Hardhats are an important piece of safety equipment that no construction worker should be without. A hardhat protects the head from falling debris that could cause major head trauma or even death in some cases. This indispensable piece of safety equipment is generally mandatory on many construction sites.
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Safety goggles are an important piece of safety equipment that helps to protect the eyes. This type of safety equipment is an essential part of equipment that should be worn on the job site and even during some recreational activities. Many of us even doing home improvement projects neglect to protect out eyes and forget how important safety goggles are until there is an accident.
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Approximately 100 workers are killed in forklift accidents each year and about 25% of these incidents are due to the machine overturning. Some other common reasons behind forklift fatalities involve being hit by materials or the worker being run over or falling off the vehicle.

People that use forklifts everyday have a tendency to take shortcuts and have a lackadaisical attitude about safety, which make the individual more prone to accidents. A person can avoid becoming a statistic if willing to review and observe forklift safety and be aware of guidelines each and every time the machine is used.
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There can be many hazards when working on a job site. Many builders realize the injuries that can occur when corners are cut trying to save money on a job site. There are many costs that can be reduced, but costs should never be cut when dealing with employee safety and safety equipment.

Hard hats are an essential piece of equipment that should always be worn on a building site. The hard hat helps to protect ones head from falling debris to bumping the head on objects on the job site. Without wearing one of these hats, can lead to many head injuries and even death for a person.

When back braces are not worn when lifting, can cause major spinal injuries. By wearing a back brace when bending or lifting helps keep the back from being strained. This piece of equipment when worn properly can help prevent many common back-related injuries that can occur when lifting and bending.

Protective eyewear can help reduce of injury or loss of and eye when worn properly. There are many hazards that can injure the eye on a job site. This can include flying debris to working with hazardous chemicals. Safety goggles or safety glasses are a great way to help protect eyes from injury when doing any type of construction work.

Costs on purchasing safety signs should never be cut. “Danger” and “Caution’ signs should always be placed where applicable on a job site. This will keep workers informed on where some of the most dangerous areas are and where certain precautions should be taken in these designated areas. By not using these signs on a construction site could result in many different types of injuries or even death.

A first aide kit is a must on a construction site. Without having this basic piece of equipment can have devastating effects when one has an injury. By having a first aide kit that is fully stocked at all times can sometimes be the difference between life and death for someone that is hurt on the job site. This allows one to apply first aide until the person receives medical attention.

Following certain rules for safety and using proper safety equipment on a job site, not only saves money in the long run, but can also save lives. By not cutting corners on safety will greatly reduce hazards on the job site.

The rates of workplace injuries and illnesses in 2007 occurred at a rate of 4.2 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers—a decline of .2 cases from 4.4 cases in 2006. Also, the number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses reported in 2007 went down slightly to about 4 million cases, compared to 4.1 million cases in 2006. The total recordable injury and illness incidence rate has declined by 0.2 cases per 100 workers each year since 2003, when estimates from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses were first published using the North American Industry Classification System. Some key findings of the 2007 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses were:
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Employers cannot assume that their subcontractors will have total responsibility for the safety of their employees under a recent court ruling from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in St. Louis.  Many general contractors write into contracts with their subcontractors that the  subcontractor is totally responsible for the health and safety of their own employees. In some cases, the contracts may assume that subs take on the total responsibility for the safety of their employees.  But this court decision says that an employer can no longer avoid OSHA liability simply by subcontracting work to another entity.

If the employer maintains some degree of safety control over the worksite then that company is called a “controlling employer.”  As a controller employer, the company can be held responsible by OSHA for hazardous conditions on the site, even if they did not directly create them or expose their employees to the conditions.

General contractors should always understand their OSHA responsibilities on the worksite and that all subcontractors are following applicable OSHA rules and regulations. This may also mean that OSHA may increase its focus on work sites, particularly construction sites, where it can cite multiple employers for a single safety or health violation.  This decision also increases the potential for criminal liability for multiple employers where an employee is killed at the work site.

The decision also opens the door for OSHA to reinforce its multi-employer worksite policy.  The multi-employer worksite policy says that a company that is not considered a controlling employer can be held responsible for an unsafe condition it created even if its employee was not involved in an ensuing accident.

