Let’s face it, injury on the job is a risk with most occupations. From teaching to professional sports to fire safety, occupational safety can become an issue at a moment’s notice. When negligence in the workplace and work space is on the table, risk of injury skyrockets.
When the workplace is a construction site, the risk of negligence also soars. Construction is a fast-moving industry. Engineers are certainly motivated to bring projects to a successful end quickly. That motivation can lend itself to possible shortcomings when it comes to workplace safety. Transitioning from one phase of a building project to another can often open the door to hazardous conditions. Lax workplace safety procedures can also lead to injury.
If a construction firm does not promote and practice proper safety protocols in every job, the door for worker injury or death opens significantly. There are many kinds of injuries one can experience on a construction site, but common injuries that tend to stem from unsafe work conditions and lax safety protocols include:
Falls
Many construction workers work at higher altitudes. Whether or not it’s the second story or the 100th, falls can become a major threat to workers. Working on a scaffold or the roof of a structure like a house or home, construction poses many threats that should be addressed in safety procedures, protective gear and workplace conditions.
Toxic Exposure
Construction brings workers into contact with a wide variety of dangerous materials. Asbestos, for instance is commonplace in older homes and buildings, though it has been banned from use for many years now. Working on a remodel or tear down can bring exposure to this and other substances that can be harmful. Harmful chemicals used in the construction process can also cause injury on a construction site.
It is very important that industry standard safety precautions be observed at all times for construction sites in the protection of their employees.
Machinery
There is always a wide assortment of dangerous machinery in use on construction sites. In a matter of moments a worker can easily go from healthy to seriously injured or worse at any time on a construction site. From the smallest of machinery, like a nail gun to cement mixers, these machines pose a significant threat to worker safety if they are not well maintained, properly manufactured and used in accord with safety protocols.
If you’re looking for an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer to help navigate your personal injury claim, we will fight assiduously for your right to the compensation you deserve. Call Bizzieri Law Offices at 773.881.9000. The case evaluation is free, and we never charge a fee unless we recover damages for you.