Construction Site Injuries
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), approximately one-in-five job-related fatalities happen in the construction industry. In 2-16 that amounted to 991 worker deaths in a single year. Understanding the common hazards facing America’s essential construction workers will help to thwart these preventable injuries and deaths.
Construction workers are hurt during slips, trips, and falls; when they get caught in or between heavy objects; and when they come in contact with power sources or toxic chemicals.
OHSA regulations are intended to protect workers from known hazards; but accidents still happen when owners, operators, and employees fail to comply with these standards.
The ten most common construction site injuries are:
- Amputations: Digits or limbs can be severed when caught or crushed by heavy or sharp equipment and machinery.
- Broken or crushed bones: Bone fractures happen when workers come in contact with heavy tools or machines.
- Burns and scarring: Exposed wiring, dangerous chemicals, and contact with power lines potentially cause explosions and fires.
- Cuts and lacerations: Glass, sharp tools, and defective machinery can lead to cuts and punctures that leave workers at risk of serious infections without proper treatment.
- Head injuries: Workers who dig underground or build structures from the ground up are vulnerable to head injuries from objects falling from above.
- Hearing loss: Workers who fail to wear proper safety gear when operating loud machinery risk long-term or even permanent damage to their hearing.
- Heat stroke: Construction workers exposed to heat without protection and rest can develop dangerous heat illness and brain, heart, and kidney damage.
- Spinal cord injuries: Falls from ladders, scaffolds, and other heights can sever the spinal cord and cause partial or full paralysis.
- Stress injuries: Construction jobs involving repetitive motions like bending or lifting for long periods of time can lead to painful, debilitating stress injuries.
- Vision loss: Without googles or other safety gear, airborne objects and chemicals can irritate workers’ eyes, leaving them with temporary or permanent vision impairment.
Preventing Construction Site Injuries
Fortunately, most construction site accidents can be prevented with proper safety equipment and smart safety practices. OSHA standards cover every aspect of the job site from training and education; guidelines for nearly every construction site scenario; and first aid in the event of an accident.
Employers are responsible for training staff on best practices at the construction site, and requiring and/or providing safety gear like googles, steel-tipped boots, and fall protection systems. Employers who fail to comply with OSHA face penalties and fines.
Philadelphia Construction Accident Lawyers at McCann & Wall, LLC Fight for Pennsylvania’s Injured Workers
Construction workers are essential to the American workforce. The jobs they do and the services they provide make progress possible. Yet they also face countless hazards every day on the construction site. They work with dangerous equipment often at great heights or depths and are frequently exposed to the elements. Employers who fail to adhere to OSHA standards and protect construction workers may be responsible for their injuries.
If you have been injured on the construction site, Philadelphia construction accident lawyers at McCann & Wall, LLC will fight for everything you deserve for injuries caused by unsafe work conditions.
Call 215-569-8488 or visit us online to schedule a free initial consultation today. With offices in Philadelphia we are proud to serve clients throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.