OSHA Safety Training: Construction

Safety training within the construction work environment is vital to the company and more importantly for the well being of the workers. As long as safety and health regulations are properly followed, construction can be safe regardless of its high fatality rate. There are three main concerns for construction companies to pay close attention to such as falls, electrical accidents, trenching and being hit by a vehicle. If these areas are emphasized to employees as being the most dangerous then the workers will pay more attention while in these circumstances. Total construction fatalities rose by 9.1 percent in 2004, from 1131 to 1234, which reinforces the need for proper safety awareness and training.

Falls

Falls are the most prevalent work-related deaths in the construction field. In 1999, an average of 362 deaths was caused by falling on the job. Many construction sites have unprotected opening that is could cause a fatal fall. If the drop is more than six feet to the next lower level there should be some sort of protection. If the hazardous drop is the result of no wall on one side or all sides of a building, the company should build guardrails on all sides where workers could easily fall. When working on a building that requires fixing or replacing a roof, the best option is to implement a safety net under the roof. This will easily catch anyone who falls from losing their balance. Suppose the job site is located at an extremely building, the most effective protection gear would be a fall arrest system. The fall arrest system will stop up to 1800 pounds of force. Other implementable strategies include: evaluate new construction sites before work starts and guard all of the existing holes, cover holes as soon as they form on sites; successfully assemble the hole-guards to hold employees, equipment, and materials. Companies should put into practice covering holes and using either the guardrail, safety net, or personal fall arrest systems together.

Electrical Accidents

There are five main reasons that electrical incidents occur: working around power lines, lack of ground-fault protection, ground path is lost or broken, improper use of equipment, not using extension or flexible cords correctly. When starting up a new job or continuing an old one, there are many precautions to follow. Survey each job site and recognize overhead power lines and do not come within ten feet of them. De-energize lines when working near them. Set up warning signs near buried and visible power lines. Use ground-fault circuit interrupters on all 120-volt, single phase, and 15-20 ampere receptacles. Make sure that all power supplies, circuits, and electrical equipment are grounded. Regularly examine electrical systems to assure that the path is continuously grounded. Never take off protective prongs from connected equipment. Always work with double-insulated tools and ground all metal parts of the equipment. Lastly, make sure that every worker has been trained on how to use equipment correctly and is in functioning condition.

Hit by Vehicles

Over 75% of struck-by deaths are caused by the heavy machinery and equipment. To avoid vehicle related accidents one should follow these procedures: always wear a seat belt; look for other vehicles before every shift; never drive a vehicle if it is not possible to see out of the back; only drive vehicles on safe terrain; never dump loads while people are close by; always use the parking break when leaving the vehicle; inspect the breaks regularly; never surpass a vehicles capacity; and use traffic signs, barricades, and/or flaggers while construction is in process. If the previous list is followed on an everyday basis, construction injuries and deaths could significantly decrease.

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