Going to work should not become a life or death situation, but in the case of a construction site, accidents and mistakes leave many injured or worse. You need to protect yourself from suffering a work site accident.
The government implemented workplace safety regulations for a reason. However, not everyone follows them. Before you decide to skip the safety goggles or tether, you may want to consider the most common construction workers’ compensation injuries and how to prevent them.
Falls
Taking a fall while on the job may result in catastrophic consequences. While some of these may not necessarily have to do with negligent or careless behavior, others do. When you work at a construction site where you need to perform your job at a height, always take the proper safety protocols into consideration. Another thing you watch out for is debris on the walkway. People may leave tools, trash and other things strewn about, causing you to slip and take a tumble.
Squeezed between
While this does not sound like a common injury, it actually happens more often than you may think. Getting stuck between objects and squeezed by them is a painful experience and can cause serious bodily harm. Therefore, always watch where you walk and stand so as to avoid becoming a crush victim.
Hit by falling objects
Items at work may come raining down at you – so wear that hardhat. At construction sites, an ill-placed hammer or bucket of nails may become a flying object and strike a person working below. Watch where you walk and where you place things so as to avoid this common hazard.
Overexertion
Working with heavy machinery and tools outside in the heat can take it out of you and cause you to dehydrate or suffer heat stroke. Make sure you take plenty of water breaks throughout your day. If you pass out from the heat, you may wind up sustaining serious injuries.
Keeping yourself safe at work comes down to paying attention to what you do and following safety protocols. Always stay alert so you can go home in one piece.