Critical Construction Health & Safety Risks You Must Be Familiar With!

In the UK, there is no shortage of health and safety contracts as the construction industry is in full swing. But, at the same time the industry is experiencing double fatality rates in comparison to the other sectors. Day by day, it is becoming challenging for the employers to deal with the health and safety nightmares.

On a positive note, most employers acknowledge the risk involved while working on the construction site. So, they are doing their best efforts to care their employees by hiring risk assessment professionals to find out the hazards and risk posed at their workplace.

Below you will find the most typical hazards that workers can encounter on a construction site:

1. Working at Height – Workers at Risk

The construction operations often require tradesmen to work at dangerous heights. Working on such risky sites accounts for many fatalities and injuries every year. Just a blink of an eye or a slip could claim their lives. Considering height relating factors, accidents are hard to rule out.

Moreover, on-site mobility restrictions make workers highly vulnerable to the accidents. To avoid such mis-happenings, effective health and safety training is necessary. In order to overcome these tough risks, safety awareness must be given first priority.

2. Moving Objects Pose a Serious Threat to the Safety

While working on the health and safety contracts, the construction sites become quite busy as the sheer volume of heavy load increases. The moving objects such as supply vehicles, lifting equipments and dumper trucks create an uneven terrain which is a safety hazard for the labours working around. Things rise and expand rapidly as the project advances. This is why it is widely said that hazards are inherent to the construction industry.

3. Material & Manual Handling Involves Risks

To fulfil the material demands, construction material such as iron rods, sand, cement, etc. are constantly moved from one position to the other. This to and fro material lifting involves a high degree of risk, whether being carried out manually or with the use of modern machinery. For this reason, adequate construction health and safety coaching is necessary for the employees before they start carrying out material handling activities.

4. A Collapse Could Be Dangerous

Collapse does not count as a hazard but more as a risk. Whether it has occurred as a result of demolition works or scaffolding collapse, it always brings life threatening injuries to the workers. Usually, such type of risky situations can be managed if the precautions are put in force right before the start of the project.

5. Danger of Catching Respiratory Diseases

Construction sites are usually the major host for causing a lot of dust that can be a serious health hazard. These sites invite throng of activities that can damage the lungs and can result in asthma or other serious chronic conditions. Issuing PPE is not only the solution rather employer must ensure that the right protective equipments are getting used. Failing to act in accordance with the health and safety regulations could result in disciplinary action by the authorities.

Conclusion:

Construction industry workers are always at the risk of health hazards and safety risks, despite the improvements being made for the past few years. However, a number of injuries and accidents can be prevented by taking suitable safety measures. With the growing number of health and safety contracts and career aspects, more and more employers are considering hiring professionals for risk assessment. A lot has been done and a lot has remained to cover yet! If you are a running a business without meeting the health and safety legislations, you are sitting on the verge of penalties. Better ask a health and safety consultant for a quick help in this regard.

Description: Health and safety risks pose a serious threat to the construction industry. What are these risks? Read here to get the full insight of the topic!