Sources of Common Construction Accidents (and How to Avoid Them)
If you or someone you love works in the construction industry, you know how many ways there are to sustain a serious injury. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, there are four hazards that cause the majority of construction fatalities. These include:
- Slips: Whether you’re working on the ground or on a rooftop, construction work provides endless opportunities to slip, trip, and fall. Due to the wide range of chemical substances, such as cleaners, lubricants, paints, etc., that may be necessary during a construction job, it’s not hard to imagine a serious slip occurring on site. Slips can be avoided by marking wet areas, cleaning up spills immediately, and wearing appropriate shoes.
- Falls: If you are working on a rooftop or on an elevated surface, you face the potential for a fall and could suffer broken bones, tissue damage, and more. You can avoid taking a tumble by making sure floor openings are covered, securing the perimeters of elevated surfaces, and ensuring you are properly secured when working from any height.
- Struck-by and Caught-Between Accidents: A large number of construction accidents also stem from machinery. Construction workers have often been caught between moving and stationary objects and machines, resulting in severe bodily harm. This sort of injury can be avoided by wearing brightly colored and/or reflective clothing (especially near heavy machinery and vehicles), ensuring proper protections are in place before going into a trench, hole, or other crevice deeper than 5 feet.
- Electrocution: Most construction workers are exposed to live wires at some point and must know how to actively prevent contact with dangerous electrical cabling in order to avoid electrocution. The first step to staying safe is finding out where the utilities are located before doing any work, as well as taking notice of all overhead lines and ground wires, so you can maintain an appropriate amount of distance. This is also important when using metal tools, such as metal ladders, scaffolding, etc., in order to avoid contact with potential sources of electrocution.
Get in Touch with Construction Accident Attorneys in Brooklyn
If you are a construction worker who has been injured on the job, contact the Belushin Law Firm, P.C. right away. Depending on the severity of your injury, the immediate and long-term cost of your recovery and wellbeing will begin to mount very quickly, and it is imperative that the responsible parties be held accountable to pay the cost of your injury. Our Brooklyn personal injury lawyers are here to help you get the best possible outcome in your case so you can cover your costs and get back to your life. We also offer complimentary case evaluations in order to help you get started.
Call us at (888) 918-9890 today or send us an email to schedule your free consultation.