Protecting you eyes will keep you from experiencing any unforeseen workplace accidents. Workplace eye injuries are a common occurrence and each day more than 2,000 people experience an eye injury.  Of these injuries, approximately 10-20% will result in some form of either temporary or permanent vision loss.

Some of the most common reasons for eye injuries in the workplace can be linked to flying objects (wood, glass, metal, etc.), tools, particles, chemicals, powerful radiation or any combination of these factors.  There are three things you can do now to help protect yourself against an eye injury.  You should know the eye safety dangers at your job and complete and eye hazard assessment.  Take precautions to eliminate any hazards prior to working and use machine guards, work screens or other controls.  Make sure you always use the proper eye protection on the job.

You should always wear protective eye wear on the job whenever there is a situation that presents a chance for injury.  Anyone else working in the area or even those just passing through, should always take precautions and wear protective eye wear as well.

You may be wondering what types of safety eye wear are available.  You can get safety eye wear in prescription and nonprescription, goggles, a face shield, welding helmets and in a full-face respirator.   The kind of safety eye wear you will need depends upon the hazards of your workplace.  If you work in an industry that has flying particles or objects, or dust, you should wear safety glasses with side protection at the very least.  If you work with chemicals you should wear goggles and if you are exposed to radiation, you need to use special-purpose safety glasses, goggles, face shield or a helmet designed for the job.

Safety glasses can come in glass, plastic and polycarbonate materials.  All three forms of safety glasses must meet or exceed the minimum safety standards for your industry.  Glass lenses are not easy to scratch, may be used around harsh chemicals, can be made in prescription form and can be rather heavy and uncomfortable.  Plastic lenses are lightweight, will provide splatter protection, may not easily fog up and are not as scratch resistant as glass.  Polycarbonate lenses are lightweight, protect against splatters, will not easily fog, are much stronger than glass and plastic, not as scratch proof as glass and are more impact resistant.  Whichever type you choose will depend upon your individual needs and the industry in which you work.

Protecting your eyes in the workplace does work and may prevent you from being injured or blinded. It pays to educate yourself about the workplace safety information on your job and adhere to it for your safety and the safety of those you work with.  Your eyesight is a precious thing and you should do everything possible to protect yourself against needless accidents in the workplace.

Despite your best efforts to create a safe workplace, there may still be accidents. In many cases, an accident traumatizes a company, with concentrated efforts devoted to helping any victims, making temporary repairs or adjustments at the jobsite or shop, and trying to get the daily business flow going again. Stopping to notify OSHA is likely to not be one of your immediate priorities. But at what point does an “accident” qualify as being required to be reported to OSHA?

Suppose your foreman calls from a jobsite. He tells you that one of your workers has fallen, and requires hospitalization. Do you ever need to call OSHA about the incident? Surprisingly, the answer is “No”. In fact, the criteria for qualifying an incident as reportable are much higher.

According to Federal regulations, an accident is required to be reported to your local OSHA office when:

A fatality has occurred.
or…
Three or more workers require in-patient (overnight stay) hospitalization from a particular incident.

Note that the criteria above will apply to a thirty (30) day window from the occurrence of the accident. For instance, if within thirty days from a particular incident a worker dies as a result, at that time the accident is reportable.

Another example would be three workers working on a roof deck. The roof deck collapses, with all three workers falling. Two workers are rushed to the hospital where they each spend at least one overnight stay. The third worker, however, is treated for cuts and bruises and released without an overnight stay. If within thirty days, the third worker is admitted for an overnight stay (say, due to a possible concussion that symptoms later indicated), then at the point in which the third worker stayed overnight is when the accident becomes reportable.

Once an incident is determined to be reportable to OSHA, it’s time to take a deep breath and get on with it immediately. The notification needs to be made within the following time limits.

Within eight (8) hours.
or…
Within eight (8) hours from when the incident is reported to any agent or employee of the contractor.

Furthermore, OSHA requires the following information to be given at the time of reporting a qualifying accident.

