How to Avoid Contractor Safety Hazards

 As contractors and construction workers various safety hazards occur on a daily basis.  Safety should always be the first priority regardless of the project’s scale. Even when protecting your crew is a top priority the list of safeguards can be consuming.  Gas lines, overheads and underground electric lines propose dangerous work sites and can cause substantial damage to company employees and equipment. Follow these simple steps to ensure higher effectiveness in your businesses safety practices.

-Implement a safety plan inclusive of standards, measurements and consequences.

-Coordinate random inspections to identify safety hazards.

- Conduct routine team safety meetings.

-Train your employees in lifting, loading and first aid response techniques.

-Ensure safety equipment is properly stored and maintained. 

Out of 3,945* worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2012, 775 or 19.6% were in construction. The leading causes of worker deaths on construction sites were falls, followed by struck by object, electrocution, and caught-in/between. These "Fatal Four" were responsible for nearly three out of five (56%) construction worker deaths in 2012*, BLS reports. Eliminating the Fatal Four would save 435 workers' lives in America every year.

While not every company places equal value on the importance of safety practices, OSHA holds safety in high regards and provides a plethora of safety resources at low to no-cost to assist in decreasing the occupational dangers of all workers. Taking the time to implement these steps could prevent profit loss, lower overhead expenses and ultimately protect a company's most valuable asset, it's people. 

— OSHA