Falls Are The Leading Cause Of Death On Construction Sites

Working in construction in New York involves certain risks, and some of the most notable risks you face in your line of work involve falls. Falls have become the leading cause of death in construction, leading employers and safety advocates to question what they might do to help protect their workers on the job.

According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration, there were 320 construction worker fatalities resulting from falls in 2018 alone. Your employer and team may be able to reduce fall-related hazards and related injury and fatality risks by taking the following steps.

Use proper equipment and safety gear

You face serious fall hazards every time you work at a height more than six feet off the ground. When doing so, you must utilize appropriate fall protection. You also need to make sure you use the correct type of equipment for a particular job, which might be a ladder, a scaffold or something else. It is also essential that you use the right kind of ladder for the specific job you need to perform and that your team exercises care when erecting scaffolds to make sure to do it right.

Ensure all workers undergo proper training

Your employer also has a duty to make sure you and your coworkers know how to work from heights safely. This involves offering thorough training about how to use personal fall arrest systems and similar safety gear.

Many construction industry falls are avoidable. If you suffer a serious fall-related injury on a construction site, you may be able to seek compensation to cover medical expenses and other associated costs.