ECN Forum Forums Safety Discussion and News Occupational Safety Discussion Take nothing for granted.

I am a general foreman for a mid sized contractor. I have beeb on the current project for 10 months. We all see little things that are not safe and keep on going. I usually just bring them up at the GCs weekly meeting. Well I have found that this isnt good enough, today everything needs to be in writing. For some reason on this job a load of large crushed stone was dumped on a hard troweled concrete floor. They were difficult to walk on because they would slide under your feet. I brought this up several times to the super. Long story short on Dec.16 I was in the trailer doing my thing when a driver from the supply house came in and said he had 800' of 1" emt and could not find anyone to unload it. I was short handed that day and all my men were on the 3rd floor. Rather than call one down I went with the driver to unload the pipe. Carrying the first bundle across the hit these stones and went down hard on my left knee. It landes on a stone about the size of your fist and destroyed my knee. After two surgeries, some screws and some tie wire I am walking again and hope to start back on Feb.21. I still have many months of therapy to go and it has been a challenge. I lost the holidays with the family, a vacation in the islands, and much more. My family and friends have been great and very supportive. In a way I am glad this did not happen to one of the men on my crew. As I was laying there waiting for the ambulance the gc had his laborers remove the stones. From now on every safety issue will be addressed in writing.

Good advise.

Charlie...

I'm sorry to hear about your accident. Thankfully, it appears that you are recovering after a very traumatic injury.

Your accident illustrates the fact that falls from any level are very serious. Injury statistics clearly demonstrate that the majority of injuries and fatalities on construction sites are due to falls.

I hope that your warninigs at the job site are not ignored and that the GC takes permanent corrective action. Usually right after an accident, people remove hazards. But, as time goes on, the hazards drift back. I hope this is not the case at this project.

Charlie, I'm sorry to hear of your fall & the trauma you've suffered! Seems there is an attitude that there is never enough time or energy or motivation to do the right thing at the right time but lots of quick action following a crisis or tragedy. I hope your knee heals fully & as quickly as a body can and that the lesson has been learned at all levels of your work force in spite of it being after your injury.

Good Lord Charlie!,
I hope you are recovering OK.
It's not good at all that you were injured because someone else couldn't give a D**n
about the other people on site.
Personally if that was me, I would be at the guy like a Doberman until the hazard was removed.
Accidents like this, Charlie, just shouldn't be happening, especially when it could have been easily prevented.
Just as an aside, there is a designated area for the delivery of shingle and other such Building materials here, on Construction sites, however, in this case the guy that put the shingle there in the first place should have known better.