Accidents That Occur Most Frequently at Construction Sites

Each year a list of the 10 worst jobs in America is compiled; this year construction worker made the list at #10.  With fewer job available, low pay, and high danger it is no wonder that this job ranks low.  It requires long hours and a lot of energy.  Construction sites are like war zones when it comes to the amount of injuries that can easily be sustained.  As you focus on avoiding accidents you can make your site safer for workers and visitors. But make sure that you are also prepared for when accidents happen. Having a process for reporting the accident, filling out the first report of injury form, and treating the injured worker is all important to making sure that you have a safe workplace.  Below are some of the more common accidents that occur on construction sites.

Head injuries are extremely common and they can happen for a variety of reasons.  There are closed head injuries where there is a blunt force to the head.  Concussions are an example of a closed head injury.  There are penetrating head injuries in which objects break through the skull.  Traumatic brain injury is another example of a head injury; this can be caused by both closed and penetrating injuries.  Comas are often a result of head injury.

Construction works face the risk of receiving injury to their bones and limbs as well.  Broken and fractured bones are very common and can be anywhere – neck, back, arm, leg, etc.  Dislocated shoulders are common and well as other dislocated body parts.  It is also not uncommon to lose a finger or two on a construction site.

Infections can easily occur from untreated or improperly treated wounds.  From small scrapes to larger wounds there is a proper cleansing that should happen to insure that wounds do not become infected.  When they become infected larger problems can occur.

Burns can easily happen, from steam, heat, heat generating materials, hot water, etc.  Burns must be treated immediately, at any severity, to insure that they do not become worse.  Untreated or improperly treated burns can result in horrible infections as well as a loss of skin and nerve cells.  Sunburns are also common on construction sites and it is important to wear protective ointments to help limit the risk of sun burn and skin cancer.

Hearing and vision loss are definite possible risks in construction.  Different situations can lead to hearing loss including very loud explosions, exposure to loud noise over a long period of time, but also trauma to the ear.  Sometimes hearing loss can be reversed, but not always.  The chemicals surrounding construction workers can lead to vision loss as well as simply injuring an eye. 

Anything from a very common slip of the hammer to falling off a roof is capable of causing horrible problems, so it is important to understand the risks of working in a construction zone and to follow proper safety precautions.

Wearing the proper gear is essential to construction site safety.  Some of the articles of clothing that are necessary are steel toed boots, fitted clothing (this doesn’t mean spandex, but definitely extremely loose clothing and cause many dangerous situations), wearing a hart hat at all times, wearing sturdy and thick construction gloves, wearing long sleeves whenever possible to help prevent burns, etc.  Wearing the proper masks and goggles is also important and helps to prevent damage to internal organs through breathing in dust or smoke as well as to protect the eyes from any damage that could occur.

Listening and learning construction site safety guidelines will help all construction workers to be safer.  When the rules are followed and strict attention is paid to what one is doing, there are far few fatalities and tragic accidents on site.  Everyday is serious business on a construction site and should be treated as such in order to help prevent serious injuries.