Construction workers are at high risk of getting hit by equipment or objects while at work, the National Safety Council determined and reported in their latest edition of “Injury Facts.”
These often-lethal events can occur during ostensibly innocuous workplace activities. For instance, one worker was beneath a scaffold over which ladders were lifted up. When parts of the ladder fell from the height of 50 feet and landed on him, he was killed. He also did not have on a safety helmet at the time.
Another example involves a carpenter using a nail gun. A nail passed through a wall, continued for nearly 30 feet before striking another worker in his head. Again, because he had no helmet on, the worker died.
If you sense a pattern here, you’re wise. Any time overhead work is taking place, workers are at greater risk from injury from falling objects. Neglecting to use protection for your head can turn what might have been a minor concussion into a fatal accident.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration offers some tips for avoiding accidents caused by falling objects:
— Wear your hard hat at all times.
— Employ debris nets, canopies or other devices to deflect and intercept falling tools and construction material.
— Don’t stack work materials too high and secure all tools.
— Guardrails, toeboards and screens on scaffolds can prevent objects from falling.
Construction sites are a hive of activity, with many processes going on at one time. Omaha emloyers have a duty to see that safety protocols are implemented and followed. When they are not, and a worker gets injured, he or she can pursue compensation for their injuries and other damages.
Source: Safety Health, “Falling and flying objects,” accessed Sep. 30, 2016