps prevent hazards in the construction industry and should include the following features:

• A list of the personal protective equipment (PPE) workers must use when on-site
• A description of employee roles and names of safety officers
• An inventory of emergency contact numbers and emergency protocols
• A reminder of safety policies for certain sites, such as no-smoking areas
• A prompt on the importance of reporting accidents and how to file reports
• A warning of the potential on-site hazards

How to Prevent the Fatal Four Construction Hazards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) established four hazards as being responsible for the most fatalities in the construction field — known as the Focus Four. OSHA Focus Four guidelines outline how to avoid hazards on the construction site. They also help workers identify the most dangerous jobs and equipment and detail how to handle them effectively. The Focus Four are falls, struck-by, caught-in or between, and electrocutions. Here’s how to handle them.

How to Prevent Slip, Trip, and Fall Hazards

Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction field. Falling is usually caused by wet or slippery surfaces, poor lighting, or uneven areas. With the proper precautions, you can help workers avoid slips, trips, and falls. One efficient method is to establish real-time safety monitoring protocols and conduct regular risk assessments. You can also take these measures to prevent fatal falls:

• Require that workers use fall arrest equipment.
• Cover and secure all floor openings and label them clearly.
• Ensure workers only climb surfaces suitable for their weight and the equipment.
• Install perimeter protection and ensure it’s properly maintained.
• Utilize ladders and scaffolds safely.
• Maintain proper housekeeping of your worksite.

How to Prevent Struck-By Hazards

A struck-by accident occurs when a worker gets hit by a tool, piece of equipment, or object. These incidents mostly relate to poor housekeeping and unskilled workers handling dangerous equipment. There are two leading causes — dropped objects and mobile equipment. You can help prevent struck-by hazards by educating workers on OSHA regulations. For example, they should know the importance of PPE in protecting them from hazards. Wearing high-visibility PPE when working near equipment and vehicles can help workers operating those machines be aware of where others are. Additionally, workers should never position themselves in the path of moving objects.

How to Prevent Caught-In or Between Hazards

Caught-in or between hazards occur when workers are crushed in a collapsing structure, compressed by equipment, or caught in malfunctioning equipment. Trench collapses are common in this category. Here are some fast tips when dealing with trenches:

1. Implement benching, sloping, or shoring for employees in trenches.
2. Use a cave-in protection system (e.g., trench box) to protect workers.
3. Designate a person to remain on-site to oversee workers in a trench.
4. Do now allow workers to enter an unprotected trench that’s 5 feet or deeper.

Education is also a priority — you can educate workers on the proper safety procedures for these construction hazards. You can also place signs near equipment to remind workers to turn off vehicles or power sources when not in use.

How to Prevent Electrocution Hazards

Electrocution occurs when someone is exposed to lethal levels of electrical energy. The current flows through skin, hair, and muscles and can result in heart attacks, burns, and death. Construction workers often work with or near electrical equipment, but many lack education on its dangers. The main electrical hazards are poorly kept cords and tools (e.g, frayed cords, missing ground plugs), lightning strikes, and making contact with overhead power lines or live circuits. Arguably, the leading hazard is a lack of education, especially when using specific equipment around overhead power lines. The following pieces of equipment could result in death if they touch an overhead power line:

• Metal ladders
• Scaffolding
• Backhoes and cranes
• Concrete pumpers
• Long-handled cement finishing floats
• Raised dump truck beds

Many more pieces of equipment could cause electrocution if used improperly. Education is the key to avoiding these hazards. Workers should be aware of avoiding contact with energized sources and inspect all power tools and portable machinery before use. They should also use ground-fault circuit interrupters for added protection and always keep a safe distance from powerlines.

The National Association of Safety Professionals: The Practical Approach to Workplace Safety

The National Association of Safety Professionals understands the lifesaving power of safety education. We encourage every individual involved in the construction industry to follow safety best practices to prevent construction hazards, which is why we provide online training for the construction industry. Our training courses are built for and by safety professionals, so you know you’re getting the rundown from experts who’ve worked in the field. They also meet or exceed OSHA standards and other relevant regulatory requirements. For more safety resources, check out our blog. You can also explore our range of online courses to begin earning safety certificates. Do you have a group of 8 or more students for a particular construction safety-related topic? NASP employees can come to you and provide high-quality, instructor-led training that meets or exceeds OSHA regulations. Click here to allow NASP to provide you with a quote.