As long as we’ve had houses and other structures, we’ve had people who specialized in building them. Until the last 100 years or so, though, the idea of safety in the construction industry just didn’t exist. How has construction industry safety improved over the years, and what advances are we still making to ensure workers are safe on the job? A Brief History of Construction SafetyOne hundred years ago, construction safety looked a lot different than it does today. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were no safety measures to prevent people from getting injured or even killed on the job. While employees had the option to sue their employer for damages, their chances of winning were slim to none because employers weren’t liable for these incidents. The U.S. government didn’t establish the National Safety Council until 1913, and it wasn’t until 1921 that a majority of the states had some sort of Workers’ Compensation laws on the books. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that we so often cite as the construction safety “bible,” didn’t make its appearance until 1971. Even with all the advances made over the past century, there were still 3.5 fatalities for every 100,000 workers in the sector in 2019. Safety on the Modern Construction SiteConstruction site safety is something the industry is constantly trying to improve, with varying levels of success. Despite this, one out of every five workplace fatalities happens in the construction industry, the highest across every sector. What can companies do to improve safety on their work sites? A safe work site starts with comprehensive and continual safety training. Everyone should receive the same training, and that shouldn’t stop once a new hire has completed their onboarding. Visitors and anyone who doesn’t work for your company should either be barred from entering the job site, or should be accompanied by a trained employee at all times to prevent incidents. In addition to training, employees also need the tools and equipment to do their job safely. This should include, but not be limited to, personal protective equipment (PPE) like hard hats, safety goggles, ear protection, and gloves. All equipment and PPE needs to be maintained so it’s in good working order, and repaired or replaced as needed. Read 5 traits of the safest contractors. Keep in mind that you will need different sizes of PPE for your various crew members. This is one part of life where one-size-fits-all just won’t cut it. Looking ForwardConstruction safety has come a long way in the last 100 years, from a time when we had no safety rules whatsoever, to now, when we’ve got plenty of rules to keep us safe. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s been a series of strong steps in the right direction. Author Bio: Rose Morrison is a freelance writer who covers construction and building design topics. She is also the managing editor for Renovated. Other Useful Articles How poor safety costs your construction company money Who is responsible for safety on your construction project? Construction projects and high temperatures - do you know the risks? Do you want to learn how to manage construction projects successfullyPaul Netscher has written several easy to read books for owners, contractors, construction managers, construction supervisors and foremen. They cover all aspects of construction management and are filled with tips and insights.
Visit to read more. The books are available in paper and ebook from most online stores including Amazon. construction management construction project management
6 Comments
7/12/2021 09:27:20 am
I like how you mentioned that construction site safety is something the industry is constantly trying to improve, with varying levels of success. My cousin was mentioning to me about working in a construction company. I will share this post for him to learn about construction safety training to aid him in applying for a construction job.
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Thanks for helping me understand that a safe work site will continuously have training programs for its workers. With that in mind, the industrial construction contractors that companies need to hire should have proof that they do this for their workers' safety and clients' peace of mind. I can imagine how knowing that they are up to date in that aspect will surely give people the confidence that they will be avoiding any accidents and additional expenses on certain incidents.
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10/2/2022 10:38:10 pm
I want to make sure that my new home gets built properly and safely. It makes sense that I would want to get a builder with a lot of experience! I can see how having the help with a OSHA certified builder would be a good way to ensure that everything gets handled safely.
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12/2/2022 12:05:02 pm
It got me interested when you said that training employees and using advanced tools can ensure safety in the workplace. I would imagine that any construction facility would want to guarantee the safety of their workers to have smooth operations and prevent costly situations. I guess they should also look for a reliable contractor who can advise them on how to build a durable and stable slip form barrier for the success of their projects.
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9/7/2022 06:41:28 am
You make a great point about how OSHA standards have improved over 100 years. I need to get a contractor to help out with my warehouse. We keep having forklift injuries.
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30/11/2023 02:03:38 pm
It's great to know that the industry is constantly trying to improve safety in a construction site. This makes me happy for the workers in that industry because they definitely need protection because of the type of jobs they are doing. So companies should definitely work with construction safety consulting services as much as possible to avoid accidents in other situations that can affect the health and life of a person.
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