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Nearly 6.5 million people work at approximately 252,000 construction sites across the nation on any given day, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The fatality rate for the construction industry is higher than the national average for all industries. Falls are the number one cause of fatal injuries in construction. The cost of accidents can be large to the individual and the employer in terms of accident claims, time lost on the job and even your ability to bid and win jobs.

The health and safety of employees is an employer's responsibility. So what should the employer do to keep the workplace safe and prevent construction site accidents? OSHA (Occupational Health & Safety Administration) says, "these deaths are preventable".

1. Provide Safety Training for all employees.

A written health and safety policy should include the procedure for the particular situation and the name and location of a trained first aid responder. As construction workers work on many different sites, they need to review the health and safety policies for the job they are about to undertake.  They must know how to safely operate material-handling equipment, such as back hoes, forklifts and power tools.  They must review the proper chemical handling and disposal and know where the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) are for each chemical.  But knowing where the MSDS sheets is not enough.  They must know how to read MSDS sheets. Frequent crew safety meetings are a must.

2. Provide the right equipment.

Before going to a job site, all equipment must be inspected.  All tools and machinery should have a regular inspection schedule, and workers are to be properly trained on the use of the equipment needed for their jobs.

3. Employees should be wearing safety-appropriate clothing and gear for the job.

Every construction job requires wearing the right safety-appropriate clothing which includes hard hats, goggles, protective suite, and steel toed shoes among other things appropriate to the job the construction worker will be performing.

4. Keep the work site clean.

A clean work site will lessen the chances of construction worker injuries.  All employees should store tools and materials when finished with a job.  Walkways should be free of debris and clear.  There should be containers to collect waste, oily and used rags, trash and other refuse. Frequent garbage disposal should be done.

5.  Install fall protection systems on the job site. 

Since falls are the number one cause of construction accidents, fall protection systems should be installed to protect construction workers.  These fall protection systems should consist of such items as toe boards, screens, guardrail systems, canopy structures or nets. 

Scaffolding can prevent falls, but must be installed by a qualified person/company to make sure it is strong enough to hold the intended weight load.  The surface upon which it is installed must be firm, and the scaffolding must be inspected regularly.

"Construction workers are covered by worker's compensation insurance.  However, worker's compensation only covers some of the medical bills and lost wages.  Since construction worker accidents may be extremely serious and cause permanent disability, a personal injury attorney needs to be consulted about holding the site owner, general contractor or sub-contractor potentially responsible," says Personal Injury Attorney, Randall Spivey.

Construction Accident Attorney,  Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.