Introduction

Nearly 6.5 million people work at approximately 252,000 construction sites across the nation on any given day. The fatal injury rate for the construction industry is higher than the national average in this category for all industries.

Potential hazards for workers in construction include:

• Falls (from heights);
• Trench collapse;
• Scaffold collapse;
• Electric shock and arc flash/arc blast;
• Failure to use proper personal protective equipment; and
• Repetitive motion injuries.

The top ten OSHA safety standards most frequently violated at construction sites include the following hazards: Scaffolding, fall protection, Excavations, Ladders, Head protection, Hazard communication, Fall protection, Construction site general safety and health provisions, and Electrical.

Methods to mitigate and correctly address these hazards will discussed in the following pages.