It is no news that construction is one of the most dangerous fields, and work-related injuries can be fatal for employees in this industry. To alleviate the chances of these accidents occurring, OSHA(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) commenced an initiative centered on the “Safety Four Aspects” program, informing workers of the most pertinent dangers they were likely to encounter. Construction workers routinely have the following four hazards: falls, injuries from being struck, electrocution, and being caught in or compressed by people or objects. All these hazards are necessary and necessary to be handled and managed if a safe working environment were to be created.
Training programs such as OSHA 30-hour construction course online, are readily available for these professionals to ensure that mitigating risks at the construction site will not be an issue. In this article, we will delve deeper into the four identified hazards and how online OSHA training makes construction sites better.
What four hazards are determined by OSHA as the Focus Four Hazards?
The main cause of deaths specifically in the construction field can primarily be attributed to the Focus Four Hazards. They are:
- Falls- Falling due to inappropriate use of ladders, scaffolding, and lack of fall protection which is the most common issue in construction sites.
- Struck-By Incidents- When flying, rolling shadows or objects, even something as trivial as a pencil feels threatened and killed and the workers get hit instead.
- Electrocution- Psh, nobody makes wires contact or switches on faulty equipment and wishes for no electrocution; they had to bring it upon themselves.
- Caught-In/Between Accidents: Occurs when a structure collapses causing the employees to be trapped in the machinery or the equipment.
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Falls: The Number One Cause in The Construction Industry
Accidents that involve a fall, account for nearly one-third of all the deaths. Workers are most at risk while working elevated on scaffolding or at edges that are not protected during construction.
Preventative Measures
- Proper equipment to prevent falls from happening which include harnesses and guardrails when necessary.
- Scaffolding and ladders should be maintained and checked for wear and tear or risking uneven surface area.
- Workers must be educated and trained to identify construction areas that are prone to falls and educate them on how to use the equipment safely.
The Role of OSHA Training Online
The OSHA 30 online course covers a vast area of topics, one of which includes how to prevent a worker from falling during construction, enabling him/her to assess the construction risks. OSHA disseminates this information as part of their OSHA online training to ensure their standards are being met.
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Struck-By Incidents: A Common Occurrence on Site
This incident occurs when a worker gets injured or even killed due to falling tools, vehicles, or huge machines. This is mostly caused by a lack of sufficient knowledge lack of visibility or even poor communication.
Preventative Measures
- Construction and job sites are generally unsafe zones but wearing clothes that are bright in color helps to somehow mitigate the risk involved.
- Tools and materials must be secured in place properly to avoid them falling.
- Vehicles and heavy machinery need to have traffic control strategies to avoid any collisions.
The Reasons Ability To Get OSHA Certifications Is Crucial
Gaining knowledge and development of skills through OSHA certifications enables workers to understand further the means to avoid struck by’s. The OSHA 30-hour construction course online places a focus on improving specific organization strategies to reduce the occurrence of these accidents.
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Electrocutions: A Deadly but Preventable Hazard
The 3rd most frequent cause of fatality in construction works is electrocutions. It results when the workers are in contact with live wires or when tools are not properly grounded or connected to a bad electrical system.
Preventative Measures
- All electrical constraints at the job site should be identified and sealed off.
- Insulated tools should be used while rubber gloves are worn when working with electricity.
- When servicing, make sure to de-energize, tag out, and lock any electrical work equipment that will be worked on.
Mandatory Measures to Achieve a Safe Environment
As a result of the OSHA training online, the employees have the skills, knowledge, and ability that are needed to work in compliance with the OSHA’s regulations.
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Caught-In / Between Accidents: A Serious Risk
Caught-in/between accidents happen when workers are squeezed in between moving parts or major weight falls on them. It is one of the most recurrent and the most endorsed fatalities for the workforce making it paramount to recommend viable solutions.
Preventative Measures
The construction site or any similar job site, should be avoided, whenever it’s unprotected dig sites or shelves.
Construction tools and equipment should include and make use of supportive devices such as trench boxes and shore supports.
- To keep machinery in its optimal state, it must go through routine servicing, and workers must be taught how to use it safely.
Training Makes the Difference
OSHA 30 provides an online construction 30-hour course that consists of training regarding caught-in/between hazards and enables workers to anticipate risks and take pre-emptive measures to stay out of harm’s way.
Why OSHA Training Online Is Essential for Construction Workers
The Focus Four Hazards initiative by OSHA has emphasized the importance of appropriate training to enable employees to avoid accidents while at work. OSHA training courses online guarantee that employees and supervisors can effectively manage hazards associated with construction job sites.
Benefits of Online Training
- Flexibility: Employees can train when the time is convenient for them since there is room to complete the training over a longer period, and it allows them to combine work with schooling.
- Accessibility: There is no need to report to any physical location like other OSHA 30-hour classes since the OSHA 30-hour online course is available whenever and wherever necessary.
- Comprehensive Content: Safety training entails all facets of ensuring safety at the place of work as well as the safety of employees such as hazard communication and fall prevention among other aspects.
- Compliance: It is due to the completion of these training courses that the workers and employers are afforded some protection from legal suits due to adhering to the compliance requirements set by OSHA.
How OSHA 30-Hour Construction Course Online Enhances Safety
The OSHA 30 construction safety training course targets mainly supervisors and employees who also have some safety role and is advanced in constructing scaffolding systems, in that it teaches how to manage risks even more intensively.
Key Topics Covered in OSHA 30
- Measures for the avoidance of falls.
- Safe usage of heavy equipment.
- Necessary electrical safety.
- Preparedness and planning for emergencies.
When a worker has finished the OSHA 30 online course, he/she is in a position to help make the work environment safer by implementing controls that are aimed at minimizing OSHA four hazards-related risks.
Conclusion
According to the experienced guests of OSHA, Focus Four Hazards are four of the most noteworthy as well as the most engaging construction risk areas which include: Falls, Strikes, Electrocutions, and caught or working in between the machines. These ameliorations are key aspects in the management of health and safety risks within an organization.