Photo courtesy of Honeywell.

Everyone needs to work together to protect construction workers    

By David Cavallaro

Establish guidelines
    According to the National Safety Council, in 2021, construction was the industry with the largest number of preventable fatal injuries. Simply put, the key to helping keep workers safe is to avoid injuries in the first place. That begins with establishing cultural guidelines within organizations that help workers make the right decisions while on the job.
    Despite best intentions, accidents can happen when safety precautions are not top of mind. To help establish a pattern of safe behavior and cultivate a safety-first culture, consider a behavior-based approach. Behavior-based safety aims to replace unsafe behavior with safe habits that are engaged automatically. Business processes should encourage safe behaviors and help ensure that people make decisions with safety as the top priority. However, it is not a single training session. It is a way of working that leaders must continually promote for sustainable, positive results.
    To fully embrace behavior-based safety, a systematic approach may be necessary and can involve updating machinery and equipment or updating the work environment. In addition, a full education and training program is critical to teach employees - no matter how many years of experience they have - on how to perform their tasks in a way that reduces workplace hazards and prioritizes safety.

PPE provides the last line of defense against injury
    Construction sites can be dangerous places to work, which takes thoughtful pre-planning to reduce the presence of worksite hazards and for workers to make safe decisions. However, not all risks can be completely eliminated, so leaders must prevent injury and loss by understanding the specific hazards of various jobsites and providing the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) for worker tasks.
    PPE should be thought of as the last line of defense against injury. When everything else has been done to minimize safety risks in a work environment, PPE helps keep workers protected in case they face a hazard. Outlined below are common construction scenarios where PPE is needed to protect worker health.

Hazardous noise
    Construction sites present several forms of noise hazards with varying levels of risk. When looking to determine the best hearing protection, it’s important to first identify the machinery or tools that are causing noise exposure. For reference, any noise above 85 decibels (dB) has potential to cause long-term hearing loss. Some examples of common noise hazards on-site are when using a bulldozer (100 dB) and a chain saw (110 dB). Impact-noise exposures are enough to be harmful too. Repeated short spurts of noise, such as hammering in a nail (120 dB), can cause hearing damage.
    Construction workers whose jobs regularly involve loud machinery and tools are in need of hearing protection. Fortunately, there are many ways to protect worker hearing, including a variety of earmuffs and ear plugs that provide ranges of protection based on the level of noise exposure.

Hand injuries
    Working with sharp objects, heavy machinery or chemicals expose workers’ hands to serious dangers that can cause permanent damage. For example, some of the potential risks to hands and arms include cuts and punctures that can happen when working with sharp tools and equipment with moving parts. Hands can be a workers’ most valuable tool, so using the right protection is vital. There are many options available to help keep workers safe when handling all types of surfaces and materials across a variety of environments, including mechanical gloves, cut-resistant gloves, chemical gloves, sleeves and more.

Working at heights
    Falls from height are the most common cause of construction fatalities, making up more than a third of job site fatalities in the industry. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that fall protection be provided for all those who are working 6 feet or higher in the construction industry. It is critical that employers provide the right fall protection for each situation, including self-retracting lanyards, harnesses and anchorage systems.

Airborne hazards
    Construction sites are home to airborne contaminants, and one of the most common and most dangerous is breathable crystalline silica. 2.3 million people in the U.S. are exposed to silica while at work.
    Crystalline silica is produced when workers crush stone, cement, brick or mortar. It’s generated by sawing, cutting, drilling and grinding, and inhaling it is dangerous. For this reason, employers should limit workers’ exposure to respirable crystalline silica and take measures to help protect them by using either reusable or disposable respirators with a tight seal across the workers’ face for maximum protection.

Dropped objects and struck-by injuries
    Construction workers can be exposed to dropped objects, impacts and bumps to the head on equipment and machinery. Ensuring proper head protection is therefore a necessary component of helping to keep workers safe on the job. After all, the head houses one of the most important organs in the human body: the brain.
    When selecting head protection such as a hard hat or a safety helmet, the first necessity of all PPE is that it provides the requisite level of protection for the task at hand. It is also imperative to select headgear that workers will be comfortable wearing for an entire shift. Opt for head protection that incorporates comfortable padding and allows for suspension height adjustment, because one size does not always fit all.

Electrocution
    It’s not uncommon for construction workers to face electrical hazards, but risks can be minimized with the correct precautions. Workers should constantly be reminded to use caution around live wires, to de-energize equipment before starting any repairs, and to always wear the right PPE, including insulating rubber gloves, leather glove protectors, and insulating rubber sleeves and footwear made to help protect against a range of electrical hazards.

Eye protection
    Sun exposure, haze, flying debris, dust and large particles can harm a construction workers’ eyes if they aren’t wearing the proper safety eyewear. Depending on the work being performed, like woodworking, machinery operations, material welding and cutting, there are various options workers should consider including safety glasses, goggles and face shields.

Safe environments lead to better outcomes
    Before beginning a project, it’s important that all workers are empowered to take control of their wellbeing and make safe decisions, and supervisors and managers should reinforce the importance of safety protocols every single day. By understanding workplace risks and hazards, supplying cutting-edge PPE, and above all else instilling a culture safety at all levels of organization, teams on construction worksites can remain protected.