Slips, trips, and falls are among the most threatening hazards that construction workers can face. According to the statistics, about 15 percent of all work-related deaths are from these kinds of incidents. Slips, trips, and falls are expensive to employers as well, costing about $11 billion annually. You need to make sure you know how to prevent a workplace slip, trip, or fall as a construction worker. Here is a closer look.

The 2013 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index reported that falls resulting from slips or trips were the second leading reason for workplace fatalities and injuries. These incidents are just right behind motor vehicle accidents. Slips, trips, and falls are a leading cause of emergency room visits.

Here are some things to keep watch for:

• Loose rugs or mats
• Walking surfaces that are not level
• Poor lighting
• Obstructed views
• Wires and cables that are not covered
• Clutter
• Preventing falls and slips

There are several things that you can do to prevent workplace slips, trips, and falls.

• Clean up as you go, and don’t leave things lying around
• Wear slip-resistant shoes
• Use extra care on uneven surfaces
• Use caution on wet surfaces
• Clean up spills
• Mop or sweep up debris
• Clear walkways
• Cover cables and wires
• Make sure the area is well lit
• Check for fall hazards
• Salt highly traveled areas during winter months
• Clean your work area at the end of the shift
• Be attentive to where you are walking

While accidents happen in all job roles, more construction workers are injured or killed on the job than those in other professions. According to the Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America, the number of construction deaths on the job in the construction industry increased in 2016 based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data. There were 5,190 fatal on-the-job injuries in the U.S. in 2016, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. That figure was a 7 percent increase over 2015. Of those deaths, 970 of them were in the construction industry.

• When the figures were looked at more closely, the most common workplace accident that led to death was transportation accidents, which accounted for 40 percent of the fatalities. More workers were killed in transportation accidents than in any other work-related incident.
• The second most common fatal event was violence that was caused by other people and/or animals.
• Another shocking figure involved overdoses on the job. On-the-job overdoses increased 32 percent from 2015 totals. Fatalities that were tied to overdoses have continued to increase by at least 25 percent per year since 2012.

One of every five workplace death happens in the construction industry. When that is broken down, about 80 construction workers die every month in a workplace accident. When construction accidents were reviewed more closely, the leading cause of death for construction workers is falling. Of the construction workplace fatalities, 379 people died in falls during 2016, which was an increase from 348 in 2015.

While many construction workers interact with tools and heavy equipment on a daily basis, about one-fourth of the laborers killed in the construction industry were killed because of unintentional contact with machinery or equipment, such as cranes, grading machinery, backhoes, front-end loaders, forklifts, and aerial lifts. There were fewer transportation-related deaths in the construction industry, but there were more trench deaths – with the number climbing to 37 in 2016 from the previous year’s 26 deaths.

Safety starts NOW! Heavy equipment safety is now one of the most important issues in any workplace. So much so that special regulations are in place that are designed to force employers into ensuring that workplaces are safe. As a heavy equipment operator, you have an important role in this area. However, that safety starts with you personally, before you even start your heavy equipment’s engine.

As a heavy equipment operator, you will be required to follow certain regulations. Some of these regulations will be determined by the actual workplace. For example, on many construction sites, the general rule for all employees may be steel capped boots, work gloves, hard hats, and ear and eye protection – if you don’t comply you could be suspended and sent home until you are ‘work safe’. Continue to ignore the regulations and you will lose your job. On some sites there is a zero tolerance – you’ll lose your job immediately if you have blatantly ignored the regulations.

Other sites may be a little more relaxed, however, the more protection you have, the safer you are going to be. Remember, problems such as ear damage could take decades to show through, and by then it’s too late as the damage is permanent. It’s not just the safety equipment required. There are other safety issues that you need to learn to the point they become a habit. The ‘three points of contact’ rule is a good example. When boarding and leaving your heavy equipment, three points of contact (two feet and a hand, or two hands and a foot) will help to ensure you don’t slip and fall.

Some regulations may seem silly or pointless, however, they have been put in place for a reason, and that reason is to protect you. Other regulations are in place to ensure you don’t harm others or do damage to property. Follow the rules and you will help to ensure a safe workplace, or at least a safe workplace when it comes to your actions. One of the focuses of heavy equipment operator training is safety – not just because it’s a requirement but because it could prevent your, or someone else’s, death.

Heavy equipment safety is one of the most important aspects of any heavy equipment training program. Sure, learning to operate a piece of heavy equipment is mighty important, but doing it safely is actually more important. In fact, most employers would rather you didn’t operate the equipment at all if you don’t know how to do it safely.

This has been backed up over the past decade with legislation at both a Federal and State level which now requires work sites to operate to a certain level of safety standards. There are safety inspectors touring workplaces and undertaking safety audits. If a business fails its safety audit there can be rather large fines issued.

We at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools take safety seriously and include all relevant safety practices within our training. We do not consider a student competent to operate heavy equipment unless they can do so according to those safety standards. In fact, we go one step further and insist our trainers are fully conversant with safety procedures before allowing them to train others. As a student, our expectation is that you will take heavy equipment safety seriously as well. Otherwise you could cause serious injury to yourself, a fellow student or one of our instructors during training.

Believe it or not, heavy equipment safety starts at home. Your work gear may be a part of the safety requirements. Steel toe boots and most likely a hard hat as well. However, that is just the external coverings. Heavy equipment safety starts from within; it requires an alert mind, eyes that can see, and an attitude that ensure you operate according to procedures. Dull any of these through substance abuse, poor sleep or an all night party and suddenly everyone could be in danger.

Yes – heavy equipment safety is important and it does start at home.

We live in a world where it seems everything is measured in time. One of the downsides to this is that people will often look for shortcuts so they can save time. When it comes to construction sites, the danger is that these shortcuts can produce serious heavy equipment safety risks. In an effort to reduce workplace accidents and deaths, the Federal Government along with most of the state legislatures all agreed to set in place certain minimum standards.

You will now find that most work related training has some form of safety built into the training program. This ensures that everyone who is entering the workforce has a common line safety training for their industry. Some industries such as construction and operating heavy equipment, their safety training is quite comprehensive.

When you think about it, the use of heavy equipment has the potential to cause damage to a lot of people and property. It is not just fellow workers, it could be those walking (or driving) past a construction site. Property at risk includes the building they are working on, those buildings surrounding that lot and of course other construction machinery.

The operators themselves are not immune to injury despite the latest in cab design, particularly when it comes to rollovers. That equipment can be extremely heavy and can hit the ground with the same impact as two cars colliding at 60mph. That’s quite a punch if your in the operators seat.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools we pride ourselves on the level of training provided including heavy equipment safety training designed to meet national standards. Employers know that graduates from ATS are not only competent in using their equipment, they have also got the necessary safety training to meet national and state safety training requirements. Keep the workplace safe by thinking carefully on the safety training you receive – the next life you save could be your own!