Slips, Trips and Falls in Construction

In 2019, slips, trips, and falls accounted for 28% of the nonfatal work injuries resulting in days away from work in highway, street and bridge construction, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Human factors contribute to 54% of these slips, trips and falls, while unstable or slippery surfaces accounted for 25% of incidents. Significant factors that contribute to slips, trips and falls include:

Complacency

Focus on where you’re going and what lies ahead. If you consider that we take thousands of steps a day or get in and out of vehicles and equipment multiple times in a day, all these movements add up to tens of thousands in a week and a million movements in a year. Unfortunately, a one-in-a-million chance for injury is entirely possible.

Distraction

Focus on what you’re doing. An object that is too heavy or too cumbersome can become a distraction, limiting your focus on your travel path.

  • Take responsibility for fixing, removing or avoiding hazards in your path.
  • Make sure you can see where you are going.
  • Carry only loads that you can see over.

Body Mechanics

Carrying a heavy object changes our center of mass and our walking pattern. The weight, location and method of carrying an object can impact your balance, especially if your:

  • Stride length shortens.
  • Step height lowers.
  • Center of mass shifts.

All of these subtle changes can impact a person’s normal movement patterns and stability, increasing the potential of a slip, trip or fall.

Download a printable PDF and recording form here.

Utility Knife Safety

Hand lacerations are the most common hand injury in the workplace (63%). They are the Number 2 leading cause of work-related injury and are the most preventable. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports:

  • There are 110,000 lost-time hand injuries annually.
  • Hand injuries send more than one million workers to the emergency room each year.
  • 70% of workers who experienced hand injuries were not wearing gloves.

Common Causes of Hand Lacerations When Using a Utility Knife

  • Pulling the knife towards you instead of away from your body.
  • Using a dull blade. Dull blades require more pressure, increasing the potential for injury.
  • Cutting more than the knife can handle.
  • Incorrectly storing the knife with the blade extended.
  • Not wearing hand protection.
  • Not inspecting the knife before use.

Correct Use

  • Wear a cut-resistant glove for hand protection.
  • Draw the knife away from your body.
  • Ensure the knife is the correct tool for the task.
  • Inspect the blade to make sure it’s not damaged or dull.
  • Properly store and retract the blade.
  • Make your cut on a solid surface. Never hold an object in your lap or against any part of your body.

Some hand lacerations can be minor and only need first aid. Other hand lacerations can be severe, requiring medical attention and potentially causing nerve damage that limits hand dexterity for life

Download a printable PDF and recording form here.

Fire Extinguishers

A fire on a construction site can result in serious injuries and loss of materials, equipment and even lives. All employees need to be familiar with the jobsite’s fire protection program – who to contact, what to do, the various types of fire extinguishers and their locations throughout the jobsite. Employees should be trained in the use and limitations of fire extinguishers to ensure they are used effectively when needed.

Fire extinguishers are meant to handle only small fires. If a fire becomes too large or the environment becomes too dangerous, employees should evacuate the area.

  • The fire is too large.
  • The air is unsafe to breathe.
  • The environment is too hot or the smoke limits visibility.
  • Evacuation paths are impaired.

Keep the fire in front of you. Never place yourself where the fire obstructs your escape.

Classes of Fires and Fire Extinguishers

  • A Wood, paper, ordinary trash.
  • B Flammable liquids (gasoline, oil, grease, solvents, paints, etc.).
  • C Energized electrical equipment.
  • D Combustible metals.
  • K Kitchen fires.

Use the P.A.S.S. Method for correctly using a fire extinguisher.

  • Pull the Pin – Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you, and release the locking mechanism.
  • Aim low – Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
  • Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly to operate and discharge.
  • Sweep the nozzle from side to side.

Fire Extinguisher Inspection

  • Visually inspect portable extinguishers or hoses monthly.
  • Verify the fire extinguisher is properly charge. Indicator must always be in the green zone.
  • Perform an annual maintenance check on portable fire extinguishers and document.
  • Fire extinguisher must be easily accessible.

Download the printable PDF and Recording Form here.

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