Approximately 73% of the U.S.’s workforce — about 100 million people — are “knowledge workers” who work primarily in open office environments. These workers surf the web, write, gather information, and do all kinds of essential work. However, they don’t have to worry too much about physically laborious tasks and all the dangers associated with another integral sector of the U.S. workforce: construction.
With a market share of around 10%, the U.S. is the second largest construction market worldwide and continues to grow. Seemingly every day, there is a major construction-related accident that results in life-altering injuries or worse. According to ABC 7, a Long Island construction worker was recently struck by a large steel plate that severed both of his legs below the knees. The worker was thrown down a hole approximately 10 feet deep as a result of the impact, which happened just after 8 a.m.
Additionally, The Salem News reported that a construction worker has died after he was pinned under an excavator. The accident happened at 3p.m. and the worker was taken to Salem Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 6p.m.
Sadly, these type of incidents are not rare occurrences within the construction sector. In fact, 15 out of every 100,000 construction workers die as a result of construction-related accidents. Something needs to be done. And while switching to modular construction (60% to 90% can occur in a warehouse) may reduce some injuries, there’s still more work to do. Thankfully, an annual award ceremony is in the works in order to acknowledge and highlight the importance of construction safety.
According to World Pipelines, the Association for Project Safety (APS) is launching an annual award ceremony aimed at harnessing the power of industry leaders to help reduce fatalities, accidents, and various health concerns associated with construction.
“The Association for Project Safety’s (APS) national awards [recognize] professional excellence in design and construction health and safety risk management,” said Lesley McLeod, Chief Executive for the APS. “The four categories — three for professionals and another for student designers — serve a very serious purpose by setting an acknowledged industry-wide benchmark of excellence and highlighting how good design can help cut deaths, injury, and ill-health.”
Here are some of the professional awards that will be given to winners:
- Health, Wellbeing, and Safety Initiative of the Year
- Project of the Year
- CDM Duty Holder of the Year
- Student Designer Award
Entries are open from both members and non-members of the APS. The awards will be announced in June 2019.
