When you earn your living working at Georgia construction sites, chances are, you have a solid understanding of the injury risks you face in your line of work, and you probably do your best to mitigate them. Working in construction is inherently dangerous, and you and others in your industry typically face a higher risk of an on-the-job injury than those in numerous other fields.
While your injury risks are considerable simply because of your line of work, working on scaffolds can prove particularly dangerous. The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that many scaffolding-related construction accidents result from similar circumstances, so recognizing where your risks lie may help you work to avoid them. As someone who relies on scaffolds in your line of work, it is important to understand that many scaffolding accidents and injuries result from:
Falls
Among the most notable risks you face when you work on scaffolding, or work from heights at all, is the risk of falling and suffering injury. You can work to reduce your fall risk on the job by making sure to always wear proper protective equipment and following safety precautions. Protecting your head is especially important when it comes to reducing injury risks on construction sites.
Electrocution
When you work from heights in areas where power lines are present, you run the risk of being electrocuted. You and your team can mitigate this risk to a large extent simply by making sure to avoid power lines when erecting these temporary work platforms. Supervisors need to follow all established safety precautions when it comes to working around live wires. Shortcuts to save time or costs are never worth the risk.
Blunt trauma injuries
Construction workers also suffer injuries because they are hit by falling objects or collapsing scaffolds. If workers on top of scaffolds are not careful, tools, saws and other items can fall and strike workers below. If foremen or supervisors do not ensure that scaffolds are correctly raised it can mean a collapse.
Working on scaffolds is undeniably dangerous, but there are steps you, supervisors and your employer can take to help improve construction site and scaffolding safety.
