Construction work is notorious for being very dangerous. Workers can get hurt by machinery that malfunctions or electrocuted when a wire supplying power to a worksite frays. There are countless sources of risk at a construction site, and any number of small issues could lead to someone getting hurt on the job.
Workers who recognize that their job puts them at elevated risk will have an easier time protecting themselves. All construction professionals need to be cautious. For example, there are two construction environments that have a strong association with severe and even catastrophic injuries that are deserving of unique consideration.
1. Trenches
Those working below grade or in excavated areas are at incredibly high risk of injury or even death at work. While it is possible to prevent cave-ins and machinery errors, such scenarios still occur frequently. According to workplace injury statistics, cave-ins often lead to severe injury and death for the workers involved.
The possibility of the sides of the trenches collapsing or of people at ground level dropping items into the trench are among the numerous risk factors that make working below grade so dangerous for construction employees.
2. Significant elevations
Many construction workers, like welders, will have to work exposed to the elements at significant elevations. Even if they use harnesses and have proper support, the workers performing their jobs at a significant elevation can get hurt.
They are at risk of falls, as well as struck-by incidents when there are other people at higher elevations or Machinery moving near them. Workers at significant elevations might even end up dying because of an equipment malfunction or similar issue that doesn’t kill them but instead renders them unconscious or pushes them from the scaffolding or building.
Any construction site is potentially dangerous, but those who are working at a significant elevation or below surface level are generally operating at a higher risk of major accidents that could cause their death. Learning more about the sources of construction injuries can help workers protect themselves and recognize when they may have a right to pursue workers’ compensation benefits in the event that injuries on the job do occur.