Hello World! Welcome Friends! When mistakes happen on a construction site, or something just goes wrong, devastating consequences can sometimes follow. As time-consuming and costly as an accident’s aftermath can prove to be, they’re usually the result of very minor errors and small oversights.
Rectifying some of these preventable circumstances is usually not that hard, but that’s if you catch them in time. With that said, if you’re considering seeking compensation for your damages, then you may want to speak with a construction accident lawyer to find out whether you have a worthy claim on your hands.
The sections below discuss some scenarios that can lead to a person losing their life on a construction site. Read on to find out what they are.
Falls
While some may look at falls and see it as a simple accident, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a broad definition of what it all entails, including slips and trips as well as falls from major heights. This leading cause of construction accident fatalities occurs for many different reasons, such as not having the proper fall protection equipment, improper scaffold construction, unsafe ladder use, and unprotected roof edges.
Slips and trips, on the other hand, can occur because of misused equipment, leaks, and spills. OSHA advises keeping construction workers safe by making sure they use fall arrest equipment, maintain perimeter protection, label floor opening covers, etc.
Electrocution
There are a number of reasons why electrocution can happen, from new wiring installments to thunderstorms, malfunctioning machinery, or existing electricity lines. Whatever the case, an injury because of electrocution can lead to muscular contractions, nerve damage, cardiac complications, and even death.
If you want to avoid electrocution, ensure that workers on the site are aware of all the existing wiring and understand all the potential risks in the area. Furthermore, make sure that anyone who’s dealing with electricity directly goes through the necessary safety training.
OSHA also advises that you find and define all the utilities before you start working, look for any power lines that run overhead when using construction equipment, maintain safe distances from these said power lines, and operate portable electronic gadgets when they’re double insulated or grounded.
Struck by Objects
According to OSHA, a “struck-by” is a construction accident that occurs when a piece of equipment or object hits a worker. This is another major cause of death in construction accidents, for one, because most of the equipment used in such work environments is often incredibly hazardous to man. Some of the things that can strike a worker include falling materials, moving machines, and anything that’s able to hit a worker while on duty.
Protection equipment like safety glasses and hard hats can help reduce the damages caused by struck-bys, while precautions like safety training and high-visibility clothing can help lessen the frequency of such accidents happening in the first place.
Caught Between Objects
Getting caught between two or more different objects is a risk people who work on construction sites have to take on a daily basis. A caught-between construction accident is when the body of a construction worker gets pinched, compressed, squeezed, crushed, or caught between at least two objects.
Just like the struck-by accident highlighted above, this incident can happen when a vehicle crashes into a worker and catches them against a wall or between machinery.
However, it also includes limb injuries that are a direct result of being pulled into machinery on the site, as well as being hit by falling materials. That being said, some of these accidents can be prevented by making sure excavations and trenches are properly protected.
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