Construction work may be routine at times, but jobsites have many hazards and workers face many serious risks. Taking these steps after construction accidents can help protect you and your co-workers and prevent accidents from taking place again.
Check for injuries
Before you can help any other injured workers, you must be sure that you did not suffer any injuries. You may put your co-workers at risk if you are injured and your condition becomes worse.
Seek immediate help for any injuries that you suffered. If your injuries are serious, do not move unless you are in danger.
After you verify that you are uninjured and without taking any risks, you need to see if anyone at the accident scene is hurt. Turn off or ask someone to turn off any equipment or machines that can harm co-workers, but no one should get injured by separating the equipment.
Seek and administer help
Before providing help, quickly determine the seriousness of any injuries. If anyone has suffered minor or negligible injuries, contact your supervisor or safety manager.
Provide detailed reports of even minor injuries. The underlying causes of these injuries may reoccur and cause more harm if they remain unresolved.
For severe or life-threatening injuries, call 9-1-1 before trying to help anyone. This must be done immediately because the severity of injuries and the risk for fatalities increases only after a few seconds.
You can provide first aid to other injured workers if you are properly certified, feel confident about your abilities and you are uninjured. Injured workers should not be moved if it is safe for them to remain in place until first responders arrive. But it may be necessary to move them if the area is dangerous.
Secure the accident scene
After an accident, all employees must be cleared from the jobsite to help prevent them from getting injured. This also allows first responders to treat any injured employees, have room to perform their duties and bring their equipment.
No one should touch, tamper, or remove anything from the accident scene. Government regulators, insurance companies, union officials and others will conduct a post-accident investigation.
Preventing tampering or moving equipment or anything else helps assure that their investigation and findings are accurate. This information may be important in a lawsuit.
If you can, take pictures or video of the equipment that caused the accident and any damaged. Obtain the names and contact information of any witnesses.
Attorneys can assist you with gathering information for a lawsuit if there was any negligence or unlawful acts. They can help you pursue your right to compensation.