Commercial construction workers: Be wary of accidents

As a commercial construction worker, you love the high-paced environment in which you work. Furthermore, you enjoy the fact that you’re not sitting in an office all day long.

Unfortunately, the construction industry can be dangerous at times. Every year, people are injured in a variety of construction site accidents. Making matters even worse, this type of accident can also be fatal at times.

There are many causes of construction site injuries, including but not limited to the following:

• Slip and fall. In addition to slip-and-fall accidents on the ground, these can also occur at height. Either way, the end result can be a serious injury that requires immediate medical attention.
• Falling object. If an object falls from above, such as off the roof of a building, anyone standing below is in a bad position. If this happens, spinal cord and brain injuries are a major concern.
• Equipment accidents. Commercial construction workers use a variety of equipment throughout the day. Some of this equipment is dangerous, as one mistake could lead to an accident.
• Vehicle accidents. There are many examples of this, such as if a forklift backs over a worker.
• Fire. Despite the best efforts of workers to avoid fire on the job site, this could happen for many reasons. Subsequently, anyone in close proximity could suffer serious burns.
• Building collapse. Perhaps the most serious type of construction accident, if a building collapses anyone in the area could be injured or killed.
• Repetitive motion injuries. If your job requires the same type of physical labor, day in and day out, it could eventually lead to a repetitive motion injury.

Commercial construction workers, as well as their employers, do whatever they can to prevent accidents. But even with this approach, there is no guarantee that an accident will never occur.

If you find yourself injured on the job site, you should do the following:

• Receive immediate medical attention.
• Inform your employer as to what happened.
• Consider your options for collecting workers’ compensation benefits or filing a lawsuit.

Although you enjoy your job, commercial construction sites can be a dangerous place. If you’re injured on the job, it’s up to you to take care of your health and learn more about your legal rights.