Historically, falls are the leading cause of fatalities in construction, accounting for about one-third of all fatalities in the industry. Employers must assess the workplace to determine if walking or working surfaces have the necessary strength and structural integrity to safely support workers.

The OSHA Hazard Communication Standard is intended to ensure exposed workers and their employers are informed of the identities of hazardous chemicals, associated health and safety hazards, and appropriate protective measures. The standard covers over 43 million workers who produce or handle hazardous chemicals in more than five million workplaces across the country.

OSHA requires employers to develop and implement a written respiratory protection program for situations in which permissible exposure limits (PELs) of airborne contaminants are exceeded, or when the employer or work site requires the use of respirators by employees.

Ladder accidents usually occur when ladders are used outside the manufacturer’s recommendation. The main factors that lead to injuries are a lack of training and a disregard for safe ladder practices.

According to the OSHA, 65 percent of workers employed in the construction industry work on scaffolds frequently. Protecting these workers from scaffold-related accidents by assuring the scaffolds are in compliance with OSHA standards can prevent roughly 4,500 injuries and 50 deaths every year.

Injuries resulting from the failure to control hazardous energy during maintenance activities can be serious or fatal. Injuries may include electrocution, burns, crushing, cutting, lacerating, amputating, or fracturing body parts, and others.

The Power Industrial Truck regulation (which includes forklifts, lift trucks and jacks) requires all workers who use and operate a Powered Industrial Truck to be trained and certified in order to minimize the number of accidents, injuries and deaths associated with Powered Industrial Trucks.

OSHA regulations require anyone going up heights 6 feet or higher to be trained on Fall Protection and the training has to be certified by a competent person.

Many PPE violations relate to eye and face protection. Protecting the eyes and face from hazards like flying debris, chips, dust, splashes, extreme heat and light radiation is extremely important. You only get one set of eyes and when injured, recovery can be very lengthy and costly.

Moving machine parts create workplace hazards and potential machinery-related injuries, making machine guards vitally important.