Did you know that one in five workplace deaths occurs in the construction industry (according to OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Administration)?
With safety concerns a genuine challenge, OSHA plays a key role in ensuring that safety standards are adhered to on construction sites. Additionally, construction companies and team managers have a lot to learn from OSHA's annual reports on the most common violations of safety standards.
Furthermore, if you check several of these reports, it's easy to see that most breaches appear year after year. So, if you care about your employees and want to ensure that your company can pass an OSHA inspection at any time, all you need to do is make sure these problems don't appear in your workplaces.
To help, we've put together a list of the most common violations that appear in most OSHA reports. If you can keep these problems under control, your construction business will prosper.
1. Fall Protection
Despite strict OSHA guidelines, fall protection continues to top the list as the number one safety violation on construction sites. Alarmingly, more than a third of workplace deaths in 2019 were caused by falls, highlighting the critical importance of addressing this issue.
In an industry where working at height is unavoidable, protection against fall risks must be a top priority. According to OSHA 1926.0501, all construction companies must provide adequate fall protection, which includes covering skylights, providing guardrails on ramps or stairs, and more.
However, many less obvious dangers still go unnoticed. For example, holes or hidden obstructions in walkways can cause disastrous accidents. Likewise, dangerous equipment and openings in walls pose significant threats that should not be underestimated.
To combat these risks associated with severity-related accidents, it is essential that employers establish and implement a comprehensive fall prevention program. This includes requiring employees to wear hard hats and erecting toeboards or barricades when necessary.
2. Lack of training
Ensuring the safety of workers on construction sites is crucial and a fundamental aspect of this involves adequate training in all aspects related to the work. Data shows that comprehensive training can save lives and that a work culture designed around safety benefits both workers and employers.
So take the time to invest in thorough safety training for your construction team and promote a safe work environment. After all, well-trained employees are better equipped to recognize hazards, follow necessary procedures, and minimize risks on site.
For example, the risk of accidents involving forklifts is lower when these machines are operated by well-trained operators. This is because employers make it clear that essential forklift safety guidelines must be followed at all times.
The same applies to fall-related accidents. When employers know and understand the role of using safety equipment, even if a fall occurs, the accident is less likely to be fatal.
3. Eye and face protection
With more than 1,400 violations each year, OSHA's Eye and Face Protection Standard (also known as standard 1926.102) outlines specific guidelines to protect employees from potential hazards such as flying debris, chemicals or harmful dust particles.
Simply put, if there is any possibility of eye or facial injury in the workplace, employers must provide adequate protective equipment for their workforce. For example, you may need to wear safety glasses with side shields when handling airborne particles or a full face shield when handling hazardous liquids. It is worth noting that protective equipment must also meet specific ANSI standards.
4. Health and Safety
According to this standard, employers cannot require their employees to work in dangerous environments and in inadequate and unhealthy working conditions. The standard also requires contractors to provide workers with the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) along with appropriate training.
This also involves ensuring that each worker knows and understands how to work with the tools they are assigned (such as power tools, digging tools, etc.). Additionally, every worker needs to know the consequences of ignoring their training, such as forgoing safety precautions when using power tools.
This regulation seeks to minimize risks and maintain a safe workplace for all employees in the construction industry.
5. Head protection
OSHA's head protection standard requires the use of head protective equipment for employees on construction sites at risk of head injuries. This includes possible injuries from impact, falling or thrown objects, and electric shocks or burns. Essentially, any construction project above one story requires adherence to this safety regulation.
And yet, it's one of the most common violations OSHA inspectors find in the workplaces they visit. One reason for non-compliance may be ignorance or lack of awareness about the risks involved in not wearing adequate protective head equipment. This is quite common among small contractors who may be new to larger projects and are unfamiliar with safety standards.
Another reason why some employers choose to waive this standard is purely economic. After all, large-scale projects employ numerous workers, and providing helmets to everyone can add up financially. However, these savings are short-sighted, as potential legal liabilities, medical bills and compensation should an injury occur outweigh any initial costs.
Security issues
OSHA standards for the construction industry were designed with the safety and well-being of workers in mind. And yet, there are many contractors who choose to ignore these regulations.
As a result, the construction industry is one of the most dangerous fields for workers, with a worryingly high number of deaths and accidents every year. But data shows that construction companies that follow safety standards are more profitable and have a better chance of prospering in the industry. So maybe times will change.
