Which Construction Jobs Are the Most Dangerous?
According to data compiled in Construction Safety: A Practical Approach, falling from elevated height accounts for the largest portion of injuries at 37% of all construction-related injuries. Slipping and falling (21%), being struck by a moving object (18%), and lifting or carrying (8%) make up the remainder of causes of major construction injuries. Collectively, these figures add up to an average of two people every week being seriously injured on construction sites.
Tradewise, the most dangerous construction job is that of the general laborer who engages in the most heavy lifting and physical activity. This is followed by roofers, electricians, demolition contractors, carpenters, and painters on the continuum of the most dangerous to the least dangerous construction jobs.
Because of the high risk of injury, construction site managers are mandated by law to implement, regulate, and enforce a number of safety standards. These include ensuring that personnel are always wearing and have easy access to proper personal protective equipment, which includes hardhats, goggles, and gloves.
What Must Construction Employers Do to Keep Construction Employees Safe on the Job?
Construction site managers must also take all necessary steps to make sure that the construction site is free of lead and asbestos. Depending on the nature of the project, supervisors should also test for other common hazardous materials.
A good construction supervisor will also make sure that all personnel involved with construction are able to fully and easily operate all equipment. He or she will also ensure that the construction workers are properly dressed and have emergency supplies readily available in the event of an injury.
A common area of concern is excavation, which can become problematic when the trenches have been improperly formed with regard to sloping and shoring. Oklahoma State University’s Environmental Health and Safety Program advises construction workers to adhere to the following guidelines while working in excavation:
- Underground utilities must be located and marked.
- Trenches over four feet deep must have a safe exit such as a ramp or ladder within 25 feet of every worker.
- Trenches five feet or deeper will be inspected daily by Environmental Health and Safety.
- Excavated material and other objects must be kept at least two feet from a trench opening.
- No one works on the sides of sloped or benched excavations above other employees unless the lower worker is protected from falling material.
- Station a top person outside the trench to detect moving ground and warn workers to leave a trench.
- Any excavating under the base or footing of a foundation or wall requires a support system designed by a registered professional engineer.
With thousands of construction workers injured and a disproportionate number killed each year, it behooves everyone to comply with safety awareness standards, which are the only real line of defense against one of the world’s most dangerous occupations.
