Construction

The most common hazard associated with trenching or excavation work is a cave-in, according to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Work-related falls can result in severe injuries and death. According to the National Safety Council, falls to a lower level were the second leading cause of workplace fatalities in 2009, behind highway crashes.

NIOSH and other safety experts tout the benefits of Prevention through Design, a method used to integrate safety into every aspect of a process, product or facility during the design stage. So why hasn’t it become a common practice?

Certain job tasks on a construction site, such as drilling, driving fasteners or finishing drywall, may require workers to raise one or both of their arms above their shoulders.

Highway construction zones can create a hazardous environment for workers.

Lead is commonly used at many construction sites, particularly in demolition, salvage, removal, encapsulating, renovation and cleanup. The hazardous substance can pose a risk to workers if they are not properly protected.

Construction and industrial workers are at an increased risk of injury and death when working near mobile cranes due to the risk of tip-overs, uncontrolled loads or boom collapse.

Despite the fact that an OSHA standard requires roofers and other workers to guard skylights and roof openings, fatal falls persist – perhaps because of workers’ mistaken belief that plastic dome covers provide adequate fall protection.

Operating heavy machinery can create significant hazards on a construction site.

According to data from the National Safety Council’s 2011 edition of “Injury Facts,” 667 people were killed and an additional 28,958 were injured in work zone crashes in 2009.