Introduction
Various injuries and illnesses occur at construction sites due to several reasons such as; falls, falling objects, faulty equipment, fire, building collapses, and harmful chemicals among others. According to a report by the center for disease control CDC, over 9% of injuries and illnesses victims were construction workers (Shockey, Luckhaupt, Groenewold, & Lu, 2018). Those affected often end up with broken knees, ankles and backs, burns, respiratory diseases and in worst scenarios, amputations, and blindness. Most of these construction site accidents are preventable and might result in legal liabilities and even loss of investment if proper safety measures are not implemented.
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"Injury and Illness Prevention on Construction Workplace".
The victims in these accidents suffer the most as their ability to work and earn a living is impaired, and this has long-term effects on the general economic performance of a state. There is, therefore, the need for all stakeholders in the construction industry to review the issue of safety and collaborate to provide a safe working environment for workers. Security in the workplace is a shared responsibility between the employer, employees and the government through safety regulatory agencies. As Wachter & Yorio (2014) explain, not all injuries and illnesses can be prevented; however, those responsible should put in place measures to avoid apparent accidents and prepare for the unexpected ones.
Literature Review
A wide range of literature has been published about employee safety at construction sites highlighting the responsibilities of both the employer and employee. This section review is essential as it provides a framework upon which the critical aspects of the topic can be evaluated in addition to placing the paper within the right context. Understanding the background of the existing literature will help to provide a background to construction safety issues and controversies that are currently happening. According to Vitharana, De Silva, & De Silva (2015), among the several factors that cause injuries at a construction site, proper personal protective equipment scored highest followed by safety management and attitudes by workers regarding safety. The authors further identify ways that can be followed to enhance the safety of construction sites.
Zhou, Goh, & Li (2015) argue that the vast amount of literature on diverse topics on safety make it difficult for industry stakeholders to comprehend safety fully. The authors provide insight into the use of technology to eliminate some of the cumbersome and dangerous processes at construction sites which is one of the effective ways of preventing injury and illness. Most of the research published on the subject has focused on the causes of injuries and diseases and how to avoid them. In consideration of arguments reviewed, this paper aims to add to the existing, literature and identify the responsibilities of the employer and the worker in ensuring a safe working environment.
Injury and Illness on Construction Worksites
The topic of injury and illness on safety at the construction work site is of paramount importance given the level of risk in such an environment. Both employers and workers have a role to play in ensuring safety is achieved. Some of the duties of the employer in enhancing safety include;
Creating and implementing a safety management policy.
Ensure equipment used at construction site meet industry set standards.
Provide all relevant information regarding safety standards and procedures
Provide adequate training to workers on the procedure to be followed in case of an accident and how to handle the different equipment on site.
This topic also emphasizes that the employees working at a construction site also have responsibilities regarding their safety. Given a scenario where the employer and government agencies meet their obligations concerning safety, employees are expected to accomplish the following;
Always wear the right protective equipment when performing tasks
Perform tasks for which they have the relevant knowledge and skills
Adhere to site safety standards and procedures
Report potential risks
Ensure they are well informed of construction work hazards and how to prevent them.
According to Wachter & Yorio (2014), falls, lack of or faulty equipment, falling objects and electrocution have been reported to be the most common cause of injuries at construction sites. These injuries and illnesses can be prevented by setting up guard rails, stair and handrails to avoid falls. Protective equipment should also be provided to help reduce accidents and reduce the impact in case of risk occurrence. Safety training programs are necessary to equip workers with the skills and knowledge on how to handle electrical equipment on site. The overall measure is to formulae site safety standards.
Safety constructions material reveals several programs and regulations that have been enacted to facilitate that industry players meet safety standards (Shockey et al., 2018). The most known is the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) which stipulates safety guidelines that require employers to ensure the workplace is safe and free from common injury and illness hazards. In addition to OSHA regulations, most employers have internal safety standards that workers are expected to follow. Construction sites are often inspected by safety officials to both workers and employees meet safety standards.
