OSHA Defense
6 Things You Should Know Before Entering a Job Site Part 1
Construction professionals are acclimated to the inherent dangers of the job site, but if you’ve never set foot on a construction site before, you could be caught off guard by the unheralded hazards that arise during construction. Construction workers deal with heavy machinery, sharp tools, toxic chemicals, and more, all while working on uneven surfaces and high elevations.
Sometimes, buyers want to get a firsthand look at their investment, but it’s important to consider their safety before allowing them to enter a job site. It can be difficult to maintain OSHA compliance when a third party enters the job site, but an OSHA attorney can help you welcome a guest safely to your site, or bolster your own familiarity with the OSHA standards that govern safety on your job sites. In part one of this two-part article, we will examine injuries, weather conditions, and behavior on the job site.
Construction Workers are Injury Prone
Construction leads all industries in total worker deaths. Workers frequently injure themselves when using power tools and heavy machinery, but falling is the most common source of injury or fatality on the job site. Slick or uneven surfaces caused 384 out of 991 total deaths in construction in 2016. According to OSHA regulations, any worker six feet or above a ground-floor level is at risk of injury or death.
Rain or Shine
Have you ever repeatedly passed a construction site on your way to work and noticed that it continues to grow and grow as the days go by, despite scorching temperatures, rainfall, or snow? Construction workers don’t take very many breaks. Meeting deadlines is one of the most important duties of a contractor, so visitors often find that construction sites are slick with condensation or ice. Similarly, touching a piece of metal equipment that’s been sitting in the sun all day can singe your hand since metal absorbs and holds energy from the sun.
No Games
The average construction worker wakes up between 3:30 a.m. and 5:30 A.M. to spend eight hours performing demanding physical labor at a project site while working uncovered. They take their jobs very seriously, and understand that distractions have no place on the job site. Before entering a job site, make sure you consider the needs of the workers. Don’t pester them or try to joke with them, treat them professionally and with respect.
Next time you plan on entering a job site alone or with a third party, consider discussing the ramifications of negligent behavior on the job site with one of our OSHA defense attorneys. In part two, we will examine more things to consider before stepping on the job site.
If you would like to speak with an OSHA defense attorney, please contact us today.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.