All construction workers share common injury risks on the job
Whether you work construction here in Illinois or somewhere else, each job site presents common injury risks. Even if your employer does everything possible to guard your safety, accidents still happen.
You wear the right personal protective equipment, use harnesses, watch your surroundings and more, but no matter how hard you try, the risk never really goes away.
Common injuries at construction sites
Knowing the most common injuries you could suffer while on a job site could help make sure you get to go home safe and sound at the end of the workday. Most construction workers would probably agree that the following injuries happen most often:
You probably won’t be surprised to see that falls top the list. If you fail to have the proper fall protection, a scaffold isn’t properly erected or secured, or don’t take the appropriate precautions while working from a height, you could end up suffering serious injuries.
You already know that you work with some dangerous equipment, including large vehicles. If your employer, your co-workers and you fail to take precautions, you could get pinned between two objects, which would obviously cause significant injuries.
You know to pay attention as you walk around the job site, but when you are in the middle of a task, you may not be able to focus on the path in front of you. If the site isn’t kept clear of hazards, you could trip or slip causing you injury.
Even though you know it’s a possibility, you probably don’t spend your time at work looking for flying debris or objects dropping from above, but it could happen. If an object strikes you, it could break a bone, cause a spinal cord injury or cause a traumatic brain injury.
Electricity can be your best friend or your worst enemy on a construction site. Far too many construction workers suffer from electrocution, and some even die as a result.
Every time you show up at a job site, you would probably benefit from remembering the above common injuries you could suffer. Look around and point out any areas that your employer should make safer. Depending on the task you have for a particular day, make sure your employer provides you with the right safety equipment to help ensure you leave at the end of the day under your own power instead of in an ambulance.