Construction sites are hazardous locations. The job is physically demanding. Construction workers frequently have to operate heavy machinery, ascend to great heights, or work on roadways where traffic accidents could happen. Unfortunately, the nature of the profession makes building workers quite vulnerable to injuries on the job.
If you work in construction and were injured on the job, you could be dealing with major medical issues, persistent pain, and financial concerns from missed work and medical expenditures. Having the support of a Newport News workers’ comp attorney would be much appreciated.
5 important things to know about construction work injuries
- Among construction workers, falls are the most often occurring kind of injury and the main cause of fatal ones.
This information originates from www.findlaw.com. The falls comprise those from scaffolding, roofs, ladders, cranes, and other heights. According to the website, falls makeup 22% of all accidents. According to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, scaffolding accounts for 33% of fatal falls, while roof falls account for 39% of them. Another 39% are ladder falls, 27% of them from 10 feet or less.
- Sometimes, construction trade workers are subjected to hazardous situations at job sites because others see the employee’s safety as a secondary concern.
Construction Management Analyst Rachel Burger says that fall protection is the most broken Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation, and falls account for the most industry-wide mishaps. The Scaffolding Law of New York’s State Labor Law guards workers in the construction industry operating at heights and establishes a standard whereby the general contractor or owner bears ultimate responsibility for safety.
- Using ergonomic ideas will help construction workers lower musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, ergonomics studies how instruments could be made or changed for optimal efficiency to produce the best fit for the human doing the activity. Although ergonomics has many applications in the corporate world, musculoskeletal diseases or disorders (MSD) are somewhat common in construction. Many times, these result from inappropriate lifting of big objects and repeated motions. OSHA estimates that they account for one-third of all construction worker accidents and are the most often occurring health hazard in the sector.
- A construction worker can pursue action against a liable party even if they are getting worker’s compensation payments.
Should third-party negligence or malfeasance cause injury from a construction mishap, the worker can pursue a third-party lawsuit about the injuries (AllLaw.com). Other times, worker’s compensation is the sole remedy available; recovery is typically less than one would get in a personal injury case.
- With one in ten workers wounded annually—the highest accident rate in the ironwork sector—construction workers should not overlook the fact they are in an extremely dangerous profession.
In the United States, the construction sector ranks second in terms of fatal injuries to workers younger than eighteen; about twenty percent of all workplace deaths fall in this sector. These figures come from construction management expert Rachel Burger. Burger notes that sixty percent of construction worker injuries happen in the first year of employment.
Texas, Florida, and California account for the most building deaths yearly.
Conclusion
As you know, the construction site is dangerous and full of hazards; no one can promise no disaster will occur. Still, most of the safety risks mentioned above can be avoided if the team and the business rigorously follow building site safety guidelines. If you see yourself or a colleague in a dangerous situation it is important to report the same. Additionally, get legal advisors on board to get the right compensation.
