With the construction field being filled with its own risks and hazards, adhering to proper safety regulations is crucial in ensuring the well being of your employees. In 2001 alone, there were actually 481,400 non-fatal injuries in the United States construction field. Many of these injuries are preventable; making safety training in the construction field so crucial.

Part of safety training is knowing how to not only handle hazards, but to recognize them. This comes into play especially with construction equipment. It is important to make sure that the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 is enforced in your workplace; promoting frequent equipment inspections. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also offers fall protection courses that are a great asset to construction workers everywhere.

How to Keep Construction Workers Safe on the Job:

• Since falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry, both fall protection equipment and fall arrest training are very important in keeping your workers safe. You want to frequently inspect the quality of your guardrails and fall nets and make sure that they aren’t worn out.
• Another area that needs a specific emphasis on safety in the construction field is crane service. You want to make sure that all workers who specialize in crane service still receive crane training courses every so often, and you want to make sure that the crane itself is frequently inspected for any safety hazards. Crane service can be very dangerous, so you want to make sure your workers will be safe and educated if anything goes awry.
• It is important to make sure that all construction members are outfitted with attire that will protect them on the job. Every worker must wear a hard hat and should also invest in a quality pair of steel toed boots. If you see anyone without a hard hat, be sure to stress to them how important it is that they keep it on at all times when working on a construction site.
• If you’re interested in learning ways to evaluate and improve on your level of safety in the construction workplace, see if you can get an OSHA representative or an inspector to come in for a day and analyze both the environment and the workers themselves. Receiving the help of a qualified professional in this situation will only help to prevent injuries in the workplace.
• Be sure to check online to see what kinds of safety training courses are offered in your area. Make sure to not only compare the prices, but also what kinds of activities are included by each company.

Have you had any experience trying to improve safety standards in the construction field? Tell us about it in the comments below!