OSHA's Fatal Four in Construction

OSHA has classified the four major safety hazards that are accountable for a vast part of all fatal cases on the construction site yearly and named them the “Fatal Four”. In 2016, almost two-thirds of all deaths at job sites came from one of OSHA’s Fatal Four. This is why it is crucial to attend OSHA training classes in NYC to understand the difference between these hazards and prevent them effectively.

What hazards belong to the “Fatal Four”?

• Fall Hazards

OSHA fall protection regulations are one of the mandatory topics on every safety training and the reason for this is that every third death on worksites comes from falling. These might be happening because of unprotected edges and openings at the sites, improper scaffolding construction, or ladder use. To decrease the number of fatal cases every year, a dedicated OSHA 30 hour training has been created.

• Caught-In or Between Hazards

As per OSHA, these hazards include accidents when the individual gets squeezed, caught, or compressed between several objects or their elements. Such unfortunate situations might be caused by falling walls during destruction, unregulated moving parts of the machinery, and unprotected work with them.

• Struck-By Hazards

The difference between struck-by and caught in between hazards is in the object that caused the injury. In case the accident happened because of the object itself, it is a struck-by hazard. Should the injury appear due to getting between two things, it’s a caught-between one.

• Electrical Hazards

Working with electricity is often dangerous and this is why it is always a good topic for toolbox talks. OSHA has designed its own electrical standards in order to protect employees from such hazards as electric shock, electrocution, fires, and explosions, that might come from lack of ground-fault protection and misuse of extensions, flexible cords, or equipment.

How to avoid “The Fatal Four”?

Knowledge is power, and so is true in the construction industry. Education of the laborers brings long-term effects and decreases the risks of accidents. Scaffolding safety training has been created with the intention to spread safety awareness between the construction employees and secure their lives at work sites. During the training, the workers get to know about safe work practices, how to detect and eliminate hazards, and how to prevent them in the first place. The training is available even online, which makes it easy to take part in scaffold training NYC regardless of the location. 

For those working on high altitudes, it is crucial to know what equipment should be used to avoid injuries from falls. OSHA slip and fall prevention rules instruct about approved fall protection methods, such as fall arrest systems, border ropes, and guardrails. 

Jobsite safety should be a number one priority of each and every worker on a daily basis and ongoing safety training should be provided to all employees regardless of their experience.