Construction is one of the most hazardous industries in the country, if not the world. Every year, tens of thousands of construction workers get hurt and approximately a thousand die. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), about 150 accidents happen in construction sites every year, and the most common accidents are fall related. On the other hand, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revealed that one out 10 construction workers get hurt every year. Laborers for an Atlanta construction company are not exempt from these occupational hazards. Accidents can strike anywhere and anytime even with the most sophisticated equipments and most experienced workers.

The lives of Atlanta folks should always take precedence over anything else. Therefore, while working to build the most beautiful homes and buildings in Atlanta, construction companies shouldn’t overlook the safety of their people. People’s lives are the number one concern. Below are a few tips for construction firms in the name of safety and workers’ welfare.

One, always follow basic safety rules as imposed in the city. On-site safety, machine safety and personnel safety measures are very practical and easy to follow. These include the wearing of protective gears (hard hat, goggles, gloves, protective belts), putting up of nets and fences, and checking the electrical and mechanical condition of equipments.

As mentioned earlier, most construction fatalities are due to falls. The most important safety measures, therefore, are those that can help prevent workers from slipping or falling. A worker who goes up to a height of 6 feet is already considered at risk, but the safety policies typically apply starting at a height of 10 feet.

Construction companies in Atlanta and elsewhere in the country are required to put up guardrails, safety nets, warning lines, scaffolds, and a personal fall arrest system. Also, ladders and scaffolds must undergo strict inspections before being climbed on.

The responsibility of construction companies or employers is not just putting up safety equipments and policies but also educating their employees. Employers must sponsor or organize trainings on work safety and personal welfare for workers. Most workers only think about getting their day’s pay and not get concerned about their safety. It is the employer’s responsibility to educate everyone about safety, protection and what to do in case of emergency or accidents.

Employers must also be capable of pinpointing actual hazards and specific locations on site such as holes, shafts, skylights, and so on. Employers and employees should work together in identifying the risks and coming up with solutions. Ultimately, it is the workers themselves who should look over their own protection, safety and welfare first and foremost.

Workers should come clean with their employers if they have something against height. They shouldn’t become roofers or be told to work on an elevated platform. In the first place, such workers shouldn’t be in this industry since construction work will always require working high up on homes or buildings.

According to BLS, most construction accidents involved workers between 25 and 34 years old. They are most likely to be injured, and so workers within this age bracket should be more careful and mindful of their personal safety.

Meanwhile, safety measures should include waste management. A cluttered area could be hazardous especially when including pieces of glass and sharp metal objects. On-site construction areas should assign a waste inspector or manager.

Two, if accidents did happen, employers or construction companies must have proper insurance coverage. No matter how many nets or scaffold have been safely put in place and no matter how much safety rules are observed, accidents will happen and they could come from a simple slip. Workers have the right to be insured both for major and minor injuries and accidents. Employees, especially those in high-risk jobs, deserve medical health and life insurance coverage.

Three, every construction company should regularly observe inspection and site monitoring. An accident-free and uneventful day does not guarantee the workers’ safety tomorrow. It is important to have regular checks before the day begins, during the day and as the day closes, or even more frequently than that.

Working with heavy equipments alone is very hazardous. It is the company’s responsibility to make sure that each equipment is working well and operator knows how to handle them. According to statistics, about 100 construction workers die from mishandling heavy equipments. Trucks have lost brakes and gone out of control, accidentally rolling over people or backing up against workers.

Apart from high areas where workers could fall from, Atlanta construction companies might want to regularly inspect and look into the safety and integrity in these three most hazardous sites. One, check any equipment, tool or area that involves electricity. Electricity is pure power and when unfettered could kill anyone along the way. This means electricians and electrical engineers are in constant danger of being electrocuted and injured.

Two, workers should always be careful when working around trenches or excavation sites. According to OSHA, working around trenching is one of the most hazardous construction areas one can get in.

And three, a stairway could look innocent enough, yet according to OSHA, a number of major injuries have happened surrounding stairways and ladders. Every Atlanta construction company shouldn’t take anything for granted, including the harmless-looking stairway.