Did you know that someone is injured on the job every seven seconds? And if you’re a construction worker, you’re at a particularly high risk of injury due to the nature of your work.
Construction site accidents are all too frequent and often result in serious injury. But by learning about a few of the most common injuries, you can be better-prepared while on the job, potentially saving yourself from the pain and hassle of an accident.
Read on to learn everything you need to know.
1. Loss of Vision
As a construction worker, some of your daily tasks likely consist of handling various chemicals, gases, and other hazards. Improper handling of these substances can lead to temporary, sometimes even permanent, loss of vision.
Take care to wear safety glasses at all times while on the job site to protect yourself from this life-altering injury.
2. Heatstroke
It’s easy to not take the threats posed by the weather seriously, but when you’re exposed to the elements as much as you are in construction work, you must.
This is because overexertion while being exposed to the sun can cause heatstroke. Even when treated properly, heatstroke leads to symptoms like nausea and fainting. But left untreated, you could be facing brain or heart damage, even death.
3. Stress Injuries
As with many manual labor jobs, construction work involves a lot of repetitive movements. This constant bending, lifting, and strain can result in stress injuries over time.
Stress injuries are most common in the spine, which can affect your range of motion and quality of life.
One of the best things you can do to prevent this type of injury is to maintain proper posture at all times. Remain conscious of your posture and consider wearing a flexible back brace if need be.
4. Loss of Hearing
Construction workers spend their days surrounded by loud noises. From heavy machinery to power tools, as a construction worker, your ears take a beating.
Wearing earplugs can combat this issue, but if you neglect to protect your ears, you will almost certainly experience some level of hearing loss. Loss of hearing can also be the result of a blow to the side of the head, making a hardhat a worksite essential.
5. Broken or Fractured Bones
With the heavy objects, materials, and machinery surrounding construction workers at all times, it’s no surprise that broken bones are a common injury.
This may be from a piece of falling debris or a misdirected hammer. However, it can also be the result of something more devastating, such as a poorly operated bulldozer or crane.
6. Loss of Limb or Digits
Continuing on with the last point, there are many objects on a construction site that are capable of crushing or trapping a worker beneath them. A broken bone will heal with time, but a crushed limb may require amputation.
Take great care to stay aware of not only your own actions but those of the workers around you as well. One misstep can change your life forever.
7. Cuts and Lacerations
Perhaps the most common of all construction injuries are cuts and lacerations. From defective tools to mishandling of machinery to exposed nails, the odds of suffering a cut on the job are extremely high.
Now, oftentimes a cut is mild enough that you can wash it out, bandage it, and you’re good to go. But some cuts require stitches and can even be life-threatening if they’re severe.
8. Spinal Injuries
On a construction site, workers are often tasked with performing their responsibilities at great heights. This could mean climbing a ladder, using a scaffolding, or working on a roof, each as dangerous as the next.
A fall from any of these structures can cause permanent spinal injury, meaning paralysis, disability, or brain damage. In the event of this type of accident, you can make a spinal injury claim, but it won’t reverse the effects of your injury.
9. Head Injuries
Like many of these construction injuries, head injuries commonly occur when a worker is struck by a falling object. While a mild head injury, such as a cut or bruise, is possible, you can also suffer a concussion or traumatic brain injury.
A traumatic brain injury can cause you to have a variety of long-lasting problems, from seizures to memory loss. The importance of both a hardhat and carrying out your daily tasks with the utmost care cannot be overstated.
10. Burns
When working on a construction site, fires and explosions are likely. While a building is under construction, there are exposed wires, chemicals, and pipes, all of which create a hazardous environment.
The improper handling of any one of these materials can lead to serious burns to all those around them. And even second-degree burns cause painful blistering and can take weeks to heal.
Use Caution to Avoid These Construction Site Accidents
There’s nothing quite like building something from the ground up with your own hands. Construction work can be a highly fulfilling career path, but each day on the job site should be approached with extreme caution.
If you’re in construction long enough, you will likely become unconcerned of the dangers around you at some point. But for your safety and the safety of your coworkers, it’s important to remain vigilant.
Remember that construction site accidents happen every day, and could easily happen to you if you aren’t careful.
Looking for more tips for staying safe on the job? Be sure to check out our blog!
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
