Worst Part of the Job

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The construction safety community was rocked this week by a fatal accident at a local construction site.

It’s one of the calls you get that makes your skin crawl.

Every day, there are safety guys walking sites, talking to people, checking site conditions and doing our best to protect the workers.

Usually it is one of four things that results in a fatality.

Struck by a moving vehicle, caught in between, falls from elevation or electrical shock.

Unfortunately, I’ve had to participate in every one of these types of accidents, and the struggle is in speaking with the guys who’ve worked with the man, or hearing about the people who are simply devastated by the loss.

Each of the incidents sticks with every guy who does this for a living.

There are about 4,500 workplace deaths every year these days.

Back when OSHA started in 1970 there were more people dying at work than people who were dying in Vietnam at the height of the war.

I get so irritated when I hear that we need less regulation, or that OSHA needs to go away.

Maybe the people who scream about cutting safety regulations should sit in on an interview with people who are devastated by loss.

So, a tough week in the construction community.

May that man’s family find peace.

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