Health Hazards In The Construction Sector
If a construction worker works on a crew or team where safety is positively assessed, he will behave accordingly. Authorized foremen are key in this regard to improving the safety of the construction site. Working near high voltage power lines can cause serious and fatal injuries from direct contact with live lines or arc from those lines to nearby equipment.
The main conclusion of all this is that good employee training is key to reducing health and safety risks on a construction site. Many injuries and deaths in construction projects can be prevented with proper training and according to the safety protocol in the workplace. There asbestos survey company norfolk are simple tools, such as safety checklists, that can significantly reduce the risk of accidents on a construction site due to human error. In addition, the use of personal protective equipment to protect the eyes, face and head can prevent injuries from becoming serious.
Within the construction sector there is a wide range of health and safety problems. OSHA claims that the injury and mortality rate within the construction industry is higher than any other work area. We strive to inform our customers about the importance of safety equipment and what precautions should be taken to prevent accidents. By reducing the number of accidents at work on the spot and unsafe conditions, projects end on time and reduce operating costs.
Dust exposure from hazardous materials can have serious and long-lasting health effects for construction workers, including life-threatening diseases such as asthma, lung cancer and silicosis, and lung conditions such as emphysema and bronchitis. Now that this week’s weather is getting warmer than Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, it seems like a great week for the construction industry to break with those important contracts. Since we are the health and safety people, TDSP Risk Management has summarized the 10 greatest health and safety risks in the construction sector. Use this list to identify the risks you face, make sure you and all your team members work hard to stay safe and come home at the end of the day to enjoy those football matches with your colleagues and family.
Electrical risks, such as shocks or explosions, cause about 8% of all deaths on the construction site. Due to the great danger that electrical systems pose to construction workers, it is essential that all workers receive adequate training to tackle electrical work in construction. Employees can help prevent electrical accidents by locating and identifying public services such as power lines and maintaining safe distance requirements. Employees may only use portable tools with ground fault circuit breakers to prevent accidents, and they must not operate portable tools unless they are grounded or double insulated.
To ensure better protection for workers, the temporary construction of the stairs should be mounted at an angle of 30 degrees and include wooden steps or other non-smooth material covering the entire step. And while great efforts have been made in many countries to improve safety performance, the construction industry is lagging behind most other industries. As the world has become smaller through technology and through cooperative border crossing agreements, the safety of construction workers has become a global concern.
Supervisors should exercise caution when inspecting stairs before use and provide the necessary fall or personal protective equipment to prevent a stair accident. The main cause of accidents in all sectors, from heavy production to office work, is slipping, traveling and falling. In the EU Member States, they have been identified as the main causes of accidents resulting in more than three days of absence.
Failure to identify hazards is often due to limited or inadequate training and supervision of workers. Areas where there is limited training include security design, safety inspection and security monitoring tasks. Failure in one of these areas can lead to an increased risk by exposing workers to damage in the construction environment. Uneven terrain, muddy walkways and equipment obstacles can pose health and safety risks on construction sites, increasing the risk of slipping, traveling and falling, which can lead to injury.