There are many potential safety dangers when working in construction primarily because there is so much going on in one location. Mixing humans with heavy equipment also increases the risk that something will go wrong on a construction site.
Construction safety training must be adequate and up to date to ensure that the safety of all workers is accounted for and that in the event of an emergency everyone on-site will know just what to do. Many lives could potentially have been saved had the proper emergency response protocol been understood clearly.
While reading about auger accidents, there was a situation investigated by OSHA where an auger operator died from injuries sustained in what was a highly preventable accident. The man’s death came about for a number of reasons, each of which might have been avoided if more attention to detail was paid by the operator and those around him on the job site.
The operator was putting in holes for posts on a construction site. All of the holes were dug but the final one which was also the only one to be dug on a previously landscaped area of the land. No one took the time to check out what lied beneath the mulch and when the auger operator started to drill, the auger became quickly entangled in fabric meant to prohibit weeds from growing in the area. As a result, the operator lost control of the machine and then lost his own footing. His legs were both amputated by the auger which continued to operate and he was not able to be saved in time, later dying from his injuries.
In addition to the dismissal of basic safety protocol in inspecting the area to be drilled, the operator was operating an auger that was to be mounted on platform to keep him off the area where the hole was being drilled. Had the operator been on the platform, he may not have lost his legs let alone his life.
It just shows how quickly things can go wrong on a construction site and why even basic safety instruction should be practiced and learned often. Construction work can be a lucrative, rewarding career but not worth risking your life over.