Kirk Bernard – Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer

When working on a construction site in the state of Washington, there are steps you can take to protect yourself from a construction site injury. Being aware of your surroundings and potential danger is the first step to avoid suffering an injury in a Seattle construction accident.

Make sure you wear appropriate personal protective equipment. Don’t, for example, show up at a construction site wearing thin-soled shoes. Nails could easily penetrate your shoes. Always wear a hard hat in designated areas. Tools could fall on your head, you could fall from a ladder or you could fall from a roof. Protect your head from potential head and brain injuries.

Especially when working with power tools, you should always protect your eyes by wearing safety glasses. Nail gun accidents are quite common. Consider also wearing a dust mask to prevent developing respiratory problems due to working with fiberglass, drywall and other dust. Ear plugs are also important when using power tools. Long-term exposure to the noise from power tools can lead to hearing loss.

Avoid using old, patched up ladders. Throw them away and use new ones. Also, standing or climbing backwards on a ladder can lead to you losing your balance and falling. If you need to reach too far while on a ladder, get off the ladder and move it closer to your work area.

If you are handling concrete, make sure that you wear appropriate gloves. Cement is a strong alkali and can cause chemical burns on your hands.

Be aware that there are two mandatory state programs in place that must be followed by employers. One is the “Chemical Hazard Communication Program,” which requires employers to notify workers on the site about all chemical products that may cause harm. All chemicals must be stored in marked containers and clearly labeled.

The “Accident Prevention Program” requires each employer to develop a formal accident-prevention program, tailored to the specific operation and type of hazards involved. There are minimal elements of the program that must be followed by all employers. For example, an employer must have a safety orientation program that describes the employer’s safety program. This program must address such issues as how to report injuries, how to report unsafe conditions and practices, and the proper actions to take in an emergency. All this must be in written format.

Each employer must also conduct crew leader-crew safety meetings. The meetings must address such matters as evaluations of accident investigations conducted since the last meeting as well as reviews of walk-around safety inspections conducted since the last meeting. A determination must be made regarding any unsafe acts or conditions and whether they were properly identified and corrected.

The employer must also conduct walk-around safety inspections at the beginning of each job, and at least weekly thereafter. These inspections must be documented and available for inspection by personnel. Records of walk-around inspections must be maintained by the employer until the completion of the job.

To protect yourself from construction site accidents, always follow the rules regarding safety. Always be aware of any potential dangerous situations. Make sure that your employer follows required safety programs and conducts periodic inspections of the work site.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington construction accident and you believe that another person’s negligence or an unsafe work environment contributed to causing your injuries, you may qualify to obtain compensation. As a skilled Seattle personal injury attorney, Kirk Bernard and his team of legal professionals at the Bernard Law Group have the experience and knowledge to handle construction accident and workers’ compensation cases.