Did you know? Construction companies that couple high quality equipment and thorough safety training are shown to avoid accidents every year. Imagine that! Those who take fall protection courses fall less. Those who undergo crane training have crane accidents less frequently. It may seem like a novel idea but training your workforce and giving them the appropriate tools can really minimize workplace hazards.

Between 2008 and 2013, the number of people who were fataly injured on the job site decreased by about 200 people per year. When workers are more than six feet from the ground while working, they are at serious risk for injury. Employees on a construction site should always use steel toe boots and hard hats. Sharp edges should be covered with padding at sites. There are all the kinds of safety measures that can be put into place to avoid issues. But who oversees all of this?

The bottom line is that employers are responsible for creating an environment where works are safe. However, OSHA is a governing body that works to provide some structure for companies to follow. OSHA visits companies every year to ensure that the machines are well taken care of and that the processes for material handling make sense. OSHA often recommends items like lifting chains or construction safety training to keep the workplace safe.

Construction and material handling are innately risky jobs. Construction workers devote their bodies and their hard work to the construction of the buildings, roads and infrastructure we all take for granted. Workplace safety is the lowest form of gratitude to extend to them for filling this vital role. Companies should head the advice of OSHA and utilize the plan, provide, train model to put safety items into motion. After all, it costs far less to prevent an accident than it goes to respond to one!