Importance of Job Site Safety
Brandt considers safety our number one priority, especially with being in the construction industry. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) reports that nearly 6.5 million people work at approximately 252,000 construction sites across the nation. The fatal injury rate for the construction industry is higher than the national average for all industries.
OSHA lists falls (from heights), trench and scaffold collapse, electric shock and arc flash/blast, failure to use proper protective equipment, and repetitive motion injuries as potential hazards for construction workers.
Here are the top hazards most frequently cited by OSHA and solutions for how to avoid them.
Scaffolding
Hazard: Fall hazards can occur when scaffolds are not erected or used properly. There are an estimated 4,500 injuries and 50 fatalities each year from scaffold-related accidents.
Solutions:
-Scaffold must be sound, rigid, and sufficient to carry its own weight plus four times the maximum intended load without settling or displacement. Scaffold must be on solid footing.
-Scaffold can be accessed by using ladders and stairwells.
-Scaffolds must be inspected and re-inspected by a competent person. The scaffold must be equipped with guardrails, midrails, and toeboards.
Fall Protection
Hazard: Falls account for the greatest number of fatalities in the construction industry. A number of factors are involved in falls so companies should protect workers from all of them.
Solutions:
-Use aerial lifts or elevated platforms to provide safer elevated working surfaces.
-Cover floor holes and use safety net systems or personal fall arrest systems.
-Use guardrail systems with toeboards and warning lines, or install control line systems to protect workers near the edges.
Ladders
Hazard: OSHA estimates that there are 24,882 injuries and 36 fatalities from falls on stairways and ladders in construction, with half of the injuries requiring time off.
Solutions:
-Use the correct ladder for the task and have a competent person inspect a ladder for any defects.
-Mark or tag damaged or defective ladders for repair or replacement or destroy them immediately.
-Make sure that ladders are long enough to safely reach the work area and never load the ladder beyond the maximum intended load.
Brandt stays on top of all safety hazards on our jobsites in order to keep our employees safe on the job.