Construction site safety

and materials, power tools and electrical equipment, hazardous substances, plus the effects of excessive noise, dust and vibration.

In the US the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Handbook (29 CFR) states that fall protection is needed in areas including but not limited to ramps, runways, and other walkways; excavations; hoist areas; holes; form-work; leading edge work; unprotected sides and edges; overhand bricklaying and related work; roofing; precast erection; wall openings; floor openings such as holes; residential construction; and other walking/working surfaces.

[31] Other hazards found on construction site include asbestos, solvents, noise, and manual handling activities.

[43] The CDC provides the following recommendations for the worksite which are applicable to several infectious diseases: Limit close contact with others by maintaining a distance of six feet or wearing cloth face covering when this is difficult.

[44] Surfaces that need cleaning include shared tools, machines, vehicles, equipment, handrails, ladders, doorknobs, and portable toilets.

[45] Workers in highway work zones are exposed to a variety of hazards and face risk of injury and death from construction equipment as well as passing motor vehicles.

[47] Causes of road work site injuries included being struck by objects, trucks or mobile equipment (35%), falls or slips (20%), overexertion (15%), transportation incidents (12%), and exposure to harmful substances or environments (5%).

Hazardous chemicals can be found in many materials construction workers interact with daily life in paints, glues, fuels, dust, and insulation.

[50] Many construction sites use cements that contain harmful mineral binders, such as crystalline silica, calcium oxide, and chromium.

[52] Exposure to cement dust by eye contact and/or inhalation can also have vast effects on workers' health leading to lung to term chronic diseases or blindness.

Children born to parents who were exposed to excess lead levels are more likely to have birth defects, mental disabilities, or behavioral disorders or to die during the first year of childhood.

[58] Studies also show that PPE reduces other health-related risks such as respiratory illnesses and chemical-related conditions in environments with high chemical exposure.

They promote the regular need for audits and assessments of worker compliance and the condition of PPE in order to maintain a safe work environment.

[62] Compliance with OSHA requirements, coupled with appropriate PPE selection and frequent worker training, is essential for lowering the dangers associated with chemical exposure in construction site settings.

PPE is not just a critical barrier to danger, but it is also an essential component of a safety culture that protects workers’ long-term health.

Site preparation includes removing debris, leveling the ground, filling holes, cutting tree roots, and marking gas, water, and electric pipelines.

[63] Another prevention method on the construction site is to provide a scaffold that is rigid and sufficient to carry its own weight plus four times the maximum intended load without settling or displacement.

A registered professional engineer should design a protective system for trenches 20 feet deep or greater for safety reasons.

[67] Digital software keeps all construction inspections in one place and provides a permanent safety record for reporting purposes to help ensure job sites and equipment are safe.

Construction workers need to be properly trained and educated on the task or job before working, which will assist in preventing injuries and deaths.

One method is coaching construction site foremen to include safety in their daily verbal exchanges with workers to reduce work-related accidents.

[71] Another method is ensuring that all workers know how to properly use electronics, conveyors, skid-steer, trucks, aerial lifts, and other equipment on the construction site.

[101][102] The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and NIOSH have made several fall-prevention videos available to the public on YouTube,[103][104] among others.

[105] The Lergent Developers has published a mobile app available for download, which helps workers to find authorized fall prevention course provider.

[106][107] Hard hats, steel-toe boots and reflective safety vests are perhaps the most common personal protective equipment worn by construction workers around the world.

[108] As the company size increases, the incidence rate drops due to the provision of better occupational health and safety programs.

There is a new interdisciplinary research trend where construction safety combines with digital technologies, with the largest number involving deep learning.

This legislation is transposed into the Member States and places requirements on employers (and others) to assess and protect workers health and safety.

[117] In addition, research has found that nearly half of all work-associated fatalities among Hispanics occur in small construction establishments with 1-10 employees.

[119] US labor laws that create barriers to organizing a union, immigration policies, unregulated, unsafe work places, lack of health insurance, misclassified workers who lose protections, being an essential worker, not having sick leave, distrust of the healthcare system, language barriers, and the cost of missing work are just some of the possible contributing factors to this health disparity.