Chicago is home to some of the best food in the country. It’s also home to plenty of construction sites where dangers lurk each day. No matter how many precautions construction workers take to protect themselves, accidents can still happen that lead to serious injury or even death. Here are some important construction site safety tips in Chicago.

If you are responsible for operating machinery, be aware of your surroundings, including overhead. Know where power lines are located and how low they hang at the construction site. Make definitive markings of overhead items so you know as you approach that you must exhibit more caution while operating the machinery.

Should your coworkers enjoy crowding around a work area, refuse to operate any machinery until they move away from that area. For some reason, many workers like to stand near the edge of a hole being dug and watch the process. This is not only unnecessary, but also very dangerous. The edge of the hole could collapse without warning or the workers could be hit by the machinery.

When operating machinery at a construction site, be sure you have a spotter when doing so in reverse. The spotter should be in your line of sight and should you lose sight of them, stop operating the machinery immediately. Operating in reverse should only be done when everyone else is out of the path of the equipment.

Falling debris is a big concern at Chicago construction sites. Falling debris can severely injure or kill construction workers. When on a construction site, all workers should don appropriate safety gear, including a hard hat to protect from debris falling on the head. Those working from heights should do their part to prevent items from falling to the ground below by removing items from ledges.

Construction site accidents are scary and can cause workers to miss quite a bit of time at work. Speak with an experienced personal injury attorney about your case in Chicago, Illinois, today.

Source: For Construction Pros, “Top Ten Construction Safety Tips,” accessed May 02, 2017