Most Common Construction Site OSHA Violations

Most Common Construction Site OSHA Violations

According to OSHA, out of the 4674 worker fatalities in 2017, 20.7% of them were in construction and 166 of them are due to improper confined space entry. That works out to about 1 in 5 deaths being in construction. Construction is one of the most dangerous jobs ordinary Americans can work, but it does not have to be. With proper compliance with OSHA standards, hundreds of lives could be saved every year. OSHA states that eliminating the top four most common violations in construction would save an estimated 582 lives per year. It does not help that OSHA health inspections in construction were only 1/3 of what they had performed in other industries. By the CPWR’s (Center For Construction Research and Training) findings, the inspections only accounted for less than seven percent of total inspections.

Here are the most common OSHA workplace violations in construction

Fall Protection

Falls, they account for nearly 40% of all total deaths in construction. Fall-related deaths are increasing in 2019. The CPWR cites in its main findings that the post-recession boom of construction jobs is outpacing the current implemented plans on information dissemination regarding safety. Smaller companies that are cropping up are failing to comply to OSHA standards or making simple mistakes that result in fall-related deaths due to negligence. Such mistakes are simple safety errors regarding equipment or objects in the environment. Here are a few tips to avoid falls at work:

  1. Wear a harness and make you are fastened properly.
  2. Take advantage of any guard rails or equipped lifelines—they are there to help stabilize you.
  3. Any equipment you are using to mitigate fall damage should be inspected upon use.
  4. Lastly, do not ignore any openings or obstructions on the path. Take the time to cover these or clear them out instead of cutting corners (literally) to save time by working around them.

Construction workers erect the buildings we see day to day, it is only natural that falling is the most common cause of workplace injury or fatality. If a majority of workplace deaths are fall deaths, then it stands to reason that scaffolding safety is perhaps the first and most obvious place to enact safety protocols.

Scaffolding

When dealing with scaffolding, first ensure that all scaffolds are fully planked and do not have gaps or awkward portions jutting out which could potentially trip workers. You trust your life to scaffolds, so be sure to inspect them before use every single time. Scaffolds are not storage areas, do not overload scaffolding with materials that could cause splintering or fracturing which could create uneven terrain.

Ladders

You would think something as one dimensional as a ladder would not be the cause of so many violations, but it is perhaps the simplicity and the sheer utility of the ladder which lends itself to that. Ladders are used in simple actions where you need that bit of extra reach. In many instances where something quick and minor needs to be done, many workers will forego the diligence to grab the right ladder for the job and instead will utilize a ladder that is not the appropriate size for the job. In many instances, workers will use a shorter ladder than what they require and will mistakenly believe that simply having someone brace the bottom will be satisfactory for safety. This could not be far from the truth, as the person on the ladder will be stepped up too high or standing on top of the ladder itself causing a fall due to loss of balance.

Eye, Face, and Head Protection

Protective headgear is incredibly important no matter where you are. It is even more important if you are entering a permit-required confined space, where unsuspecting workers may be entering a low oxygen atmosphere and become dizzy or lightheaded—even pass out and sustain fall damage in that manner.

SafetySense Management System

The SafetySense Management System is an easy to use cloud-based application that allows workers and supervisors to have access to work permit information without compromising security. The software will also allow you to view tracking data that contains any building information or photos of confined spaces. SafetySense Is used primarily to view and track changes to work permits and their related confined spaces. Being able to quickly find and assess this data is critical for workplace safety and safeguarding the lives of your workers. Visit our contact page or call us at 888-610-7767 to get your own cloud-based workplace safety solution.

Common Safety Hazards in the Workplace

Common Safety Hazards in the Workplace

In the modern workplace, there are many hazards that workers are exposed to on a daily basis. This is why following safety protocols are vitally important to the success and safety of your business. Knowing the most common hazards and educating your employees can help protect them from a bad day on the job.

Electrical Hazards

When performing hot work, your workers will often be exposed to high currents and electricity. Make sure that all exposed wires and cable are out of reach, labeled, and protected. There should not be open wires with current if it is not necessary. Eliminating the risk of electrocution is a mandatory step in any safety protocol. Never overload an outlet, only use approved equipment, do not use electrical equipment or appliances near water or wet surfaces, and inspect cords and equipment regularly. You should also not run electrical cords through public/pedestrian areas unless there is proper signage. The last thing you want is a slip-and-fall lawsuit due to improper precautionary measures.

Chemical Hazards

When using dangerous solutions or chemicals, there are a few measures that employees need to take. If working with a chemical that has hazardous fumes, proper air flow and ventilation should be a priority. A standard operating procedure (SOP) should address the safe use and handling, proper disposal, and proper equipment required to perform a work function safely. SDS sheets for chemicals are also extremely important. Everything in a chemical storeroom should be properly secured and labeled to prevent spills and confusion.

Fire

With any type of hot-work or electrical work, your employees should be trained on the protocol in the event that a fire breaks out. Knowing what to do in case of a fire can be the difference between life and death. Evacuation plans, prevention, and the location of fire extinguishers should be well-known information among all of your employees.
grinder and powertools

Confined Spaces

Lock out and tag out procedures are incredibly important and can save lives. Assessing a confined space and determining the proper safety protocol is necessary. Many of these spaces are not designed for prolonged periods of human interaction and can include vaults, pits, manholes, tunnels, equipment housings, ductwork, pipelines, tanks, and vessels. A confined space, as defined by OSHA, can include: contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere; contains material that has the potential to engulf an entrant; has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate an entrant; or contains any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress.

Work Permit Data Solution

The SafetySense Management System is a user friendly, secure, easy-to-use cloud-based application which allows for the client and their contractors to have access to work permit data without compromising data integrity. Let SafetySense Management work for you in handling the job of training records management, data repository for: Lockout/Tagout, SDS, Rescue Pre-plans, Permit Issuance / Archiving Work related permits (CS, hot-work, LOTO), Work place hazards (atmospheric, trips & falls), Atmospheric monitoring data repository and much, much more.