The construction industry continues to grow and even though there has been improvement in workplace safety, there is still a significant amount of accidents resulting in injuries and fatalities in the industry that could have been prevented. According to the United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (n.d.), statistics show construction site falls as the leading cause of death and fall protection as the most cited violation in the industry. The top four causes of construction related deaths were responsible for more than half (58.7%) of the construction worker deaths i n 2013. It is important to identify the reasons why safety training programs are not being developed and implemented in order to prevent
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In order to find the causes, theories of accident causations have been developed in predicting and preventing accidents. Knowing some of these theories will help identify some of the factors involved as to the cause of this accident. Based on the factors this case can be identified as a combination theory both human factor theory and systems theory. First using the human factor we see the worker having one or both of the following symptoms: overload in which the worker may have been distracted or dealing with a personal issue. These concerns could put him in a different frame of mind, causing him to have an inappropriate response to which he knew it was a safety hazard but still chose to use the ladder on the scaffold. He may have had an inappropriate activity in which he misjudged the hazard and thought he could complete the task without incident (Goetsch, 2010). The second theory affiliated to this accident is the accident/incident theory also known as the Petersen’s Theory. This theory is often used with the human factor in identifying more details in the possible cause which includes overload, ergonomic traps and decision to err (Goetsch, 2010). Overload could identify as to the state of mind the worker was in while he was performing the task. The worker could be under pressure not only from home, but from the work or the supervisor. …show more content…
This started with the safety movement in the early 1900’s, as they saw the need to develop programs and regulations with the intent of keeping all workers safe from harm. Numerous safety organizations have been established over the years and are devoted fully in the promoting of safety and health in the workplace. With that said, falls continue to bring too high of accidental deaths with approximately 13,000 annually, so it is imperative to ensure enforcement of the regulation in utilizing fall protection when necessary. It is key in order to minimize fall related accidents. We will continue to see fall accidents decrease as the industry works together with both the employees and the safety and health organizations, instilling the importance of maintaining a safety and healthy workplace. So it has brought the industry to the conclusion prevention is more economical on a morale level (Goetsch, 2010). Employers and workers in the construction industry need to take a proactive role in developing and implementing safety programs to prevent accidents. If properly implemented and followed, safety will become second nature when performing all
In order to find the causes, theories of accident causations have been developed in predicting and preventing accidents. Knowing some of these theories will help identify some of the factors involved as to the cause of this accident. Based on the factors this case can be identified as a combination theory both human factor theory and systems theory. First using the human factor we see the worker having one or both of the following symptoms: overload in which the worker may have been distracted or dealing with a personal issue. These concerns could put him in a different frame of mind, causing him to have an inappropriate response to which he knew it was a safety hazard but still chose to use the ladder on the scaffold. He may have had an inappropriate activity in which he misjudged the hazard and thought he could complete the task without incident (Goetsch, 2010). The second theory affiliated to this accident is the accident/incident theory also known as the Petersen’s Theory. This theory is often used with the human factor in identifying more details in the possible cause which includes overload, ergonomic traps and decision to err (Goetsch, 2010). Overload could identify as to the state of mind the worker was in while he was performing the task. The worker could be under pressure not only from home, but from the work or the supervisor. …show more content…
This started with the safety movement in the early 1900’s, as they saw the need to develop programs and regulations with the intent of keeping all workers safe from harm. Numerous safety organizations have been established over the years and are devoted fully in the promoting of safety and health in the workplace. With that said, falls continue to bring too high of accidental deaths with approximately 13,000 annually, so it is imperative to ensure enforcement of the regulation in utilizing fall protection when necessary. It is key in order to minimize fall related accidents. We will continue to see fall accidents decrease as the industry works together with both the employees and the safety and health organizations, instilling the importance of maintaining a safety and healthy workplace. So it has brought the industry to the conclusion prevention is more economical on a morale level (Goetsch, 2010). Employers and workers in the construction industry need to take a proactive role in developing and implementing safety programs to prevent accidents. If properly implemented and followed, safety will become second nature when performing all