California Construction Trucking Association (CCTA)

With so much emphasis on safety and accident prevention, why do workers still have accidents or become injured on the job? Unsafe conditions and mechanical failures that cause accidents and injury are the main cause, and can be readily correctable. However, there are also other root causes at work, and a primary one is human behavior.

Insufficient training or the lack thereof is a basic cause for accidents and injury. Workers may simply not be aware of the hazards involved with a job, tool, or equipment. Every worker should be trained to do a particular task or use a certain tool correctly and safely. From day one, workers must be informed of the hazards they may be exposed to at the workplace and shown ways to protect themselves from injury or illness.

Structurally, our feet are well designed; they are made up of 26 bones with almost no cushioning or protective muscle layers surrounding them. This makes the unprotected foot extremely vulnerable to many types of injuries, especially with dangers in construction work. In a typical year, many disabling foot injuries occur, and many of these injuries could have been prevented if proper foot protection was used.

There’s no footwear that is able to protect against all injuries. The best option is to be proactive by identifying and assessing all foot hazards that may exist at the worksite. Then require the proper foot protection be worn in those areas, use engineering controls when possible, and always enforce safe work practices.

With falls continuing to be the leading cause of death among construction workers, especially those involved in residential construction activities, OSHA has ramped up its compliance guidance. The agency is rescinding the interim compliance policy in effect since 1995 and has replaced it with a stronger compliance guidance.

LRP Publications

The previous policy “permitted employers engaged in certain residential construction activities to use specified alternative procedures instead of conventional fall protection,” OSHA said. “These alternative procedures could be used without a prior showing of infeasibility or greater hazard and without a written, site-specific fall protection plan.”

Most of us take our hearing for granted, especially when we’re young. We assume that hearing loss is unavoidable and is part of the aging process. However people who live in other parts of the world without the everyday noises of our industrial society have little or no hearing loss as they grow older.

Violence in our society seems to be ever increasing and the workplace is no exception. One out of four workers are likely to be threatened, attacked, or assaulted at work each year. However, employers can take steps to minimize the chance of violence in the workplace by improving the screening process for job applicants and establishing, conveying, and enforcing violence prevention programs that include educating workers to recognize early signs of potential violence.

State Compensation Insurance Fund

Radiant heat from hot surfaces, heat from hot processes and the heat from the sun can all cause workers to endure mild to serious illnesses, and in extreme cases, death. The summer weather is in full effect and it is important for workers to understand the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses so they may take the proper preventive steps. Employees who work in a hot environment should be trained in the causes, recognition, prevention and treatment of heat related illnesses.