Accidents happen – it’s just a fact of life. And when accidents happen on a construction site, you need to know what to do – and how to do it quickly and correctly – in order to minimize injury and damage.  Next time an accident occurs, here is what you need to do:

Step 1: The first thing you need to after an accident occurs is to check yourself and others to help assess the damage. While checking others first may seem like the right to do, you can’t help anyone else if you’re injured. If you need help, notify a supervisor asap. If you are not injured, check to see how your team is. If you see a team member in immediate danger, like being caught or attached to a machine for example, turn the equipment off.

Step 2: According to Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC, you must seek immediate medical attention if someone is injured. If, for instance, a pillar falls or someone falls from a forklift, there is no way to know how severe injuries are. The person can be in a state of shock and seem totally fine but actually be near death. Immediately call 911 and follow instructions so the appropriate professionals can properly assess the damages and attend to anyone who requires medical treatment.

 Step 3:  Let your employer know about the accident as soon as possible. Not letting your supervisor know right after the accident may cause more problems for you later on when reporting the accident. Your supervisor will be able to help you report what happened so no details are forgotten. The longer you wait to tell your supervisor, the less likely you or a fellow worker will be able to receive compensation for the injury. Talk to your manager to see if there is a system in place for reporting injuries/accidents.

Step 4: When something happens on the jobsite, you also need to keep the surrounding area in mind. Construction accidents can be a great danger to others, so you need to make sure you secure the jobsite. Make sure everyone who is not injured is cleared and the area is roped off. This will allow medical professionals to get in easily, so they can tend to those that need attention. The site should stay secured until all materials and objects that are dangerous are removed.

Step 5: The last thing you need to do is report the accident to OSHA and the NYC Department of Buildings. OSHA requires any in-patient hospitalization to be reported within 24 hours of the accident and any death to be reported within eight hours. Any injury or fatality must be reported to the Department of Buildings within three business days of the accident occurring.

If any of these tips seem new to you, please have a conversation with your supervisor about being prepared for job site accidents. If you don’t know, there is a strong chance there is someone else on your team who doesn’t know, either. Having a plan that everyone understands will make dealing with unexpected accidents much easier.

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