Construction Safety Quiz:

Out of the 4,674 worker fatalities that happened in private industry in 2017, one in five, were in construction, totaling 971 deaths. Additionally, an estimated 150,000 injuries are sustained on construction sites each year. Construction safety can literally have life and death consequences.

971 construction workers
died on the job in 2017

Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
Summary, 2017, Bureau of Labor Statistics

These statistics may be tough to swallow, but it’s impossible to ignore that construction-related accidents, injuries, and deaths are far too common on construction jobsites. And while some of these accidents are just that, many others can be attributed to unsafe jobsite conditions, improper use of equipment, and lack of protective safeguards.

As a project superintendent or EHS manager, you know that construction safety is a serious concern. You know all too well the responsibility that comes with keeping your workers safe every single day. And OSHA’s guidelines are there to help you ensure worker health and jobsite safety are prioritized––covering everything from height protection requirements to housekeeping and sanitation regulations to emergency action plans. 

But there’s a lot of information to get your arms around, let alone be certain that each of your employees, subcontractors, and other site visitors know and follow these guidelines, too. And because OSHA standards are updated every year, you may not be up to speed on the latest requirements and best practices. 

Not to belabor the point, but if you’re unaware of or happen to overlook a critical OSHA standard, you could unintentionally put your workers at risk. And to make matters worse, your jobsite could be cited for non-compliance. Endangering a human life is a heavy cross to bear, made even heavier should you be slapped with an OSHA violation and fine. 

For the most complete information about current OSHA standards for construction, you can visit www.osha.gov/doc/. But if you’d like to get a sense of how strong your knowledge is before you dive deep into the standards, take this 5-minute compliance quiz.