Body
Creation and implementation of a safety management policy by workplace employers help with the prevention of injury and illness at construction work site (Shockey, Luckhaupt, Groenewold, & Lu, 2018). It is notable that it is the role of employers within the construction sites to play a key role in making sure that employees are safe by coming up with an effective safety management policy. Constructions sites where safety management policy like providing employees with appropriate clothing and helmets are implemented are always suitable working environments with few risks of injuries or illness. These safety measures policies may include ensuring that equipment used within a construction site, for instance, building site, meet safety standards and procedures as expected. Safety management policy not only protects the employees within a construction site, but it also plays a vital role in the responsibility of employees to their workers within these sites. Other measures also play a critical role in injury and illness prevention within a construction site.
Prevention of injury and illness in a construction site requires the provision of all relevant information regarding safety standards and procedures. Relevant information, in this case, might include making sure that construction workers understand how to use construction machinery, know how to mix various chemicals, and advise them on how to handle themselves in case of accidents within site to prevent further injuries. These are roles played by the employer or those who manage construction sites. A construction site manager ensures the safety of his employees like in this case by providing them with manuals on construction guidelines that might boost their knowledge on how to handle themselves while they work as part of their safety. Provision of relevant procedures and safety standards includes adequate training on safety measures. Employees also play a role in the prevention of illness and injury.
Employees are always expected to wear the right protective equipment when performing tasks on a construction site. A construction site is a risky place, and people are exposed to danger which explains why employees are expected to take part in maintaining their safety and illness prevention by wearing appropriate attires (Vitharana, De Silva, & De Silva, 2015). Many sources of injuries and illness arise from the fact that some employees are not well dressed in right attires thereby leaving them exposed to outside dangerous from their working materials and machines along with the working environment. In a situation where a construction worker does not use hand gloves when dealing with chemicals, one might accidentally fall on chemicals, consider that this person was not protected with appropriate attire, they might sustain injuries that would have been avoided. Wearing right protective attires is not the only solution to preventing injury and illness, it is also important to be careful and focused.
Wachter and Yorio (2014) present that reporting potential risks within a construction site are essential in preventing injury and illness within a contraction site. Construction workers, mainly employees, can quickly identify dangerous places within their working environment and report the same as the first step towards makings sure that the risk is known to the right people so that their colleague can be safe. Additionally, reporting potential risks to the construction management helps with workers awareness of other contraction work hazards that might be a danger to their health and how they can avoid them. Some of the potential risks worth reporting within a construction work site include leaking chemicals, places with hanging live electric wires, falling slabs, and slippery-sloppy surfaces that are worth avoiding. Injuries and illness prevention in construction workplace stands out as paramount importance given the level of risk in such an environment.
Conclusion
The safety of workers at a construction site is the responsibility of both the employee and the employer. Existing safety standards require employers to provide a safe working environment through training their workers, providing personal protective equipment, implementing safety control measures and supplying the right tools for the job among others. Employees, on the other hand, are expected to adhere to applicable safety standards, ensure they have adequate instructions to handle any machinery and wear the right protective equipment always. Regulatory agencies have a role to play in providing a safe working environment at construction sites through conducting regular inspections and approving protective equipment in addition to enacting safety guidelines.
- Shockey, T. M., Luckhaupt, S. E., Groenewold, M. R., & Lu, M. L. (2018). Frequent exertion and frequent standing at work, by industry and occupation group— the United States, 2015. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 67(1), 1.
- Vitharana, V. H. P., De Silva, G. H. M. J., & De Silva, S. (2015). Health hazards, risk and safety practices in construction sites–a review study. Engineer: Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka, 48(3).
- Wachter, J. K., & Yorio, P. L. (2014). A system of safety management practices and worker engagement for reducing and preventing accidents: An empirical and theoretical investigation. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 68, 117-130.
- Zhou, Z., Goh, Y. M., & Li, Q. (2015). Overview and analysis of safety management studies in the construction industry. Safety Science, 72, 337-350.
