Why Do Construction Accidents Happen?

In the United States, more than 11 million people work in the construction industry. Construction work can be dangerous at times, and falls have been the leading cause of construction work accidents for many years. However, construction work standards have changed in recent years and decades to make the work much safer than before.

The same few things lead to the majority of serious construction accidents. However, there are some silver linings to that fact. First, if we can find ways to eliminate just these few causes of construction accidents, construction work will become much safer.

On top of that, because there are only a few major causes of construction accidents, it is somewhat simpler to learn to understand them. That can make it easier to prevent them in the future.

So what are the most common causes of construction accidents, and what can we do to make construction work safer? Read on to learn all about why construction accidents happen and how they might be prevented!

Working In Construction Can Risk Electrocution

There are four main causes of serious construction accidents. They are electrocution, struck-by injuries, falls, and caught-between injuries.

Of course, there are many other things that can cause construction accidents. However, these four causes account for the vast majority of construction accidents.

Construction equipment requires a lot of electrical power. Although there are safety systems in place to prevent electrocutions, they can fail in a number of ways.

For example, some workers are careful when they first begin working around lethal quantities of electricity. However, as they get more used to it, they become less and less concerned. In some cases, this can lead to a lack of situational awareness.

Sometimes, workers also have miscommunications that can lead to electrical injuries. For example, someone might be working on a piece of equipment without any electricity running through it. However, if someone else turns on the power by accident, it can end up injuring whoever is working on the equipment.

In other cases, people might be moving near power lines and reach out and touch them by accident. Sometimes, workers move ladders without realizing that they might contact the power lines above.

Struck-by Injuries Can Threaten Construction Safety

Struck-by injuries refer to accidents involving workers being hit by any of a long list of moving objects. In order to cause serious injuries, these objects usually need to be moving fast. Workers wear helmets and other kinds of personal protection equipment to help protect them from these kinds of injuries.

However, some workers find this equipment uncomfortable or choose not to wear it for other reasons. Sometimes, workers do not receive thorough training on the importance of this equipment.

If a worker does not receive adequate training, they might assume that there is nothing in particular they need to pay attention to for their own safety while working near moving objects that could injure them.

Sometimes, heavy objects fall onto workers below. In other cases, nail gun accidents can lead to serious injuries.

Workers also need to be careful about being hit by moving vehicles. In some cases, workers are hit by moving vehicles because they are not wearing visible safety vests.

Some construction vests are designed to provide high visibility. This can protect workers from some struck-by accidents. You can even find high-visibility safety apparel with custom logos applied to it.

Avoiding Falls Is Vital in the Construction Industry

Another one of the most common causes of construction accidents is falls. Construction workers sometimes need to work at great heights. A construction worker might work thousands of hours high up before suffering from a fall.

However, sometimes a single fall is all it takes. Falling from a ladder might only lead to a broken bone. However, if a worker falls from a roof or high scaffolding, it can even lead to death.

Workers use harnesses and other safety equipment to help protect them from falls. However, some people feel confident about their ability to navigate high places without falling. If they choose not to use a safety harness, there is a higher chance that they will suffer a serious injury.

In other cases, scaffolding breaks down because it is holding more weight than it is supposed to. Construction workers sometimes encounter flooring that is not yet secured. Walking out on such flooring unawares can cause it to collapse.

Caught-Between Injuries Can Threaten Construction Safety

Caught-between and caught-in injuries occur when a worker is caught between moving parts of heavy machinery. If loose clothing or a limb gets caught in machinery, the resulting injury can be extremely serious.

Sometimes this happens while workers are using power tools. In other cases, workers are near a wall when a vehicle backs up against them.

If a worker is working underneath a vehicle, it may catch on them if someone drives the vehicle off. This is another reason why worker communication is so essential to avoid injuries.

Understand the Top Causes of Construction Accidents

Learning more about the causes of construction accidents is not always pleasant. However, knowledge is power. The better we understand what leads to construction accidents, the more effective our safety strategies will be.

By promoting better visibility and care during construction jobs, we can continue to make construction work safer and safer. To learn more about how you can use high-visibility safety apparel on construction jobs, reach out and get in touch with us here at any time!