Occupational disasters in the construction industry are not uncommon as people have to handle heavy equipment and machinery every day.
However, you will be surprised to know that most workers in this field die of slips, falls, or trips, which can happen to anybody anywhere. Whether it concerns a residential roofing project or commercial construction, these risks are always there.
In 2016, the death toll of the construction workers was 991, of which 370 of them died succumbing to falls to a lower level. The main reasons behind such accidents were that either a worker didn’t use his protective gear properly or an employer did not arrange for their fall protection. It means these incidents were avoidable if everyone was careful about safety and security measures.
OSHA advises employers and workers to follow three steps to ensure that the rate of fall fatalities goes down. These include:
Plan the entire project and its requirements
If the construction job involves working from height, an employer needs to make sure that everything happens safely. For this, he needs to calculate the cost of safety equipment and tools also along with the overall project. He should know the kind of task a project will have and what workers would need to complete it.
Provide all types of safety gears
Workers need to have access to necessary fall protection tools and equipment. It can include ladders, guardrails, scaffolds, and others. Usually, ladders and scaffolds have extensive use in this work. Anyway, it is the responsibility of an employee to harness his workers with the right personal protective equipment for the job and ensure that the devices are well-maintained.
Train workers on how to use safety tools
No doubt, giving safety gear is critical. But it is only a half job done. These will have no benefit if people can’t use them properly. Hence, training workers about their installation and handling is essential. Also, they should have a complete awareness of why they need these fall protection systems in place. With correct guidance and training, labors can dodge many fall risks.
If you also belong to the construction business, you must realize that the safety of your workers should be your priority and not a second thought. Hence, before sending them on any project, arrange for their safety and protection. You would come across various online stores that offer fall protection systems. To make sure your workers are safe on the job and that you don’t have to pay stiff fines for your mistakes, you should invest in quality products only. For example, you can trust the equipment and tools that follow OSHA guidelines for this purpose. These can be anything, right from ladders, roof guardrails, safety rails, and so on. Whether you need these or something else, you can look for more information.
Additionally, you also have to ensure their safe and robust installation. A weakly installed structure will have no utility when it comes to preventing the risks of falls. It would instead accelerate it. Hence, be careful about their installation also.
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