There is no industry that results in more on-the-job injuries than construction. Unfortunately, many of these injuries might not happen if only construction contractors and site owners followed appropriate safety procedures. Here are seven common safety violations on construction sites that you should be on the lookout for:
- Failure to provide safety equipment
- One of the most basic responsibilities of construction contractors is to provide their workers with appropriate safety equipment, such as hardhats, insulated gloves, and safety goggles. Unfortunately, some contractors will refuse to provide this essential equipment, or force workers to buy their own, leading to dangerous safety violations.
- Failure to install fall protection
- Another one of the more common safety violations is a lack of fall protection on construction sites. Construction workers are at a very high risk of falls while on the job, and fall protection like safety nets, handrails, and personal arrest systems can keep them safe. A lack of these systems, on the other hand, puts them at a greater risk of harm.
- Lack of safety training
- All the safety equipment in the world will not matter much if workers don’t know how to handle that equipment properly. Appropriate safety training helps keep workers from accidentally injuring themselves, but some employers will skip it. This safety violation dramatically increases the chances of other safety violations, and, by extension, increases the risk of on-the-job accidents.
- Lack of safety inspections
- Before any work begins on a project, safety inspectors are supposed to check the site to ensure it is safe to start working. In addition, equipment should be regularly inspected to ensure it is in good repair and safe to use. However, these inspections can be costly and time consuming, so some contractors and site owners will avoid them or delay them as long as they can, resulting in safety violations.
- Lack of appropriate signage
- People sometimes underestimate just how important appropriate signage is to preventing injury. Signs can warn of everything from slippery floors, to the presence of dangerous chemicals, to the risk of cave-ins on unstable parts of a construction site. When appropriate signage isn’t posted, it can lead to disastrous results.
- Damaged or broken equipment
- Any equipment that is found to be damaged or broken should be taken out of use and repaired or replaced as soon as possible. As with many other types of safety violations, some contractors will avoid repairing damaged equipment, which places workers at a higher risk of injury.
- Circumventing lockout/tagout systems
- Lockout and tagout systems exist to protect people from being accidentally electrocuted when working with high voltage equipment. In order to save time, some people will circumvent these systems, leading to safety violations and a heightened risk of electrocution. If you or someone you love is hurt due to these safety violations, you should speak to a lawyer with experience handling construction accidents.
For more than 50 years, the New York lawyers at Elovich and Adell are ready to represent you in your personal injury case. Our attorneys, conveniently located in Long Beach, handle personal injury, real estate, commercial transactions, criminal defense, and labor and employment claims all across New York State. For a consultation, please call us at 516-432-6263 or visit our contact page for more information.
