MMA Blog

Construction Site Safety: Keep your workers safe

Spring is here at last, the annual season when the grass grows, the temperatures warm and the flowers bloom. But vegetation isn't the only thing flourishing when the seasons change - so do contractors, as builders take advantage of ideal weather conditions with longer daylight hours and an increase in material availability, according to Tradesman Saver.

But in contractors' haste to get a jump on the action, it's important that project leaders make sure their workers' physical well-being is prioritized and isn't overlooked in favor of productivity. A rise in workplace injuries serves as a wake-up call to those who may have previously neglected construction site safety. “Safety first” still rings true.

Over 5,000 fatal work injuries were reported in 2023.

Importance of construction site safety

There's been a disturbing trend at many of the country's workplaces, where more people are getting injured. Many of the injuries are so serious as to be fatal. For instance, in 2023, more than 5,0000 people were killed at the job site due to accidents, according to the most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. To put this into perspective, that statistic is close to the number of Americans who died of anemia, a common blood condition, in 2023. When work accidents start claiming lives as much as prevalent health conditions, it becomes apparent that workplace safety should be prioritized.

Construction ranked highest among all industry sectors in 2023 for fatal workplace injuries. Of those injuries, 39.2 percent was attributed to falls, slips, and trips, while 22.3 percent was attributed to transportation accidents. These numbers prove the importance of construction site safety measures.

Preventable injuries more common than ever

Accidental injury occurs so often, it's now in the No. 4 spot for leading causes of death in the U.S., according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. While this may seem surprising, fatal occupational injuries have been following an upward trend over the past decade.

Deborah Hersman, former president and CEO of the NSC, said that many employers simply aren't adopting a safety-first mentality.

"Our complacency results in 442 deaths each day," Hersman warned. "For years our country has accepted unintentional injuries as an unavoidable reality. The truth is, there is no such thing as an accident. Every single one of these deaths was preventable."

The construction industry, which accounts for a substantial portion of the U.S. economy, often entails job functions that can be risky when the appropriate precautions aren't put in place. Injuries can range from slips, trips and falls to accidents involving high-powered equipment.

Using ladders safely to protect employees

The CDC reports that 161 workplace fatalities in 2020 were caused by ladders and 5,370 ladder-related injuries occurred at construction and extraction jobs. Incidents involving ladders can lead to broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries, according to Weinberg Law Offices P.C. These injuries commonly result from incorrect use of ladders, defective ladders, damaged or old ladders, or improperly securing ladders.

Ryan Moss, CEO of Little Giant Ladder Systems, stressed these kinds of accidental injuries can be avoided by working smarter.

"Most ladder-related accidents can be easily prevented with the proper education, precautionary actions, and safer, more innovative equipment," Moss advised.

The American Ladder Institute recommends implementing these four easy-to-follow guidelines to proper ladder use:

  1. Choose or purchase a ladder that fits the job, ensuring it's the appropriate length.
  2. Set up ladder exactly as instructed.
  3. Check for signs of wear that may compromise a ladder's integrity.
  4. Use a ladder as it's meant to be used.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also has suggestions on how to prevent falls on the job site. Core components to construction site safety are planning, training, and providing the right equipment for tasks at hand.

As a construction professional, injuries can throw a real wrench into your productivity goals. But accidents happen, and when - or if - they do, MMA will be there to provide you with the coverage you need to bounce back. Talk to us to learn more and schedule a risk assessment.

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