Date Posted: 01/27/2024

According to the WA Department of Labor and Industries, Falls account for more than 1/3 of all fatalities in Construction in WA State. (36% between 2018-2022 Labor and Industries). In 2020, nationally, there were 351 fatal falls to a lower level out of 1,008 construction fatalities (BLS data). These fatalities are preventable.

Date Posted: 01/27/2024

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), About 1.8 million workers report musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), commonly known as strains and sprains, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, and back injuries yearly.

Date Posted: 12/12/2023

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), struck-by incidents occur when a moving object strikes a worker. These struck-by incidents are a leading cause of death among construction workers. The four most common struck-by hazards are struck by a flying, falling, swinging, or rolling object, both large and small, from vehicles and heavy machinery to rocks, gravel, and tools.

Date Posted: 12/12/2023

Statistically, construction sites are one of the country’s most dangerous workplaces, with one in every five deaths occurring in construction as well as being a WA Top 10 rule violation. Falls are the number one cause of construction worker fatalities, accounting for more than one-third (34%) of all deaths in the industry.

Date Posted: 12/12/2023

Statistics show that exposure to electricity is a significant cause of death among construction workers. Among electricians, the most serious concern is working “live” or near live wires instead of de-energizing and using lockout/tagout procedures.

Date Posted: 12/12/2023

Nationally, workers suffer approximately 125,000 caught-in-between or crushed injuries yearly when body parts get caught between two objects or are entangled with machinery. These hazards are also referred to as "pinch points.”

Date Posted: 10/28/2023

According to OSHA, “Millions of workers are exposed to solvents on a daily basis. Health hazards associated with solvent exposure include toxicity to the nervous system, reproductive damage, liver and kidney damage, respiratory impairment, cancer, and dermatitis. Solvents share many chemical, physical, and biological properties that warrant national attention be directed to them as a group. In addition, many solvent groups or individual substances have special properties requiring more specialized control measures.”

Date Posted: 10/28/2023

OSHA estimates that more than 840,000 workers are exposed to silica levels that exceed the new permissible exposure limit (PEL) annually. Silica is found in many materials common on construction sites, including sand, concrete, rock, mortar, stone, and brick. When workers cut, grind, abrasive blast, jackhammer, or perform other tasks that disturb these materials, dust containing crystalline silica can be released into the air. Workers who inhale this dust are at risk.

Date Posted: 10/27/2023

According to OSHA, Molds are microscopic organisms found everywhere in the environment, indoors and outdoors. Most molds are harmless, but some can cause infections and allergy symptoms and produce toxins. Inhalation is the exposure of most concern to cleanup workers.

Date Posted: 10/27/2023

Lead is a toxic, naturally occurring heavy metal. Traditionally in the construction industry, most over-exposures to lead have been found in the trades such as plumbing, welding, and painting.

Date Posted: 10/27/2023

Hydrogen sulfide is prevalent in natural gas and petroleum. As a result, Workers in gas plants, refineries, petrochemical plants, pulp mills, underground mines, sewers, wastewater treatment plants, and asphalt plants are at high risk of exposure. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a colorless, flammable, extremely hazardous gas with a “rotten egg” smell.

Date Posted: 10/27/2023

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous, colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. Although it has no detectable odor, CO is often mixed with other gases that do have an odor. So, you can inhale carbon monoxide right along with gases that you can smell and not even know that CO is present.

Date Posted: 10/24/2023

Around 5,000 people from all industries die from asbestos-related diseases every year. According to the Washington State Department of Health, asbestos is a mineral fiber found in rocks and soil. It was once widely used in building materials and products to strengthen them and provide heat insulation and fire resistance. It is still used in some products today.

Date Posted: 04/24/2023

It is estimated that more than 5 million workers use respiratory protection regularly as part of their work. Respirators protect the user from various airborne contaminants, including harmful dust, fog, smoke, mists, gases, vapors, and sprays. Air-supplied respirators protect workers from oxygen-deficient environments also.

Date Posted: 04/24/2023

Hard hats in construction are commonly used to protect workers from a head injury caused by falling objects, striking one’s head against an object, or electrical hazards, including shock and electrocution. The hard hat is a piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to protect a worker when all other protection methods cannot.

Date Posted: 04/24/2023

Protecting your hands is vital for your work and quality of life. Work-related hand injuries are one of the leading reasons workers end up in the emergency room and miss work. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over 1 million workers are treated in the emergency room due to hand injuries.

Date Posted: 04/24/2023

Protective footwear worn on construction sites is designed to protect your feet from physical hazards such as falling objects, punctures through the soles of the footwear, extremely hot or cold temperatures, slippery surfaces, corrosive chemicals, and general foot fatigue.

Date Posted: 04/24/2023

Your eyes are vital for experiencing the fullness of life. Losing the capability to see is not worth the risk of taking shortcuts in your work for any reason. According to OSHA, thousands of people are blinded each year from work-related eye injuries that could have been prevented with the proper selection and use of eye and face protection.

Date Posted: 09/18/2020

Mental health and suicide prevention are important elements of worker health. Learn about the resources that are available to both workers and employers.