The Importance of Safety Training in the Construction Industry

Construction remains a booming industry in Washington and elsewhere in the country as population, businesses, and services expand. While we need skilled, experienced construction workers, the construction industry is arguably the most dangerous of all workplace environments. The nature of construction work requires working with heavy equipment, large vehicles, heights, chemicals, electricity, and dangerous power tools. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 46 percent of all fatal falls from heights and slip-and-fall accidents occurred to construction workers in 2021, making up more than one-third of all construction accident deaths.

Safety training and ensuring construction sites meet safety standards are the most effective ways to minimize construction accidents and fatalities. Safety training also benefits the construction industry in other important ways.

Reducing Hazards and Preventing Construction Accidents Through Training

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there are four fatal faults in the construction industry. These include falls, electrocutions, struck-by accidents, and caught-in-between accidents. By undergoing routine safety training, construction managers and workers are better equipped to do the following:

• Perform tasks safely without causing hazards to themselves or others
• Quickly assess situations and identify hazards
• Promptly address safety hazards to remove potential risks
• Know when to use safety equipment, how to use it properly, and what equipment to use for every task
• Know the proper response to emergencies, including basic first-aid procedures

When all employees and supervisors on a construction site know their roles, responsibilities, and safety rules, they are better able to prevent accidents from occurring and respond more quickly and appropriately if they do occur, potentially saving lives.

Safety training is not a one-time procedure for new employees but must be regularly updated and reinforced as industry standards change. Learning proper documentation after an accident is also an important and necessary part of safety training.

In the event you have been injured in a construction injury, contact our worker’s compensation attorney in Seattle.

What Are the Most Common Types of Safety Training for Construction Workers?

Health and safety training for construction workers promotes workplace safety by keeping workers and supervisors up-to-date on minimizing the risks of common workplace hazards. Training for construction worker safety typically covers topics such as the following:

• Hazard identification
• Basic safety training
• Fall prevention training
• Roles and responsibilities in construction
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) training
• Harnessing and rigging training
• Fire-safety awareness
• Training on the safe use of power tools, cranes, construction vehicles, and welding equipment
• Safe trenching and excavation
• Training in emergency response and first aid

A safer worksite has multiple benefits for workers and employers, including a better industry reputation.

What Are the Additional Benefits of Safety Training In the Construction Industry?

As well as better safety records with fewer injuries, regular safety training on construction sites has other benefits as well. These include:

• Boosted morale as workers feel safer on the job
• Boosted productivity due to fewer injuries, fewer workers off the job due to injuries, and fewer emergency site shutdowns due to accidents
• Reduced costs for industry employers and others

Construction accidents are expensive, not only for treating injuries and paying premiums on workers’ compensation insurance as well as paying lawsuits, fines, and penalties, but also for the general costs of reduced productivity. Ideally, by decreasing these expenses, workers could see pay increases as well.

Having well-trained workers is essential for any construction business. Employees in this specialized industry require specialized training not only for construction skills but also for safety on the worksite.