Forklifts Pose a Serious Threat to Employee Safety
The use of forklifts and similar powered industrial trucks is quite common on a lot of job sites. These vehicles make it easier and faster to move building materials and other heavy objects, saving dozens or even hundreds of man-hours when compared to the use of a hand-truck or other method of transport.
However, such vehicles present a very real danger both to the driver and to those around the forklift. Proper training and following best practices not only prevents serious accidents that can be quite costly, but also saves lives.
Ladder Hazards and Construction Safety
Ladders are a necessary tool at many job sites, and such frequent use can make it easy to forget that ladders pose some serious dangers. Falls are among the most common workplace accidents in the United States, and falls from ladders are worse than mere slips and falls.
It is important for businesses to provide their workers with ladders that are in good condition, designed for the right use, and replaced as needed to keep everyone safe. When basic safety standards are not met, serious accidents and potentially fatal injuries can occur.
Don’t Lose Control of Hazardous Energy
A lack of proper control over potentially hazardous energy on a job site, especially in construction and manufacturing, is a huge danger. Fortunately, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established guidelines that businesses and employees can follow to reduce the danger of serious injury or death. But when these guidelines are not followed, people end up seriously harmed by electrical discharges or active machinery.
The Looming Danger of Scaffolding Accidents in New York
Although scaffolding is a problem to people throughout New York City, construction workers are in the greatest danger of scaffold accidents. Scaffolds are commonly used at construction sites to let workers reach raised areas to do electrical, carpentry, and plumbing work, as well as to give welders access to areas they cannot normally reach. When used properly, scaffolds are an integral part of the construction industry.
It’s Time to Focus on Fall and Drop Protection
Falls are the leading cause of death at construction sites, which are already the most dangerous workplaces for Americans. Fall protection can be improved and OSHA provides guidelines on how it can be done; companies simply need to follow those steps to keep their workers safe. Drop protection, however, is often overlooked, yet thousands of workers are struck by falling objects every year.
Falling Ice: NY’s Winter Weather Hazard
Spears of ice and chunks of rock-like snow hurtling down from towers high above may seem like something out of a fantasy novel, but for New Yorkers, it is a winter reality.
The Benefits of Respiratory Protection
Respiratory protection. In construction and other heavy industries like manufacturing, it’s not only required by law, but can help prevent costly, painful, and potentially fatal illnesses. Using the right respirators at all times has greatly reduced many of these illnesses, but proper protection must continue to be enforced. When employers don’t comply, they assume the legal—and moral—consequences.
Hazard Communication Protects Employees
Hazard communication saves lives every single day in New York. Not only is letting workers know about potential hazards required by law, but it is a common-sense way to ensure people understand what they are handling—and don’t get hurt.
Facts on the “Fatal Four”
The term “fatal four” refers to the four types of hazards most common on construction worksites. These hazards account for almost 60% of all deaths that occur during construction. Recognizing and understanding these hazards can greatly reduce a worker’s chances of being seriously injured or killed by one of them. The fatal four are:
High Winds Cause Scaffold Collapse
A construction accident in New York City’s trendy SoHo District on the weekend before Thanksgiving has given a lot of pedestrians something to be thankful for.
Wind gusts of 30 to 35 miles per hour caused scaffolding to collapse near the corner of Prince and Broadway. Remarkably, only six people suffered moderate to minor injuries from falling lumber and metal siding that rained down on the crowded intersection.