ConstructConnect Blog

Winter presents a unique set of challenges for construction. Heavy equipment is more vulnerable to breakdowns, but a larger problem is safety hazards. Make this season accident-free. Here’s how to ensure your fleet works in a safe, efficient manner all winter long.

Of the 203,500 recorded injuries and illnesses suffered by workers in the construction industry in 2016, over 40% of them involved workers missing days away from work. Those 82,760 injuries and illnesses resulted in 22,880 sprains, strains and tears, 13,020 incidences of soreness or pain, 11,880 fractures, and 11,810 cuts, lacerations and punctures.

Construction industry fatalities rose 6% from 2015 to 2016, according to the 2016 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released yesterday. The construction industry again had the highest number of fatalities in all industries with 991 worker deaths. The construction industry represented 19.9% of all worker deaths in 2016 and 22.2% of all private industry worker deaths.

Construction worksites are an incredibly dangerous place to be. There are many safety hazards around every corner. This is why it is so important that workers at these sites know and follow safety rules set forth by you. To keep the workplace a safe environment, use these five helpful tips.

After a three-month delay, OSHA’s Respirable Crystalline Silica in Construction Standard (1926.1153) went into effect on September 23. The delay was so the agency could develop educational and guidance materials regarding the new rules and to provide assistance to companies help them become compliant.

Worker fatigue is often an overlooked hazard on the construction site. Fatigue, whether physical or mental, impairs a construction worker’s ability to safely and effectively perform their job duties. It increases the risk of accidents and injuries which can lead to unnecessary workers’ compensation costs and can greatly reduce productivity on a project.

By now we should all be familiar with OSHA’s Fatal Four in construction: falls, being struck by objects, electrocutions and being caught in or between objects. These are top four causes of construction worker deaths each year.

It’s Safety Week 2017 (May 1 – 5) for the construction industry, which focuses on the shared responsibility of jobsite safety. This year’s theme is "It's in Our Hands" to emphasize the responsibility each worker has not only for their personal safety but for those around them as well.

Technology is constantly improving the way the construction industry operates. Smartphones and mobile apps have made communication and collaboration on projects easier. Building Information Modeling (BIM) improves project visualization, makes scheduling more efficient and reduces waste and rework.

Heavy equipment is a necessity on nearly every construction project. Unfortunately, they can be extremely dangerous when not used properly. Rollovers, struck by accidents and caught in or between accidents are common ways workers can be injured when working on or near heavy equipment.