Construction workers face high-level risks at different construction sites daily. Handling construction projects or working at a construction site exposes construction workers to many risks. Thus, general contractors must ensure construction site conditions are safe for construction workers to work and complete their job seamlessly.
Safety measures and regular inspections must be in place to eliminate common risks and protect workers. Construction workers and other contractors must use personal protective equipment while handling construction projects on a job site to reduce risks of construction hazards. While the safety measures can protect contractors and construction workers, it doesn’t eliminate accidents from happening.
Thus, general contractors must carry vital insurance policies as protection against common claims that may arise when job site accidents happen. Delay claims, damage claims, and differing site conditions claim are some of the most common claims that may occur during a construction project. The necessary insurance can protect the general contractor from these claims while mitigating financial or productivity loss.
This article reviews the most common types of construction claims and hazards that may occur on a construction site while handling a construction project.
Common Construction Sites Hazards Workers/Contractors May Encounter During Construction Projects
The risk of hazards in the construction industry is very high. Studies have shown that accidents with varying degrees of severity occur in 2 out of 3 construction sites daily. Workers, contractors, and everyone involved suffer from the effects of these hazards that may range from claims due to property damage to medical costs of injured workers, financial loss, lost time, etc. This makes it essential to ensure optimum work site safety to keep workers safe. Below are some of the job sites hazards workers can face:
Falls from heights
This is one of the common accidents that occur while handling a construction job. Most always result from a lack of proper ladder placement, resulting in high-impact injuries or property damage. It’s essential that workers are trained on the etiquette of using a ladder to prevent falls, and they must also have the vital protective gears to prevent the impact of such accidents. Workers’ compensation insurance and General Liability Insurance are some safety nets that provide financial protection if an employee gets injured or a damage claim arises due to a fall.
Getting hit by flying objects
Tools may slip from one worker, and other workers may get hit by the objects. This is a common scenario that happens during complex projects that involve lots of workers. Falling objects can also lead to property damage. An example is when a heavy tool slips from a contractor and breaks the floor tiles. This might result in a claim or lawsuit against the contractor, but the right insurance policies can cover this. An example of an insurance policy with the right coverage to protect you from such a case is the general liability policy. It covers legal and medical feed for third-party injury and property damage.
Electrocution
Electrical hazards occur when handling a construction job that involves electrical work. Lack of ground-fault protection, workers coming in contact with power-line, improper use of a flexible cord or other electricity materials, etc., are all possible causes of this accident.
Airborne or Exposure Hazards
Any contractor working with toxic materials like asbestos, lead, etc., is susceptible to respiratory hazards like lung cancer (to know more about mesothelioma legal action visit the link). It’s essential that every contractor handling a job involving toxic material is well protected and understands the principles and precautions of using these materials. Using safety gears and equipment is vital to ensure safety. This construction hazard often results in work-related illness. An active workers comp policy ensures affected workers get appropriate medical treatments and cover the costs.
Excessive Noise
Some power tools and equipment produce a high level of noise. Constant exposure to this loud noise may cause hearing damage. Any contractor that’ll be handling power tools with high levels of noise must take necessary precautions and use preventive gear to prevent hearing loss.
Vehicle / Machinery accidents
Inappropriate manual handling of machines can lead to accidents. Hence, only an experienced contractor must be allowed to handle machinery or equipment. The risks of automated machines are less than those that require manual handling. Thus, ensuring only workers with the technical know-how handle such machines is vital.
Burns
Burns is another example of construction hazards that an appropriate insurance policy can cover. Exposure to high heat or hot surfaces during a job may cause this hazard. Workers comp insurance settles resulting medical costs if the incident happens to a worker. However, if it’s the property owner that suffers the burns due to a worker’s negligence, the general liability policy will be needed to take care of the third-party construction claims.
The insurance policy covers more than perils that may occur on construction sites. These policies also take care of construction claims that can occur during construction. You can regard construction claims as to the other risks most construction businesses face. Construction claims often result in lengthy litigation or huge financial losses without proper policy protection.
Defective work, different site conditions from the actual condition stated, price acceleration claims, non-compliance with contract documents, uninformed changes in project budgets, etc., are common types of construction claims a business can face. Both the client and contractor can make construction claims, but often, clients do have more reasons to lay claims than contractors do.
Conclusion
Being a construction contractor is regarded as one of the most dangerous jobs to do. This is due to the risks associated with the construction industry. Every construction business periodically records different accidents of varying forms. These accidents could lead to serious claims that could threaten the construction company’s existence with possible bankruptcy.
The needed insurance policies can protect a company’s financial assets by covering the costs of resulting legal fees, medical bills, repair and replacement costs, etc. Thus, every construction business owner or general contractor must carry the proper policy to prevent the perils mentioned above and other unforeseen construction claims.
