Construction is a great career and can help you stay financially secure. With all the new infrastructure spending happening right now, construction jobs have become especially widespread and lucrative. However, construction is also a dangerous profession, and negligent actions from employees or managers can often lead to serious injuries (that may require you to hire a construction accident lawyer to handle). Eight types of construction accidents are particularly commonplace: 

1. Repetitive Action Accidents

When you’re working on a construction site, it’s normal to make a certain action (or perform a certain task) over, and over again daily. For this reason, construction site managers are trained to help prevent injuries from excessive and repetitive actions. When you’re injured because you’re exposed to knowingly harmful repetitive action, you can hire a construction accident lawyer to help you receive compensation and to help you hold your irresponsible job site manager responsible for the oversight that harmed you. 

2. Electrocution Accidents

Construction sites run on power (and lots of it). Whether you’re using power tools, an intense piece of construction equipment, or dealing with powerful lights, the chance of being electrocuted is always there. If you, or a co-worker, are not careful, you may end up being severely harmed (or even killed) by a sudden electrocution accident. For this reason, all construction workers must take the time and effort to secure their job sites against electrocution hazards. Doing so can save lives, after all. 

3. Machinery Accidents

Heavy machinery is commonplace on construction job sites. After all, it’s difficult to make a new home’s foundation without the proper machinery. Because this machinery is so powerful and weighs so much, it’s not uncommon for people to experience brutal injuries when this machinery is improperly used or maintained. From crushed limbs to amputations, some of the worst construction injuries are caused by accidents involving heavy machinery, so remaining aware and safe around this dangerous machinery is the responsibility of every single person on a construction job site. 

4. Vehicle Accidents

Because construction sites are so busy, there are often many different types of vehicles on job sites at any given time. With this in mind, it’s key that construction employees stay aware of where vehicles are, what they’re doing, and when they’re moving around the site. If a job site becomes too chaotic, or if vehicles are used recklessly, the chances of a serious construction injury occurring will skyrocket. For this reason, there are often protocols set up for how vehicles should be used (and where they can be used) on construction job sites. 

5. Caught-Between Accidents

“Caught-between” accidents refer to moments when a limb (or a body) is caught by a piece of equipment. While this is often the case with heavy machinery accidents, other caught-between accidents can happen on construction sites as well. Due to the severity of these injuries, death, amputation, and other massive consequences can arise from caught-between injuries. Because of their severity, there must be many safety protocols in place to prevent these types of caught-between injuries from occurring on construction job sites. 

6. Chemical Exposure Accidents

Like electricity, different types of potent chemicals are commonplace on construction job sites. For this reason, workers must be careful to protect themselves from harmful chemical exposure. Chemical exposure can result in burns, long-term side effects, diseases, and even death, after all. Wearing the proper protective gear, and avoiding negligent handling of chemicals, are key to protecting construction workers from harmful, and sometimes irreversible damage from chemical exposure. To help protect workers, chemicals must be properly labeled and stored on construction job sites as well. 

7. Fire and Explosion Accidents

Whether it be gas leaks, explosions, or uncontrolled fires, these types of hazardous accidents on construction job sites lead to hundreds of injuries (and even a few deaths) every single year. Similar to chemical exposure, many protections and protocols need to be put in place on construction sites to ensure these tragedies do not occur. The more responsible the workers, and managers, are on construction job sites, the less likely a fire and/or explosion accident is to occur. 

8. Fall Accidents

Lastly, the chances of employees being injured by falls and trips on construction sites must be addressed. Construction sites need proper guardrails, signage, and upkeep to prevent fall and trip hazards from existing. When a worker falls from a dangerous height, the chances of severe injury (or even death) become much higher. Once again, all workers and managers on construction job sites must do their part in keeping their workspace a safe and enjoyable place to be a part of.