We are living in the 21st century, which many call the golden era for development in countless sectors. The construction industry stands tall among them, growing rapidly and shaping our cities.
But unlike many other industries, the life of a construction site worker is completely different. It’s truly a hard-core job. In St. George, Utah, with its incredible, breathtaking red rock formations and fast-growing communities, building construction has been increasing very rapidly. With the increase in construction comes a higher risk of accidents while performing the work.
If you or your loved one is working in and around the city, a top-rated construction accident attorney in St. George can guide you through your options and help you in ways you might not have even thought of.
3 Common Construction Site Accidents and How to Prevent It
- Chemical Exposure and Burns
Construction sites are not just a random place to work and come; they are a place where accidents can happen in every nook and corner, and these sites often hold substances that can be very dangerous to health if not handled properly.
Even paints, adhesives, asbestos, fuels, and heavy metal dust particles from machinery can contain deadly chemicals that pose serious health risks. At times, workers have to work under extreme heat and fire, such as melting steel or welding metal parts together. In such situations, burns are a real and immediate danger.
How to prevent it:
- Wear proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), which includes gloves, masks or respirators, goggles, and protective clothing.
- Read labels, understand hazard signs, and don’t ignore Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
- The workplace must be properly ventilated; it must be taken care of from the company’s end; they have to ensure workers, especially when working indoors or in closed environments with chemicals.
- Report leaks or spills immediately; even a small oversight can lead to a serious chemical accident.
- Training should be a must for everyone in the work field.
- Slip and Falls
A construction site is not flat floors and soft carpets. Here, the workspace is going to be hard, really hard, where you’ll be working, you will be climbing ladders, walking on narrow scaffolds, or working on platforms high above the ground.
Generally, working at heights without any suggested proper safety gear or guardrails is like inviting trouble for yourself. And this is one common thing a fall accident case follows: they have experience, so they didn’t wear any protection. Please, it doesn’t matter if you’ve done it a hundred times or even more before; it only takes one careless moment on your end to cause a tragic accident to happen.
How to prevent it:
- Always make sure you wear safety equipment when working: Even if you slip, the harness will hold you and prevent you from hitting the ground. Do not consider it just a duty at work because safety protections like this will be your backup plan when things go wrong.
- Utilize guardrails for safety: It’s always best to make sure your work site hasguardrails because these can act like protective walls, stopping you from the edge.
- Pause working during bad weather: You should always be aware of your work conditions. Natural calamities, such as strong winds or even just a light rain, can turn a safe workplace into a dangerous one.
- Accidents Caused by Objects
Anything falling from a certain height, even a small stone or a screw, can cause severe damage if it hits your head. Often, these head injury accidents happen when tools or materials are left unguarded while working at higher levels. Sometimes it’s just carelessness, but the truth is, one person’s mistake can harm someone standing far below.
How to prevent it:
- Wear a hard hat at all times: Your hard hat is your shield at your worksite. Never take it off while on site, even for “just a minute.”
- Secure your work tools and materials when working above:Tie down tools, keep them in tool belts, and make sure materials are placed in a safe position.
- Mark danger zones below high work areas:Use signs or barricades to keep people away from the areas where there’s a risk of falling objects.
Your safety should always come first. After all, no project is worth risking a life. And if an accident does happen, having a trusted construction accident lawyer by your side can be the best support in protecting your rights and getting the help you deserve.
