Welding is a dangerous job. No matter how experienced a welder is, he still is working with extreme temperatures, hazardous fumes, and flammable materials. According to a study conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2015, more than 500,000 workers are injured every year due to welding accidents. This is not a small number. Although welding can cause a large array of accidents and injuries, there is nothing more catastrophic than fire. In this week’s Toolbox Talk, we’ll take a look at welding fires and some effective strategies for their prevention.

Construction sites have a great capacity for electrical hazards. Electricity is used as a power supply for tools, for lighting, and for the operation of machinery. Additionally, electricity exists as infrastructure that runs through walls, underground, and in suspended power lines. Essentially, electricity is all around us, and if we aren’t careful we can face the risk of electrocution.

Dangers of Electrical Hazards

Construction sites are full of hazards. Everyone working in construction should have thorough safety training and be prepared before entering a job site. Electrical hazards are one of many that can cause severe injury to you or your crew. Electrocution is the core concern with electrical hazards on construction sites. Electrocution occurs when your body is exposed to an unprotected electrical current. Electrocution is especially dangerous because it can cause loss of consciousness. If a worker is in a precarious position, this loss of consciousness can result in a fall or other physical accident.

In today’s Toolbox Talk, we will take a close look at the different ways we can receive an electric shock, as well as ways to avoid electrical hazards.

Every contractor must contend with the weather. Regardless of where or when we work, how much money we make, or which client we snag, we have no control over the weather. We can plan and monitor forecasts all we want, but no amount of preparation can prevent a sudden downpour or bout of intense winds. Working in wet weather conditions can be both difficult and dangerous. Therefore, we must always create our construction sites with the weather in mind: we must build in anticipation of the worst, and we must bring supplies that will help protect our bodies and equipment in any scenario.

There are many tasks in the construction industry that require the removal of earth. This process, known as excavation, can be very dangerous. Cave-ins and slough-offs are significant causes of death every year in the field of construction. With this week’s Toolbox Talk, you can review the process of excavation with your employees and make sure that they always follow proper guidelines when performing this kind of work.