What Are Some Construction Site Dangers?

Construction sites never standstill.  They are abuzz with people running from place to place, clumsy heavy equipment in motion, and stacks and stacks of cumbersome building materials.  All of these things raise and contribute to countless safety concerns and occupational hazards.  Inevitably, no matter how careful construction employees are, worksite accidents happen.  These accidents range from minor inconveniences to serious and catastrophic injury – even death.  Construction site accidents impact both the contracting business and the injured party in several ways.  

What are some of these construction site dangers?  Let’s take a look…

Several factors contribute to safety, productivity, and efficiency in the construction workplace.  Causes that influence these risks range from human error and/or negligence to mechanical malfunction environmental factors and more.  Weather can play an unpredictable role in workplace safety, contributing to slips, trips, ground collapse, and delayed productivity.  The transport of vehicles, equipment, and materials can create excessive noise and commotion in an already chaotic environment.  Hazardous materials, chemicals, liquids, gas, and electrical work each present unique challenges in handling and management at the construction site.  High heights and low depths may pose unforeseen conditions necessary to navigate to get the job done. 

Falls on the worksite is the number one most common type of construction injury, accounting for over one-third of all construction site accidents and injuries annually.  The severity of these falls depends upon circumstances such as height, ground conditions, surrounding equipment (ladders, building materials, scaffolding, etc.), and landing.  While in some cases there may be safety equipment or netting employed, more often than not, this is not the case.

Each year, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) publishes its statistics for data pertaining to a variety of workplace conditions.  According to their reports, accidents with injuries affect one in ten construction site workers every year. Of these, OSHA states that the leading cause of these injuries is from falls that occur at construction sites.  This estimate is further supported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  According to BLS, approximately 150,000 construction site injuries occur each year, with falls accounting for the greatest number of these accidents.  Crushing/contact injuries ranked among the highest causes as well.  As a result, at least 15% of Worker’s Compensations claims and expenses are directly the result of construction site injury claims.

Moving equipment and vehicles are a constant on a construction site, and workers are often severely hurt by swinging heavy equipment, materials being transferred from place to place, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Crushing injuries and amputations also account for these types of striking damages.

As utilities are integrated or upgraded in building sites, water, gas, asbestos, lead paint, & electricity each become of critical concern.  Improper handling of these means and materials can contribute to catastrophic injury, therefore every precaution must be taken to signal those onsite workers to use the utmost in care when working with them.  Proper signage, signaling, and disposal, as well as apt and complete employee training, are critical keys to safety.

Motorized machinery can have swift and serious consequences when poorly operated, managed or maintained.  The importance of attentive watchfulness and routine maintenance cannot be overstated when operating heavy equipment.  Loose clothing, insufficient safety equipment, and distraction can all contribute to injury and/or death when caught in machinery or equipment.  

Factors like the type of soil, hardness and/or consistency of the earth, weather conditions, and moisture of the surrounding area can all have a significant impact on the stability of a construction worksite.  Underground areas can be just as unpredictable, with voids and water creating unexpected issues.  Foundational integrity when renovating can be questionable, and collapse can happen at any time when the groundwork is being performed.  Such collapses can rapidly carry people and equipment in the affected area, resulting in injuries, entrapment, or even death.

Construction sites can easily become untidy and disorganized.  Heavy rains, liquid spills, leaking water, or certain construction materials can make the ground slippery and unstable.  Likewise, inattention and/or hurriedness can create perilous circumstances, resulting in injury and loss.  As a result, particular areas may easily present slipping, tripping, or falling hazards to construction workers.  Unfortunately, many of these missteps result in injury.

In cases such as these, liability is of the utmost importance and is generally determined by the following factors:

• Was the General Contractor responsible?  Did they provide a safe work environment and site?
• Were there [any] additional subcontractors involved in the accident?  Did their actions in any way contribute to or impact the outcome?
• Did you [or your loved one affected] conduct yourself in a manner that influenced the incident that occurred?

Safety is vitally important at any construction site.  It directly correlates to efficiency, quality, and productivity.  Construction worksite accidents are most commonly due to a lack of training, a lack of supervision, an inability to carry out a task safely, or due to a failure to pay attention to detail and carelessness.  As are result, construction site accident injuries often result in:

• Head & Brain Injuries
• Eye Injury & Vision Damage
• Neck, Back, & Spinal Cord Injuries
• Broken Bones
• Severe Contusions
• Amputations
• Burns
• Crush Injuries
• Chemical/Electrical/Smoke Exposure or Illness
• Psychological Harm
• Death

Construction site accidents and injuries can have long-term and sometimes permanent consequences, resulting in emotional, physical, and financial suffering.  The team at Kerner Law Group, P.C. are uniquely qualified to assist you with your construction accident injury claim.  If you or a loved one have suffered injury or loss as a result of a construction site accident in the Bronx, call our office today.

About The Law Offices of Stuart M. Kerner

If you’ve been injured and are looking to obtain the best possible outcome in your situation, the Kerner Law Group, P.C. in The Bronx can help you. Our firm has obtained favorable results for injury victims and their families throughout the state of New York in personal injury cases such as auto accidents, oilfield accidents, traumatic brain injuries, and serious personal injuries.

Our law firm offers a free consultation to discuss your accident and review the legal remedies available to you. We’re available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have about your case. Above all, you shouldn’t feel alone and isolated after an accident. If you’ve been hurt in an accident, we’ll come to you. Our attorney can travel to your home or hospital, at your request.