Learn about common construction hazards and the best preventive techniques to prevent injuries and ensure safe working conditions for onsite activities.
Construction hazards refer to the risks and dangers that workers and other stakeholders may face on or around a construction site. These hazards arise from various sources, including operating heavy machinery, exposure to different materials, and environmental conditions.
While construction workers are considered at most risk of exposure to construction hazards, other stakeholders can also be threatened by potential incidents depending on the scale and nature of present hazards.
Proactively identifying and addressing construction hazards is fundamental to creating a safe working environment. Construction sites inherently come with risks, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting that the industry accounts for the second most fatalities (1,056) in 2022 compared to other occupation groups.
It is important to implement proper construction safety practices not just to protect workers but also to encourage their productivity and efficiency. Moreover, addressing construction hazards can prevent delays in the building process and ensure operations run smoothly throughout.
To properly address hazards present on a construction site, it’s essential to be knowledgeable of the types of incidents that workers are exposed to. Some common hazards you should know about include the following:
10 Common Hazards in Construction
Falls, slips, and trips are accidents that result from too little friction or lack of traction between a person’s footwear and the surface area they are stepping on. This category of hazard is primarily concerned with losing balance, but slips can occur due to slippery surfaces and trips can result from a foot colliding with an object or uneven ground.
The construction industry accounted for 47.4% of fatal falls, slips, and trips recorded in 2022. In addition to this, nonfatal falls, slips, and trips occurred at an annualized rate of 31.5 per 10,000 full-time workers in the 2-year 2021–2022 period.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines this hazard as injuries resulting from a person being caught, squeezed, crushed, or compressed between two or more objects. Common examples of this include getting caught under heavy equipment that tips over, collapsing walls during demolition, and power tools attaching to clothing or parts of the body.
The forcible contact or impact between a person and an object or piece of equipment is considered a struck-by hazard. This incident can happen from using power tools, getting hit by falling debris, or improperly situated building materials. Resulting injuries may include concussions, bleeding, and fractures, depending on the impact of the collision.
Moving equipment, such as cranes, excavators, and forklifts, can pose serious risks of collisions and accidents. It can result in other hazards such as getting caught between equipment or being struck by objects. Additionally, workers who are not wearing proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as high visibility vests are vulnerable to getting hit by moving objects due to their low visibility.
Some construction processes are noisy, which can lead to long-term hearing problems, such as deafness. Moreover, excessive noise is considered an onsite hazard because it could distract workers from their tasks and cause accidents.
Common chemicals used in construction like paints, solvents, adhesives, and other construction materials can cause skin irritation, respiratory issues, and poisoning when mishandled or stored improperly. Exposure to these chemicals in the eyes can also cause sight loss and other painful effects if not treated properly.
In addition to chemicals, airborne contaminants also threaten the well-being of workers. Examples of these materials include dust, asbestos, and silica. The Health and Safety Executive considers asbestos to be one of the biggest occupational disease risks to construction workers, as it can cause cancer to the lungs.
Some construction projects are completed in hot working environments, while some workers are exposed to high temperatures because of the tools being used for their tasks. This increases the risk of heat stress and other related illnesses, which can cause fatigue, stroke, seizures, fainting, and muscle cramps.
Frequent use of vibrating hand-held or operated tools and machinery can lead to permanent injury of the hands and arms. Construction workers are particularly at risk because of tools such as concrete breakers, pokers and compactors, sanders, grinders and disc cutters, hammer drills, chipping hammers, chainsaws, and needle guns.
The health effects of this hazard include changes in tendons, joints, bones, and muscles which can affect the nervous system. Furthermore, it could lead to a loss of feeling in the fingers, pain in between joints, loss of grip strength, and bone cysts.
Electrical hazards pose significant threats to safety, but electrocutions are considered the leading consequence. Exposed wiring, faulty equipment, and unsafe electrical practices heighten the risk of electric shocks. In line with this, electrocution can cause burns, loss of consciousness, cardiac arrest, seizures, involuntary spasms, and general pain in the body.
In addition to acknowledging the common hazards that occur on a construction site, it is also crucial to have proper preventive measures in place. Here are some techniques to consider:
Develop a Safety Program: Having a construction safety program helps mitigate and eliminate different types of hazards to keep workers safe. It equips stakeholders with the necessary safety procedures, rules, and processes to address and prevent accidents while working onsite.
Provide Proper Tools and Equipment: It is important to have the right protective gear, such as PPE to protect individuals from the risk of injury. Furthermore, tools used during the construction process should be well-maintained to avoid potential accidents and support ergonomics.
Regularly Dispose of Waste: Proper waste management on a construction site encourages safety as it prevents the risk of contamination and injury for onsite activities. It is also beneficial for the surrounding environment and decreases potential hazards from leftover waste.
Have Appropriate Signages: Communicating safety information through safety symbols is an important facet of addressing construction hazards. Installing proper signages creates awareness of hazards present in specific areas or materials to encourage good safety practices.
Implement Emergency Procedures: Having an emergency response plan includes a thorough risk assessment and step-by-step procedure in addressing construction hazards. This helps reduce the effects of hazards and mitigates incidents before they bring bigger risks.
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