Worker Participation Eliminates Accidents

Worker injuries on construction sites have leveled off for the past decade, but this plateau still has industry officials concerned. At an estimated 14 construction fatalities daily, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the cost of construction accidents is too high. To make a dent in the approximately 99 construction injuries reported weekly in the United States, safety advocates recommend involving workers in accident prevention and risk management protocols.

Avoiding Foreseeable Construction Accidents

The thought behind giving workers a stronger voice in their workplace safety planning and reporting is that their front-line viewpoints are invaluable. This gives them more insight into what happens on construction sites and in manufacturing atmospheres. For instance, workers are more apt to see the effects of falls, hazards, respiratory issues, scaffolding and ladder breakdowns, vehicle problems, machinery failure, and eye and face injuries. Understanding these risks, they can then put measures in place to help keep themselves and others from harm while on the job.

Having construction workers participate in establishing measures to reduce the likelihood of accidents is not just a theoretical idea. It is one that has roots in current best safety practices. A study of the safest international companies showed that those that looked to their employees to create a safer environment experienced 3.5 times fewer injuries than their counterparts. This finding suggests that getting a front-line perspective could be one of the keys to significantly reducing Workers’ Compensation claims, personal injury lawsuits, absenteeism, turnover, and other related concerns.

Picturing a Worker-Involved Safety Program

What does a worker-involved safety program look like in action? Some of the attributes that define this type of preventive working atmosphere on construction sites include:

• Workers actively performing safety activities daily, such as inspecting equipment and activities without fail, as well as correcting any unsafe actions
• Workers reporting hazards when they observe them rather than waiting for a construction accident to occur
• Workers reporting near-miss accidents
• CEOs committing resources toward safety programs
• Upper managers recognizing workers when they report hazards
• Workers considering how each job they do can be handled as safely as possible before beginning work
• Workers sharing ways to perform functions safely
• CEOs and leaders willing to transparently share information with personnel

These practices may take more time to instill but are worth implementing. Otherwise, many companies will find themselves as defendants in personal injury and construction accident lawsuits that could have been prevented.

Cherry Hill Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at DiTomaso Law Represent Injured Workers

If you suffered an injury at work, the Cherry Hill Workers’ Compensation lawyers at DiTomaso Law have expertise in working with victims of unsafe construction practices. We will help you obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Call us at 856-414-0010 or complete an online contact form for a free consultation today. Located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, we represent clients throughout South Jersey, including Cherry Hill, Mt. Holly, and Camden County.