Risk comes along with any construction work. However, construction employers can mitigate many risks and reduce the possibility of an accident. If an accident causes a preventable injury at a construction site, it's possible that employer negligence played a role. Does your site properly address risks and hazards?
1. Falling Hazards
A fall at a construction site can lead to injury and death. You can fall from scaffolding, ladders, cranes, or other heights. You can trip on an obstruction or fall because of faulty equipment. Your employer must ensure all reasonable fall protection methods are in effect. Those protections should include:
- Guardrails and toe boards
- Stair and hand rails
- Safety harnesses, nets, and lines
- Clean and dry floors
- Training
If you have an accident because these or other protections aren't in place, your employer may be liable for your harm.
2. Struck-By Hazards
Construction sites are often full of objects falling, swinging, flying, or rolling by. If you're not careful, one of these objects can strike you. Depending on the situation, these hazards can create injuries and fatalities.
Small objects, such as nails from a nail gun, are as likely to injure you as large objects, such as a vehicle. Your employer must reasonably ensure the safety of workers from injuries caused by these hazards. The protections they enact can include:
- Proper safety gear
- On-site safety instruction
- Notices of possible hazards
- Safety checks of all equipment and machinery
- Training
You must practice diligence as well on the construction site. However, with no warnings, training, or other methods to alert you to danger, there's not much you can do to prevent an accident.
3. Electrocution Hazards
Many people aren't aware of the risks electricity presents at construction sites. In fact, many feel the number of electrocutions at construction sites is "unacceptably high." Some of the main causes of electrocution at construction sites include:
- Wiring
- Power lines
- Machinery
Wiring risks affect electrical workers most. For non-electrical workers, power lines cause the most injuries and fatalities. To mitigate these issues, construction employers should:
- Comply with electrical safety regulations
- Work with utility companies to insulate power lines over the site
- Only allow certified people to work with or around electricity
- Check all plugs, cords, wiring, machinery, and tools for wear, tear, or electrical issues
- Train everyone on electrical safety
Are these types of safety measures in place at your construction site? If not, an electrocution can lead to a lawsuit.
Construction sites contain many other risks and hazards as well. Notice how training represents a preventive measure for every type of hazard. Construction injuries stemming from a lack of training or safety measures can give you grounds to pursue a lawsuit for your medical bills and lost wages.