Safety First: Reducing the Risk of Falls and Injuries in the Workplace

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This week’s guest blog comes from Jayde Ferguson of DM Civil Contractors.

The construction and mining industry is easily one of the most dangerous when it comes to falls and injuries in the workplace. Each year, thousands are injured on the job and reducing this occurrence of potential risks is a consistently high priority of safety and health professionals all over the country.

Just in Australia alone, recent health and safety statistics reveal a total of 117,815 number of serious claims reported. Muscular stress while lifting, carrying or putting down objects was the top risk, with falls on the same level and falls from a height following closely behind. According to the US Department of Labour, slips trips and falls make up the majority of the general industry accident too, which accounts for about 25% of all reported injury claims in the year.

Thus, it’s safe to say measures need to be taken to ensure the safety of all workers. Whether it’s a momentary lapse of distraction or not taking the right healthy and safety precautions – we check out the importance of putting safety first to help reduce falls and injuries in the workplace.

1. The Importance of Regular Machine Maintenance

To keep work equipment safe and reliable, it’s imperative regular machine maintenance is done. Schedules should be in place to prompt relevant staff to ensure equipment is tested and checked to avoid potential accidents and dangerous situations. According to the European statistics on accidents at work, it’s estimated that around 15-20% of accidents are related to maintenance operations, with around 10% of these leading to fatal incidents. Continue reading “Safety First: Reducing the Risk of Falls and Injuries in the Workplace”