Falls are the number one cause of fatal construction accidents. Every year in America, more than 10,000 hard hats suffer serious personal injury and more than 200 died because they fell while working on a construction site. In 2012 a coalition of government, labor and management representatives launched a yearly…
During the winter, hard hat workers are exposed to potential construction accidents related to health hazards resulting from cold stress or to safety hazards such as slippery surfaces. These accidents can often be prevented. Some products are specifically designed to prevent cold related injuries and illnesses. The Center for Construction…
Construction workers exposed to some types of nanomaterials may suffer lung injuries and other respiratory illnesses. For example, recent lab tests on rodents have demonstrated that unprotected respiratory exposure to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can cause lung problems similar to those related to exposure to asbestos. Because nanomaterials are relatively new, their…
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released the preliminary data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) for 2014. There where 4,659 fatal work injuries in 2014. This is the highest number of fatalities since 2011. This high number of deaths on work sites is mostly explained by…
Among all industry sectors in the U.S., construction has the highest number of fatal injuries with more than 800 construction workers dying every year. A lot of research has been done and written on construction safety and health but the challenge is to ensure that promising research findings become safer practices…
During the summer, outdoor construction workers such as those raking asphalt or sweating pipes can suffer from personal injury such as dizziness, discomfort and the fogging of safety glass and put themselves and others at risk of accidents. In some cases heat exhaustion can even lead to death. According to…
Falls from heights are the most common cause of construction workers deaths and this number is especially concerning in the residential construction sector. To address this issue, OSHA is now enforcing similar safety standards in home building and in commercial construction. Despite this effort, falls in residential construction continues to…
Nail gun injuries send more construction workers to the hospital than any other tool-related injury. Most injuries are punctured hands or fingers but in some cases the injuries are far more serious and can even lead to death. To prevent these type of injuries OSHA just created a new Nail…