How to Stay Safe While Working on a Construction Site
By Ross Cellino
Construction site workers can suffer significant injuries and damages from accidents involving slips and trips, falling objects, malfunctioning equipment, falling from a tall height, electrocutions, and vehicles. Construction site workers must follow safety protocols and consider a safe way to approach work to prevent a significant construction site accident.
Some safety tips for preventing a construction site accident include wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), keeping their work area tidy, following signs, receiving clear instructions for daily tasks, using the right equipment, and reporting hazardous conditions.
Even if they do work safely, construction accidents can still occur because of the negligence of their employer or fellow employees. If that is the case, a construction worker can file a construction site accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company to pursue compensation for damages.
Always Wear Personal Protective Equipment
One of the most important ways to remain safe while working on a construction site is to wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Construction sites are not like other jobs where workers do not have to consider the danger they face. These workplaces have many hazards that can cause construction site accidents, such as heavy equipment, dangerous chemicals, elevated platforms without railings, fires, etc.
Construction site workers should wear proper equipment to protect them from harm should something go wrong while at work. Some personal protective equipment that can help mitigate harm from a construction site accident includes hard hats, gloves, goggles, ear muffs, ear plugs, heavy-duty boots, high visibility vests or suits, respirators, face masks, etc.
While these pieces of gear cannot prevent a construction site accident, they can protect a worker should they experience one.
Keep Your Work Area Clean
Many walking hazards at a construction site can cause slip and fall accidents. Construction sites can also have many loose objects, such as debris, nails, and other sharp objects, that can cause penetrating injuries that can result in infections.
To avoid workplace slip and falls and serious injuries caused by objects, workers should keep their work spot clean during their shifts.
Construction workers should clear the ground, so there is nothing in the way of walkways, sidewalks, and stairs that can cause a slip and fall accident. They should also put away anything after use, clear the debris from the ground caused by their construction activity, and wipe away dust to prevent airborne pollution.
Act Safely and Responsibly to Prevent Accidents
Those working on a construction site must take it upon themselves to act responsibly and work safely to prevent accidents. Most construction site accidents occur because someone does the opposite and works unsafely.
Construction site workers owe it to themselves and those they are working with to work safely to prevent harm caused by construction site accidents. Reckless and dangerous behavior while working on a construction site can endanger everyone in the immediate area and threaten the safety of the construction site.
The following are some safety tips for working on a construction site:
- Follow what is laid out on the induction
- Don’t work in unsafe areas
- Follow signs and procedures
- Always use fall protection gear when working up high
- Don’t enter unsupported trenches
- Avoid working below crane loads
- Don’t tamper with equipment, guard rails, or scaffold ties
- Ask questions if you don’t know what to do
Report Any Unsafe Working Conditions
Construction sites can have harmful conditions that can expose workers to significant health risks. Malfunctioning equipment, low visibility areas, and chemical spills can all cause construction site accidents or expose workers to illnesses. Construction site workers should report these unsafe working conditions to their supervisor, so they can do what they can to fix the problem.
While the harmful condition may not harm you, others may not be aware of the problem and experience an injury or illness when they come into contact with it.
If your supervisor does not take the proper steps to fix the problem, you can report the unsafe working condition to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), who will send an inspector to determine if the construction site is safe for workers.
Don’t Do Anything You Are Not Trained to Do
Workers on construction sites can use many power tools, such as welding equipment, power drills, jigsaws, nail guns, etc. However, not all workers are trained to use all the machinery required at a construction site. Using power tools they are not trained to use can lead to a construction site accident, resulting in the worker suffering a serious injury.
Construction site workers should only use equipment they are trained to use. If instructed to do so, they should tell their supervisor they lack the proper training or experience and request a different objective.
Should You Hire a Lawyer After a Construction Site Accident?
After sustaining a work injury on a construction site, you can file for worker’s compensation to recover some payment for economic damages. However, some construction site accidents involve negligence, resulting in severe injuries not fully covered by worker’s compensation. If injured workers accept worker’s compensation benefits, they will not have any other recourse for pursuing compensation.
They can opt not to recover payment from worker’s compensation and file a construction site accident claim instead. If you decide to go down this path, you should hire a construction site accident lawyer to help with the claims process.
Holding your employer or another employee accountable for your damages can be a complicated process that requires someone with vast legal experience. A construction site accident lawyer can help determine if you have a case, assess the at-fault party, prove liability through tangible evidence, and negotiate a fair settlement with the liable party’s insurance company.
Contact Cellino Law for Help With Your Construction Site Accident Claim
The construction accident lawyers at Cellino aw can help you recover fair compensation for damages after a construction accident. We understand how a construction accident can affect your finances through economic damages like medical bills and lost wages and your quality of life through non-economic damages like pain and suffering.
Our construction accident attorneys can use their decades of experience to put you in the best position to recover fair compensatory damages. Contact Cellino Law today for a free construction site accident case evaluation by calling us at 888-888-8888 or leaving a message on our online contact page.
Content checked by the personal injury attorney Ross Cellino
Ross Cellino
As a family man and a trial attorney, I pride myself on winning cases and serving the community. With over 35 years of experience, I understand the function of a jury, how juries arrive at conclusions, and the role that the jury plays in administering justice. I know how to win cases. You can find us in Manhattan, Buffalo, Melville, Rochester, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and other locations throughout New York.
