Slip and fall accidents are the most common injury type whenever there’s any type of construction involved (e.g., renovation, adaptations, upgrades, new builds, etc.), and even though it seems like falls from high heights cause most of the fatal injuries, slips and falls can result in a significant amount of lost working days.
Wet floors and uneven grounds can seem harmless, but minor falls could endanger the safety of workers passing by, leading to unexpected injuries that could have been prevented by following all the safety protocols. And you might think of a fall as ‘just a fall’, but that same situation can actually end up with broken bones (or worse).
And when you talk about ‘safety,’ that doesn’t mean just wearing protective gear, but it means being careful while moving through the construction area and being aware of your surroundings.
This is why everyone working in this industry should be properly trained and supervised by an experienced professional.
The question is – why does all of this matter? Well, that’s simple: you don’t want someone getting hurt. But with that being said, you also don’t want to get your house/apartment renovated and then end up in stalls, legal battles, or worse.
If you want to refresh/upgrade your place, then you absolutely want just: hire → pay → be done with it.
If there’s deviation, you don’t want it.
What are the common causes of Slip and Fall Accidents on Construction Sites?
Slip and fall accidents usually happen because the environment changes every day.
One day, everything is clean and stable. The next day? There’s dust, water, and other spilled liquids – all of which can easily cause slip and fall incidents on construction sites.
Equipment is frequently moved, and since there are a lot of people circulating in the area, especially if the project was not organized properly, the risk of slip and fall incidents is higher than in other industries.
If it’s raining, snowing, or the weather is foggy and windy, workers’ vision will be compromised, and therefore, the risk of falls is higher. On the other hand, extremely hot conditions are not ideal as well. For example, working in sunny, hot, and humid conditions could cause dizziness, heat exhaustion, sunstroke, and increase the possibility of an accident as well.
The best option would be cloudy, mild weather conditions.
Construction sites sometimes have unprotected platforms. Not ideal, but it happens.
They might have stairs without railings, and sharp and hard surfaces and objects, which make them more prone to slips and falls. Taking into account that one simple slip can result in broken bones and fractures, spinal cord injury, trauma to the head, and other serious injuries (or worse), this isn’t the ‘ideal’ working condition.
This is why it’s important to know the seriousness of the situation and to wear protective gear the minute you start working.
Sharing Responsibility
The risk of injury is high on construction sites, whether you are careful or not, but the reason for the injury can be your own, or it could also be your employer’s responsibility (depending on what type of contract you’re working under).
We all agree that when working on a construction site, you need to be careful, informed, trained, and secured. Nonetheless, employers or project leaders also carry the responsibility of supervising the work and making sure the environment is safe for everyone involved.
The goal is not fear but influencing your workers to work with more responsibility and confidence while keeping realistic expectations. In order to prevent the accident, the key is not rushing and mixing multiple projects and starting all at once.
It’s important to take steps by step, allowing enough time for proper planning, hazard assessment, and safe finishing of the task before moving to the next one.
How Do You File a Claim After Suffering a Slip and Fall Accident?
If the employers don’t ensure safety for their workers and don’t follow safety protocols, the injured workers are allowed to file a claim against them.
In order to file a claim, it’s very important to have all the necessary documentation; otherwise, it’ll probably be denied, and the victim won’t receive the compensation from the insurance company.
The necessary documentation includes: medical records, videos, photographs of the accident and the injury, witness statements, police records, and many more.
The more evidence you have, the better. If you have never experienced a work injury before or you have never filed a claim before, it is better to find a lawyer who will represent you in court and guide you through the legal process while protecting your rights and interests.
Conclusion
Working on a construction site will always represent a certain level of risk, but recognizing common hazards, talking about the hazards with your employer, wearing protective gear, and cleaning and organizing the space properly will minimize the risk and protect the workers from possible injury. When this becomes a routine, construction sites become safer, and productivity improves.
If the injury occurs after all, it must be determined who is responsible for the accident, and only after that can the worker file a claim against the employer if they believe the incident was caused by the employer’s negligence.