Construction workers constantly face dangers and risks while on the job, whether working on a new residential or commercial building, refurbishing outdated infrastructure or maintaining roads and bridges.

Examples are numerous:

• in Washington, D.C., a construction worker became trapped when a partially built five-story building collapsed around him in a storm;
• in Prior Lake, Minnesota, a construction flagger was struck by a vehicle along the roadside;
• in Fort Morgan, Alabama, two workers fell 30 feet from the roof of a beach house they were repairing; and
• in Oceanside, New York, a construction worker was struck by three steel beams falling from above.

Thankfully, all survived, but did not go unharmed.

Each change of the seasons brings new and different risks. While these dangers will evolve, they will certainly not disappear as summer turns into fall and the pace of work picks up in many parts of the country to finish projects before winter comes.

September is National Preparedness Month and Sept. 18 is Concussion Awareness Day, reminders that a focus on safety is always timely and necessary—including the use of appropriate personal protective equipment.
America’s construction workers face multiple threats:

• Rising Risks. When factoring in the potential increase in untrained workers rushing to meet deadlines, the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) worries that construction accidents, which already account for 21.6% of all private industry worker deaths, will increase, putting workers and civilians in danger.
• Highway Havoc. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates show that while Americans drove less in 2020 due to the pandemic, an estimated 38,680 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes. Some long-delayed infrastructure projects are finally getting funded, meaning a huge increase in construction crews on roads and bridges at the very time when traffic is surging and crashes are spiking.
• Sizzling Seasons. Heat is posing an unprecedented health-and-safety threat. Not only have wildfires in the West leveled towns and disrupted scheduled maintenance and construction projects, other regions of the country likewise experienced blazing heatwaves this summer, which could extend into the fall. Protecting workers in a changing environment is vital.

Global climate change is creating a wide range of other PPE needs. In addition to cooling garments for hot weather (and hot indoor work), such as cooling vests, which reduce a worker’s core body temperature, employers also need the right PPE to protect workers from cold environments. For example, a number of ISEA members have designed and supply cold weather garments with arc flash protection.

Companies Can Take Extra Safety Steps

All these heightened risks demand urgent responses from construction companies:

• Speak Up Louder. The driving-and-walking public needs to look up from its mobile screens and pay attention to what’s happening around them. Construction companies can be a vital part of that messaging by partnering with local, state and federal authorities to amplify safety announcements. Help make situational awareness top of mind for the public around every one of your projects.
• Protect Workers. As the U.S. emerges from the pandemic, construction companies face a potential skilled-labor shortage. These workers usually require months, often years, of on-the-job experience to build the competency needed to safely work on projects. But the accelerated flow of projects out there this summer means companies should put extra safety measures and equipment in place.
• Don’t Rush Training. Bringing on new workers takes time and training. Rushing them through training and pressuring them to work faster could increase construction deaths. Workers need to know more than simply how to do their job. They must be continually reminded about job site safety, and they need to watch out for drivers that are not watching out for them.

Observe Safety Standards

As the standard-setting organization for the safety equipment industry, ISEA urges every construction company to use safety gear that meets industry standards. Several of the standards that are particularly relevant to construction executives this year include:

• High-Visibility Protective Gear. ANSI/ISEA 107-2020 American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel;
• Head Protection. ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2014 R2019 NEW: American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection;
• Hand Protection. ANSI/ISEA 138-2019 American National Standard for Performance and Classification for Impact-Resistant Gloves; and
• Protection from Dropped Objects. ANSI/ISEA 121-2018, American National Standard for Dropped Object Prevention Solutions.

The safety equipment industry works hard year-round not only to provide what the construction industry needs to keep workers safe, but also to aid in education and public awareness about the risks workers face. ISEA’s informative and user-friendly online tool — “2020 Economic Impact of the Safety Equipment Industry”—shows the industry’s national footprint, as well as its impact on every state and congressional district.