Are you clued up enough on construction worker health?

For those individuals who work in the construction industry, the daily grind can be challenging on a number of fronts, including staying injury-free.

While the majority of construction companies practice safe initiatives on a regular basis, some others are not as strict when it comes to making sure their employees are protected onsite. As a result, injuries from the smallest to the most critical do happen at times.

According to OSHA and information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (for 2013); just over 20 percent of the more than 4,000 worker fatalities in private industry from two years ago, ended up being construction-related.

Among the top causes for such construction deaths were falls, being hit by an object, electrocution, and being trapped in/between objects. Those four causes of death accounted for more than half (58 percent) of construction worker fatalities that year.

Right Coverage is a Necessity

With that in mind, construction workers and those they work for need to make sure health insurance coverage is not an afterthought.

Yes, workers compensation certainly comes into play here, but those running construction sites and those construction workers who are considered independent contractors need to make sure they have affordable health care insurance in place.

This is not only important should they be injured on the job, but also so that they can receive regular preventative visits with their doctor to stay in good shape for the challenging work many of them do.

Some construction companies and/or independent contractors have not hesitated to make sure they have the right healthcare insurance in place.

According to a 2013 study from McGraw-Hill Construction related to safety management for the construction sector, contractors noted large use of safety practices, however totally-inclusive programs were not yet falling into place when it came to smaller-sized firms.

The report detailed that 92 percent of firms employing more than 500 employees claimed having fully inclusive and largely observed safety programs in place; smaller companies, however, only had some 48 percent noting the same.

For those running construction sites and/or those working there, you can keep your injury rates down and your healthcare insurance coverage rates at a minimum by practicing safe tactics from day one.

The report noted the top three practices that ultimately prove the most effective in contributing to safety are:

1. Putting together a site-specific health and safety plan for everyone involved in the construction site operations;
2. Reviewing possible site safety hazards prior to any construction kicking off;
3. Making sure authorized safety personnel are in place prior to construction starting, making sure everyone knows their roles.

With the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in place, there opportunities for construction firms and their employees to make sure they have affordable and sound healthcare insurance in place.

When they do that, they’re building better opportunities and futures for everyone involved in the construction industry.