Construction Workers’ Safety

The construction industry is one of the most dangerous fields for workers. Lack of training and unsafe conditions are a few factors a construction worker faces daily. One in five worker’s deaths occurs in construction. These deaths, however, are nothing new to the industry.

Construction fatalities are so frequent that they are categorized by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) as the Fatal Four Hazards: falls, struck by an object, electrocutions, and caught-in or between an object. It’s a deadly trend that the industry is working hard to change.

The Fatal Four Hazards

Falls comes in first among the fatal four. Starting at 6 feet high, fall protection is required. “Guardrail Systems, Covers, and Personal Fall Arrest Systems” are safety systems workers must use to avoid injuries. When a worker is performing electrical work, it is important for them to operate electric tools only when they are double insulated. Every worker should be required to undergo training before operating any equipment.

Construction workers should not only be aware of their surroundings, but they also need to look up for flying, falling, and rolling objects. If they know their colleagues are performing a job above their head, they need to communicate that to them. Wearing bright colors may help avoid being struck by an object by another contractor.

Texas is surrounded by construction sites on almost every corner. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 700,000 men and women work in construction throughout Texas. (left) In Downtown Houston, we can find steel buildings in the making. Metals are a popular structural component in the construction industry. (center) A closer look at the work being done on this construction site. This building has more than 17 floors, so it’s crucial for a worker to use the proper fall protection gear during this job. (right)

One in five construction workers die while on the job. When this occurs families are faced to undergo a legal suit to protect and fight for the worker’s right. (left) Houston’s Harris County Civil Courthouse is where many worker’s cases are settled. Workers who face even minor injuries need to report it to their employer and their insurance. (center) The flags outside the courthouse symbolize freedom and dignity. Freedom to work and build a better America, and dignity to care for your own life as a worker who faces danger daily. (right)

Being caught between objects occurs without warning. To protect themselves from this hazard, workers should avoid positioning themselves “between moving and fixed objects,” and always have a protective system when entering “an unprotected trench 5 feet or deeper”

It pays to practice safety

Construction companies can help avoid fatalities and injuries by enforcing safety measures. Property owners and developers need to set the standards for their worksites. Safety is crucial for a company that cares about its employees and not just about production. It may seem like an easy road to the top for a developer to bypass safety training, but construction companies that break safety rules, eventually end up paying millions of dollars, for injuries that occur to their employees.

Some companies don’t offer any safety equipment to their workers because they lack the capital to do so, and workers are forced to buy their own tools and safety equipment. According to Big Rents,

“Companies with 10 or fewer employees and those who are self-employed account for nearly half of all deaths on construction sites.”

Injuries and deaths on the job

In the event that a construction worker suffers an injury or death while on-the-job, the employee is eligible to receive benefits from workers’ compensation insurance provided by their employer. Workers’ compensation insurance is supposed to cover all of the worker’s medical or death bills. “Some workers may even fear that they will face dismissal from work for putting forwards a claim,” but the faster they put the claim, the sooner they can seek medical attention. It is against the law for an employer to discriminate against their workers for putting a claim forward.

In the case that an employer does not offer workers’ compensation insurance, there is a possibility that other independent contractors at the construction site, who were at fault or contributed to the accident, may be able to cover for their injuries. Houston personal injury lawyer, Vuk Vujasinovic, advises the following:

“Employers in Texas who choose not to be covered by workers’ compensation are called non-subscribers. They’re [the legislature is] trying to encourage the employers to have workers’ compensation insurance, so any company that doesn’t have it in Texas, they’re opening themselves up to liability. If any employee or worker is injured on the job and their employer does not have workers' compensation insurance they need to consult with a lawyer who handles those kinds of cases.”

Latino workers heavily impacted

According to a report from the Workers Defense Project, the construction workforce mainly consists of Latino workers. Texas workers are primarily male and younger on average than workers nationally, and only a few have completed vocational training.

Ex-construction worker Olban Canales, found himself at 21 years old in a coma after suffering a fall at his construction job. He did not receive proper training for his job. Cesar Villagran, a Senior Facilities Project Inspector at the University of Houston, advises anyone who finds themselves in the same situation to speak up.

“Speak to your supervisor, and share why safety is important to you,” he said. If change doesn’t occur, he suggested “working somewhere else would be better for your health.”