Skip to main content

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.

Ready to
find your next construction job? You can get access Building Skills NY
construction job and training opportunities by checking out our Job
Seekers page.