Chicago Workers' Compensation Attorney Blog

A partnership has formed between the Illinois Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Ryan Companies U.S. Incorporated in an effort to promote health and safety on a construction site in Moline, according to a recent OSHA press release. This location will be the site of the Kone Building Project.

Our Chicago workers' compensation lawyers applaud this joint effort and hope that it keeps construction workers safe on this large construction project since a good number of work accidents in Illinois occur at construction job sites.

In the U.S., millions of people are working at over 250,000 job sites every day. We know that construction workers have some of the deadliest jobs in the nation with potential hazards including falls from heights, scaffold collapse, trench collapse, arc flash or blast injuries and electric shocks.

With its headquarters in Naperville, Ryan Companies U.S. Inc. will put into practice a site-specific health and safety program. If a subcontractor doesn't have its own health and safety program they will help them and perhaps refer them to the Illinois Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program for additional guidance.

The purpose of the partnership agreement is to identify and control safety hazards, improve existing health and safety programs, promote a supportive relationship between management and labor, and encourage worker participation to achieve a healthy and safe workplace. In order to obtain these goals training needs to increase, best work practices need to be followed, and obeying applicable OSHA regulations and standards needs to be a priority. To learn more about OSHA's Strategic Partnership Program visit their website for more information.

According to OSHA the top standards frequently violated on construction sites are: scaffolding, fall protection (scope, application, definitions, training requirements), Excavations (general and protective system requirements), ladders, head protection and electrical (wiring methods, protection and design).

Scaffold-related accidents cause roughly 4,500 injuries and about 50 deaths each year. Here are some steps to prevent scaffold accidents from happening:
-Scaffolds should be erected on sturdy ground and assembled correctly.
-Scaffolds should always be fully planked.
-Never move a scaffold when it is occupied and never erect or move one near power lines.
-Scaffolds should be free of anything slippery like ice or snow prior to their use.
-Workers should never be on a scaffold during bad weather like high winds and lightning.
-Never use anything, like a crate, to make a platform to raise work height.
-Know how much weight the scaffold can handle and never overload it.

Falls are consistently the leading cause of death in the construction industry. Factors that contribute to these falls include: uneven working surfaces, human error and failing to use or the misuse of fall protection equipment. Measures to help prevent fall hazards could be:
-Use of elevated platforms or aerial lifts, which would offer safer elevated working surfaces.
-Build a guardrail system with warning lines and toe boards.
-To protect employees near the borders of roofs and floors install a control line system.
-Make sure holes in walls and floors are covered.
-Use body harnesses or safety net systems.