Introduction
Construction workers are often exposed to a great number of hazards, and according to statistical data, approximately 100 of them die every year in the United States (Stromme, 2011, p. 28). Furthermore, many of these professionals are seriously injured during their work (Mirizzi & Miller 2011, unpaged). This trend is rather alarming because it indicates that the rules and standards set by government agencies are not met by many companies.
Researchers believe that in many cases, such accidents can be prevented if employers implement adequate fall protection programs that can minimize a great number of risks affecting the lives of many people (Stromme, 2011). This paper is aimed at discussing a particular fall accident that took place in Atlanta in 2011 and the factors that contributed to this tragic event.
Furthermore, it is necessary to examine a fall protection program that can reduce possible threats to the life and health of many workers. On the whole, many deaths and injuries of people working in construction industry can be averted if necessary safety precautions are taken by businesses.
More importantly, the majority of these cases can be explained by carelessness, rather than unpredictable and unmanageable forces. This is one of the main points that can be made. This issues discussed in this paper can be relevant to many employees and businesses that operate in the construction market.
Review and analysis of a fall accident
Fall accidents are frequently reported and discussed by journalists who raise people’s awareness about this problem. For example, in his article, Robert Katz (2011) writes about one of such tragedies that took place in Atlanta. The victim was working at a construction site on the territory of a high school that was redeveloped (Katz, 2011, unpaged).
He fell from a hydraulic lift that was located at the height of 20 feet (Katz, 2011, unpaged). It should be noted that a piece of pipe fell from the ceiling and it jerked the lift; as a result, the worker collapsed on the pavement and the injuries that he sustained proved to be fatal. These are the results of the investigation conducted by the official authorities (Katz, 2011, unpaged). To a great extent, this event demonstrates that construction sites are among the most dangerous workplaces.
Nevertheless, one cannot say that this event can be explained by some uncontrolled forces that cannot be mitigated by construction companies. In this case, one can speak about the absence of safety procedures and equipment that could have protected the life of this employee. This is the main problems that should be addressed by construction companies; otherwise the tragedy that occurred in Atlanta can easily repeat itself.
Causative factors associated with the event
It is necessary to look at the causative factors that contributed to this accident. First of all, one can say that that the victim was not protected by guardrails, gears, and railings that can significantly reduce the risks of falls. As a matter of fact, these tools are mandated by the regulations of Occupational Safety & Health Administration (Stromme, 2001).
They are not very expensive, but they can resolve many potential problems. The absence of personal fall arrest systems can be viewed as the main cause of the tragedy discussed in the previous section. Apart from that, the security of the construction site was not ensured, since no one monitored the place in which the deceased person had to work.
Furthermore, the pipe that crashed into the hydraulic lift could have easily injured a worker, and he was not protected in any way. This is another aspect that should not be disregarded. On the whole, one can argue that the companies that work on construction projects often do not make sure that employees comply with the safety standards.
In his article, Mark Stromme (2011) points out that sometimes, the managers of construction projects can just think that a certain task does not pose a threat to the life of a worker. In their opinion, protective equipment is not necessary since it will take only a few minutes to complete the task (Stromme, 2011, p. 29).
This negligence is the underlying cause of many fall accidents that take place in the United States; this is why such decisions are not unacceptable. Furthermore, many businesses that represent construction industry do not provide any training to employees. As a result, they people do know how to act in those cases when their life or health is under threat.
This circumstance should not be disregarded by modern businesses that earn their revenues at the expense of workers’ life or health. Furthermore, it should be taken into account that these incidents are usually very costly for companies because they have to pay compensation to injured workers or the families of those people who died in the course of such accidents (Katz, 2011).
Moreover, these organizations can sometimes face criminal charges. This is why it is so vital to introduce a set of safeguard that can make construction sites less dangerous. It should be noted that these initiatives are not very expensive, but they are very beneficial for many stakeholders.
A sample fall protection program
At this point, it is necessary to examine at a fall protection program that is supposed to reduce the risk of such events. For example, one can look at the set of initiatives proposed by researchers from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. First of all, they pay close attention to personal fall arrest systems because these safeguards are critical for the safety of employees (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009, p. 8).
The death of a construction worker in Atlanta can be mostly attributed to the absence of these systems. Overall, they comprise such components as body belts, lanyards, dee-rings, anchorage points, snaphooks lifelines, and other tools that prevent people from falling (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009, p. 8). Each of these devices can be critical for the safety of workers.
The importance of these safeguards is emphasized in this program. Its authors believe that personal fall arrest systems should be continuously supervised by managers (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009, p. 8). So, this is one of the main recommendations that experts make, and these suggestions can quite justified.
Additionally, according to this program, managers should focus on the safety monitoring systems that are also instrumental for the prevention of fall accidents in the workplace (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009, p. 8). It is important to examine construction sites and ensure that every piece of equipment is properly fixed and that nothing can lead to the fall of a person (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2009, p. 9).
Moreover, the worksites should be free from debris that can pose a threat to the life and health of a worker. It should be kept in mind that the incident in Atlanta was caused by the fall of a pipe that jerked the hydraulic lift. Such events are very widespread at modern construction sites.
Apart from that, supervisors should make sure that every worker wears the equipment can arrest his fall (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2009, p. 9). It is possible say that the implementation of safety monitoring systems is extremely relevant for such activities as plumbing, roofing, heating, or masonry work.
Overall, these recommendations should be considered by construction companies. It seems that the precautions advocated in this program are sufficient for preventing a great number of incidents in the workplace. Provided that every company follows these rules, the lives of many people can be saved in the future.
Conclusion
On the whole, one can argue that the majority of fall accidents should not be regarded as something inevitable. Certainly, such falls can be triggered by various events that are not always predictable. However, construction companies can minimize the impact of such events by adopting several strategies. First of all, they should provide workers with necessary fall protection gear.
Secondly, they should develop a set of rules that workers should always adhere. Finally, managers should focus on the safety of worksites. The fall protection program that has been discussed in this report can be sufficient for reducing the number of fall incidents at construction sites.
Reference List
Katz, R. (2011). Atlanta Construction Worker Killed in Fall Accident. Web.
Mirizzi, S. & Miller, N. (2011). The Most Overlooked Aspect of Fall Protection. Web.
Stromme, M. (2011). 5 fall protection myths. Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, 45(10), 28-30.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (2011) Fall Protection Program Manual. Web.