Common Construction Accidents

Jakarta, Indonesia - On a recent seminar organized by Axis Capital Group with partners of capital equipment manufacturers, Edwin Lockhurt, Quality Assurance department manager, discussed the common construction accidents and the best approach to prevent it. 

Determining the most common construction site accidents, what causes them, and the best way to implement safety checks, is the best prevention of these debilitating, and often fatal, accidents. 

According to reviews, construction sites have the highest injury rate of all dangerous working environments; a sobering thought. Laboring at dizzying heights with dangerous machinery means that serious injuries or death are a daily reality for construction workers. 

When faced with loose scaffolding, cave-ins, and incorrect handling of heavy construction vehicles and tools, accidents are presented at every turn. Construction site safety demands that preventative measures and serious vigilance should be practiced. 

1. Scaffolding Highs and Lows 

Construction crews spend much time on these elevated structures situated hundreds of meters above ground. The source of most injuries, scaffolding falls account for more than 30 percent of fatalities.

Scaffolding injuries could be halved with regular maintenance, daily checks of the structural design, instability in weather conditions, sway, leveling, and the amount of personnel using the equipment. 

2. Electrocution 

A common onsite hazard, exposed electrical wiring poses a threat to crew and people passing by the site. Electrocution is avoidable if all wires are correctly labeled, moved away from high traffic areas, electricity is switched off, the correct insulation is used, warning signs are placed and construction crew are made aware of where power lines are laid. 

3. Elevator Shafts 

A common sight on high-rise construction developments, lift shafts are extremely dangerous. Construction crew not only risks plummeting down the shafts, which are often left unprotected but there is also the threat of a shaft collapsing.           

Shafts, regardless of height off the ground, require maintenance and effective Fall Protection. Guard rails, safety nets, sufficient elevator operation training for all onsite crew, and a highly effective emergency response, are mandatory. 

4. Falling Debris 

Construction hard hats are the order of the day. Tools may rain down at a moment’s notice cause fatal head injuries. With debris falling, such as tools being accidently kicked from the top floor, ground crew risk serious trauma.

Working on upper building levels without guard rails means picking up after oneself, watching your step, and securing equipment during and after use. 

5. Machinery Accidents 

Heavy-duty motorized equipment necessitates draconian safety instructions. Many crew have lost limbs and lives because of inadequate training, lack of focus, or defective and fraud equipment. Safety training on high-speed and sharp motorized equipment is imperative.