Construction is a high-risk vocation with a particularly high instance of injuries, as well as injuries that are highly specific to the type of work. People who devote their careers to this industry face situations in which they put their personal safety and physical well-being on the line in order to serve others by helping innovate, update, and enhance the facilities and structures that we need to survive. The most common types of workplace injuries in construction sustained in the Sacramento area include the following:

Electrical Incidents

This type of injury is extremely common on construction sites and is the third leading cause of fatality. Electrical injuries resulting from accidents on a construction site include: burns such as flash burns from an arc flash or burns from an arc flash when flames cause clothing to catch fire, electric shocks that cause workers or visitors to fall, and electric shocks that damage a person’s heart, other internal organs, or their central nervous system.

Workers or visitors are especially at risk for an electrical injury on sites with overhead or buried power lines, moving trucks, power tools, exposed wiring and unfinished electrical systems, gas-powered combustion engines, or defective equipment. Shocks and burns, even if not fatal, can cause serious internal harm that requires long-term medical treatment in order to prevent further damage, disfiguration, or death. Examples of long-lasting and permanent damage from electrical incidents are:

• Scarring and disfigurement on hands, head, feet, and other areas of the body that can require surgery and physical therapy
• Tissue damage resulting in infection and subsequent amputation
• Hearing damage and loss
• Lung damage and collapse
• Muscle damage from involuntary muscle contractions
• Emotional and psychological effects due to PTSD and pain
• RSD (Reflect Sympathetic Dystrophy), a painful muscle disorder

While these injuries are common and even fatal in some instances, they are actually preventable, and if the injuries occurred on the job, worker’s comp damages should be sought through the proper legal channels. Likewise, if a person becomes injured due to an electrical incident that turns out to be the fault of a third party, a personal injury claim will enable the victim to recover damages.

Falls

Falls are actually the leading cause of accidents on construction sites causing injury and loss of life. They can occur when workers or visitors are close to or on top of unstable worksite debris or for employees who are tasked with working on the sides of tall buildings either without protection or on scaffolding that is not properly secured or in good repair. Additionally, while working or moving through the inside of a building that is under construction or being repaired, a person can trip and fall on loose or damaged floorboards and carpeting, power cords or wiring, surfaces that become wet or slippery in the rain or immediately after cleaning, or simply because of poor lighting or due to lack of training or safety equipment.

Construction sites where a person suffers from falling, even if it is on the same level or not from a great height, can still cause grievous injury. Some falls or trips can cause bone fractures, burns, or skin abrasions, and falls from high levels can cause permanent damage to the spinal cord, massive bone fractures, traumatic brain injuries, infections leading to limb amputation, and wrongful death.

Falling Objects or Striking Objects

Objects that fall on top of a construction worker or guest at a site can cause harm to multiple areas of the body and can even be fatal. The head is especially vulnerable; falling or striking objects that come into contact with the head can cause brain damage, concussions, swelling, and can even kill. People who sustain other non-fatal injuries from this scenario may still suffer painful harm to their shoulders, neck, back, and spinal cord, sustain bone fractures, or experience an injury that penetrates through the skin and affects internal organs or the spinal cord. These accidents can be very serious even though the person survives because they may no longer be able to work due to paralysis or ongoing pain and physical disabilities.

Often, another party or person is liable for injuries resulting from falling and striking objects. These injuries usually occur due to a lack of safety at the site itself, missing warning signs or barricades regarding the imminent danger of a particular area, lack of proper supervision or training, and mechanical defects in machinery that needs maintenance or repair.

Crushing, Collapses, and Backover Hazards

A worker or visitor on a construction site can be at risk of suffering an injury if their body becomes crushed or compressed due to heavy machinery and the collapse of a building or worksite debris. Large machines, such as forklifts and bulldozers, weigh thousands of pounds. The injuries afflicted by this equipment, even if not fatal, can cause serious and permanent damage to appendages, bodily tissue, inner organs, and bones. The most fatal type of crushing incident is due to trench collapse. Because many worksites require employees to dig trenches for the purpose of running utility lines and foundations, these areas must be stored and secured properly, or the risk of collapse greatly escalates.

Repetitive Motion Injuries or Overexertion

These injuries are known by medical professionals as MSD, or musculoskeletal disorders. They arise from doing the same task over and over, day after day, and are difficult to recognize initially because they present as minor aches and pains. If the worker continues to work through the pain or treat it with over-the-counter pain medication, they can cause long-term or permanent damage to the body’s nerves, muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments.

This then leads to ongoing syndromes such as tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain and strain, and other health problems that can impede a person’s quality of life and ability to continue working. Bricklayers, masons, and workers that do prolonged overhead drilling or use various other types of hand tools are construction workers who are at risk for these types of injuries.

Heatstroke or Over Exposure to Extreme Temperatures and Weather

Extreme temperatures can lead to heatstroke, which occurs when the temperature of a person’s body reaches over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. This can then cause hyperthermia, which may lead to brain damage, organ failure, and loss of life. Because construction workers not only work outside in all types of weather but also perform physically demanding tasks for hours at a time while wearing protective gear and clothing, they are at considerable risk for HRI (heat-related injuries).

These injuries can be identified by fainting, rashes, exhaustion, and stomach cramps. The combination of physical activity and environmental factors, which include unique workspaces such as attics, roofs, runways, and crawlspaces, as well as exposure to heat through welding, paving, cutting torches, and other tools and building materials, pose significant risks for construction workers as they exert themselves completing jobs.