Sadly, construction environments tend to be one of the most common places for workplace accidents to happen. Too often, we find that while the construction industry can be lucrative and a great industry to get into, it is also dangerous.

However, construction accidents never happen for no reason – there is always a reason behind it. So, this is why we want to look into the 4 most common causes of accidents in the workplace in a construction setting.

For workers in construction, there should be a set of safety guidelines to follow. Remember, setting the conditions for workplace safety is the responsibility of the managers/ property owners.

If you have been injured as a construction worker check out Union Law Firm to find out if you can get compensation for what happened to you.

Never let a workplace accident go unresolved, remember, a workplace accident never just… happens.

Causes Of Construction Accidents

Statistics show that the construction industry actually has the 4th highest rate of fatality in the U.S. In fact, it has around 9.7 deaths per 100,0000 employees each year.

So, what is the cause of this?

These 4 things are usually the culprit.

#1. A lack Of Safety Procedures

Construction incidents can happen anywhere. However, a lack of safety procedures usually is the cause of construction incidents. Insufficient procedures often lead to injuries or worse.

A construction worker who might ignore one safety procedure can make a mistake. And one mistake can lead to injury to themselves or to others. Sometimes it is even possible that workers can be unaware of a safety procedure because it’s not been prioritized by management.

#2. Negligence

Negligence is often a cause of accidents. This can happen when an employee is not properly trained or supervised, It is also probable if an employee is too tired, or if they are asked to work with equipment they are not familiar with.

However, it is also possible if the contractor doesn’t follow safety procedures and protocols which can lead to less than satisfactory training of employees.

It is important to remember that construction sites are dangerous places, given that they’re filled with heavy machinery, manual labor, and electrical tools.

This is a dangerous job, however, risks can be man-made too. It can happen simply from an employee being a poor communicator. This is preventable through the training and education of employees to a higher standard.

#3. Improper/ Poor Working Conditions

Dangerous conditions are often a cause of accidents in any workplace. However, the construction industry is riddled with them. In a hazardous environment, proper safety procedures should be followed to ensure dangerous work is carried out with care.

You need to be wearing the right clothing and equipment. If you do not do this, you are putting yourself in danger.

Aside from this, working in poor conditions can take a toll on mental health and this presents even more danger. Stress can be a huge issue for workers, and it is often a leading cause of accidents.

Even with unset standards, injuries are more likely to happen if an environment is not sanitary, guarded, or maintained. Owners and managers are responsible for managing and maintaining these conditions.

While cases can vary, if working conditions are poor, the managers are usually to blame.

When a site needs work, it is important that the managers assign a team properly. It’s also important to avoid overcrowding and proper safety procedures.

#4. Bad/ Improper Supervision Of Site

Have you noticed that these things are all connected? Here’s another: Site supervision.

A site needs to have a supervisor to oversee workers. They manage the workers and ensure things go smoothly, workers do things right and safety procedures are followed. If a site is unsupervised then protocols may not be followed.

Supervisors are responsible for a great deal of what happens on-site, including providing workers with a safe and healthy environment.

On the other hand, employees are responsible for reporting any dangerous or unhealthy working conditions. An employer, supervisor, or manager should not retaliate against this.

However, this can happen and is often the case in bigger cities. This is why knowing where to look in the law for incidents like this is so important.

If you are worried that your concerns are not being reported, keep note of any reports you make and the response you are given. If anything goes awry, you will at least have a record that you tried to prevent an issue from arising.