10 Causes Of Construction Accidents And How To Avoid Them

It goes without saying that construction sites are one of the most dangerous places to work on. Construction accidents statistics report that 1 in 5 UK workers in construction are killed on the job. That’s not even mentioning the amount of workers with non-fatal, yet life-changing injuries as a result of the job. It’s a high risk work environment with hazards everywhere, ranging from electrocutions and slips and trips, to falling from high heights and fires and explosions. Construction safety shouldn’t be taken lightly, with proper training and inspections regularly carried out, but despite this – construction workers are still injured or killed on the job. Take a look at the 10 causes of construction accidents and how to help avoid them.

#1 Falls From Heights

How to avoid this:

  • Fall protection systems.
  • Guardrails on scaffolding.
  • Harnesses and fall grabs.

 

#2 Electrocutions

How to avoid this:

  • Regular safety inspections.
  • Electrical safety knowledge such as workers knowing the minimal distances from power lines and to check that electrical equipment is free from hazards.
  • Ensuring that electrical wires are not exposed.
  • Regular machinery checks to ensure they are not defective.

 

#3 Slips And Trips

How to avoid this:

  • Wearing proper footwear.
  • No running policy.
  • Proper housekeeping.
  • Keeping the construction site clean and orderly.

 

#4 Fires And Explosions

How to avoid this:

  • Train personnel on construction fire hazards.
  • Ensure that the area is free from flammable or combustible materials.
  • Control ignition sources.
  • Provide fire protection equipment.

 

#5 Machinery Incidents

How to avoid this:

  • Proper equipment training to avoid fingers getting trapped, hair getting entangled and being crushed the equipment.
  • Awareness and maintenance of equipment.

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#6 Overexertion

How to avoid this:

  • Taking regular breaks.
  • Keeping hydrated with water.
  • Take the time to position your body correctly before using machinery.
  • Bending your knees when you’re lifting.

 

#7 Falling Debris

How to avoid this:

  • Safety nets and construction netting.
  • If there’s bad weather (i.e gales and wind), you may have to postpone the work.
  • Wearing steel toecaps or even safety boots in the event of debris landing on your feet.
  • Wearing a helmet.

#8 Excessive Noise

How to avoid this:

  • Personal protection equipment such as wearing ear protection.
  • Regularly assessing the noise levels in the workplace.
  • Screening to deflect or absorb sound.
  • Isolation.
  • Placing equipment on dampening material.
  • Substitution – changing your methods of working or swapping equipment for those with lower noise emissions.

#9 Exposure To Irritants

How to avoid this:

  • Respiratory protective equipment.
  • Wearing gloves.
  • Adopting work methods that increase distance between the worker and the substance, such as the use of longer handled tools.
  • Suitable footwear.
  • Waterproof trousers.
  • Washing exposed skin on breaks and after work.

 

#10 Moving Vehicles

How to avoid this:

  • Checking brakes and reversing lights.
  • Implementing signs stating: ‘Vehicle Only Areas’.
  • Wearing reflective clothing.
  • Separate entrances and exits for pedestrians and vehicles.
  • Removing obstructions.
  • Barriers between the walkway and roadway.

 

Looking for a building contractors company that take construction safety seriously? Here, at Form Construction  we take 100% responsibility for the safety of our construction workers, putting into effect a working environment that is safe and secure, limiting the potential for construction accidents and injuries. It is through our constant training, and daily and weekly site briefs that we enforce our safety policy to keep all of our employees and subcontractors safe whilst working on our projects. We take independent advice and monitoring from Solent Safety Services to ensure that our working practices are relevant and apply to all regulations.