8 Most Common Causes of U.S. Steel Construction Injury Accidents | DENENA | POINTS
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8 Most Common Causes of U.S. Steel Construction Injury Accidents

Workers_dismantling_a_construction_craneU.S. OSHA investigates fatal work accidents and keeps track of the data on the tragic workplace fatalities. Our Houston work accident attorneys emphasize that almost 1 in 5 fatal work accidents in the U.S. occur in the construction industry. And many of those involve the dangerous business of constructing steel framed multi-story buildings. OSHA data indicates that the 8 most common causes of U.S. steel construction injury accidents are:

  1. Structural collapses that occur while workers are connecting joists or building trusses. The bulk of these accidents occur because workers disconnect the crane from the steel member before it’s secured in place.
  1. Collapses that happen when workers are landing or placing a load. These happen mainly when workers place the loads on unsecured or un-bridged joists.
  1. Workers struck by objects, generally when working or walking under a load.
  1. Workers that fall after being struck by objects. Many workers get struck when they’re landing a load or connecting a structural member. Sometimes a tool slips or a piece of decking gets blown off of a pile and if sufficient fall protection is not provided or utilized, the worker suffers a fatal fall.
  1. Unsecured or unstable decking that slips out of place when a worker steps onto it. When that worker doesn’t have or doesn’t use proper fall protection gear, a fatal fall can result.
  1. A worker fails to use fall protection gear or fails to use it correctly. In these cases, the worker might be wearing a safety belt and even have rigged the lifelines, but the rigging was done improperly.
  1. Slipping or falling while walking or standing on structural beams or joists without proper fall protection gear.
  1. Workers not tied off at workstations during plumbing, bolting, welding or cutting operations.

Adequate Safety Procedures and Worker Training are Essential to Prevent Fatal Work Accidents

The Houston work accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC point out that 100% of these fatal accidents are preventable. Better training of workers and worksite supervisors can make a big difference. Supplying full fall protection gear and training workers in the proper use of it also helps. In the dangerous occupation of steel building construction, it’s essential to have adequate safety procedures in place to protect workers and to ensure that these procedures are followed at all times. When workers are constructing buildings dozens or hundreds of feet in the air, one slip or fall can be immediately fatal without essential safety procedures and protective gear in place.

Stay Tuned for Future Articles with Safety Tips and Accident Prevention Guidelines

Our Houston work accident attorneys will be posting a series of articles including essential safety procedures and training tips over the course of the next weeks. If you’re in the construction industry or have a loved one working in this dangerous occupation, be sure to keep reading for the important safety information you want to know.

Don’t hesitate to contact our Houston work accident attorneys for a FREE, no obligation legal consultation if you or a loved one was injured in a workplace accident. We’re available anytime through our online contact form and by phone at 281-369-4363.