CONSTRUCTION & WORK SITE INJURIES

Scaffold safety is regulated by OSHA and scaffold companies have training courses in which they certify companies and people who set up and maintain scaffolding. Scaffolds can become dangerous for a variety of reasons, including the following:

• When cross braces are removed from the scaffolding and not put back;
• When small gauge wire or improper clamps are used to secure the scaffolding to the building;
• When the scaffold inspection is not conducted before each use and the inspection sticker is not filled out, and
• When various other pieces of proper scaffolding are missing such as toe boards, ladders and doors

Many forklift injuries result in amputations, which can be caused by:

• Improper loading
• No safety boots
• Inexperienced operators
• Areas not roped off
• Inadequate warnings
• Improper supervision during use

Falls are a common cause of injuries at work sites. Causes include:

• Falls from roofs and beams due to improper protections, such as missing harnesses
• Falls from construction elevators that weren't properly attached

The primary issues involved with injuries caused by falling objects are:

• Whether the area was properly fenced off
• Whether all workers and visitors wear hard hats
• Whether adequate warnings were posted

Trenches are used at most work sites and can be the cause of serious injuries. Some of the causes include:

• Collapses due to improper bracing
• Inhalation of toxic fumes due to lack of or improper soils testing