Every day, nearly a million workers worldwide suffer a workplace injury and nearly 6,300 people die as a result of a workplace injury or occupational disease. By working together and putting science into practice, we believe that together we can change this.
The construction industry is one of the most dangerous work environments where workers are exposed to a wide range of potential hazards. According to a Eurostat report, 'Occupational accidents - statistics by economic activity', in absolute terms, 815 workers had a fatal accident in the EU in 2015. This figure represents 21% of all fatal accidents in all types of industries.
Construction workers are exposed to a wide range of potential hazards and some of the most common types are listed below:
- Working at height, including roof, front edge and mobile elevating platform activities that can lead to falls, resulting in serious injury, sometimes fatal
- Objects falling from height, including masonry, tools and other items that could cause serious injury to workers on lower floors
- Dust, including crystalline silica, quartz dust and asbestos, which can cause acute chronic health problems such as lung cancer
- Noise and vibration from the use of heavy tools, including portable equipment, which can lead to irreversible hearing loss and hand/arm injury
- Flying dust particles and liquid splashes, including chemicals or concrete, can cause serious eye/face injuries
- Nail guns that misfire and hit the eye, leading to serious eye injury or even blindness
- Manual handling and poor ergonomics that can lead to long-term injuries
To mitigate these hazards, safety managers must carry out an appropriate risk assessment and implement appropriate measures according to the hierarchy.
3M has developed an e-book with best practices for key applications involving aerial work platforms, scaffolding and front-edge activities. Get the information you need to improve safety standards for construction workers at height.
Click the button below and download the e-book for free!
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