Company name
Location of the incident
Time of the incident
Number of fatalities and/or
Number of hospitalized workers
Contact person
Phone number
A brief description of the accident

This report should go to the local OSHA area office. To help with this, OSHA has established an emergency number of (800) 321-OSHA. Upon calling this number, you’ll be directed through a menu. After you’re directed to enter your zip code, your call will be forwarded to the appropriate OSHA office. Notification may be made by phone, facsimile, or hand-carried letter. Naturally, any phone or fax notices should be followed up in writing for verification, and to ensure no misinterpretations occur.

Failure to report a qualifying accident in time may result in fines of up to $5,000. Naturally, some mitigating circumstances may apply, such as if the accident occurred at night, or on a weekend or holiday. Also, if the stress of the moment caused you to forget to notify immediately. The main fact OSHA would consider is if the contractor actually contacted OSHA first- not the other way around. Voluntarily calling OSHA first, say 24 hours after and accident, while technically a violation, may not be pursued as such by OSHA. However, if OSHA contacts you at any time after the 8 hour expiration has run out, you will likely be cited for failure to notify.

A contractor contacted me several months ago, and said he was “waiting for OSHA to come to the door.” When asked why, he said that one of his workers (who wasn’t wearing a safety harness) was killed from a fall. He was talking how he had expected OSHA to come to his office, but it had been two weeks. He believed that OSHA automatically visits contractors in such a circumstance- and sometimes it may be true. In this case the contractor was clearly in violation, and the likely eventual discovery of this accident by OSHA would lead to serious consequences for the contractor. Upon my advice, he promptly notified OSHA with his explanation- not good, but the best course under the circumstances.

Also, be careful that the information given is correct and truthful. The above list is the minimum required by OSHA, and should be factual, but may be brief. Remember, penalties for false statements by you or your workers may result in fines up to $10,000 and or imprisonment of up to 6 months!

If an accident happens, there is no need to rush to the phone. Obviously the first order of business is to take care of your workers first, then eliminate any hazards causing or resulting from the incident, and then returning the jobsite to a safe condition.

At that point a careful and clear assessment should be done to determine if the accident qualifies for reporting. If it is determined that the accident qualifies, then a notification report should be carefully prepared in accordance with the above list, and OSHA notified within the 8 hour time limit of the accident’s occurrence.

What qualifies as a reportable accident. should be understood by not only your workers, but also any subcontractors working onsite to prevent unnecessary reporting of an accident. A notice should be added to your poster board showing the two criteria which qualifies an incident as reportable. Many workers and subcontractors are quick to call OSHA when any accident occurs under the incorrect premise that it is necessary. Therefore, this should be discussed with all workers and other contractors on a project so that everyone is familiar with the regulations.

However, remember it’s still everyone’s responsibility onsite to report any safety violations or unsafe work practices to the controlling, or general contractor to keep the jobsite safe. Contractors working together to control unsafe conditions is a major step to preventing a reportable accident from occurring.

Construction site accidents cause painful injuries and claim 1,200 lives per year. When we discuss the causes of an accident it’s to prevent a similar event down the road.  The cause of an accident is typically due to three factors.

Unsafe Conditions

Unsafe Conditions which can be found everywhere.  Examples are inadequate or improper guardrails or a lack of any guards at wall or floor openings which will lead to a fall.  Poor housekeeping, electrical grounding, inadequate labeling, are just a few of the dozens of unsafe conditions that may be found on a typical jobsite.  Make a difference by not creating a hazard for yourself or others, and to report any unsafe condition to your supervisor as soon as possible.

Unsafe Attitudes

Having an unsafe attitude is perhaps the most crucial of the three causes.  This is because with the right attitude, a construction worker can detect and correct unsafe conditions.  The right attitude obviously can also prevent unsafe acts before they happen.  A constant state of diligence may be hard to achieve, but in one of the most dangerous work environments, it’s crucial for your health and safety.

Unsafe Acts

The third cause is Unsafe Acts. For example: using a tool that is defective or damaged, or using a good tool in an unsafe manner. Other examples may include disregarding warning signs, not wearing personal protective equipment, working too close to electrical lines, handling hazardous chemicals improperly, or even lifting material incorrectly.

When the cause behind an accident is determined, you’ll find that correcting the root cause will prevent that accident from occurring again. The goal is for the jobsite and your job to be safe.