How safety conscience is your remodeling contractor? Is he or she ensuring that you, your family, and all workers on your project are safe and or working safely? Your contractor, may not have a safety plan in place which may put your project at risk or more importantly may cause you or a family member to suffer a severe or fatal injury.
I recently heard a story in one of my peer networking sessions about a Midwest contractor who was working on a large room addition who took his eye off the ball and as a result is incurring higher insurance premiums and possibly facing litigation from his client for pain and suffering. It seems the hardwood floors had recently been refinished on the project and in an effort to protect them from damage he directed one of his laborers to install rosin paper over the newly refinished floors. While protecting the floors the laborer covered over a number of floor ducts failing to identify their location or posting a caution.
The homeowners had been out for the evening and had not seen their newly refinished floors so decided to take a look around before retiring for the evening. While strolling across the protected floors the Mrs. stepped into one of the covered open floor ducts dropping into a 10″ x 6″ hole taking a serious fall severely twisting her ankle as well as cutting her shin. In the process of trying to break her fall the Mrs. also fell against a window breaking the window and severely cutting her hand and arm.
Had the contractor’s team been properly trained on the OSHA Fall Hazard regulation the laborer would have known that any hole that can be stepped into has to be covered to avoid a fall hazard. Not only did the client step into a severe injury the contractor stepped into a lawsuit he didn’t need during these tough economic times.
OSHA regulation CFR29 1926.501(B)(4) refers to holes and the responsibilities contractors have to protect individuals from stepping into a hole, falling through a hole, or have something, that passes through a hole, fall on someone. Residential contractors are required to comply with OSHA safety regulations or face fines. When hiring any contractor insure that he or she has a formal safety program in place. Fall hazards can occur in a number of areas on a construction project. Ladders, scaffolding, roofs, window/door openings, stair openings, holes, or any surface that can be stepped off are risks.
Before you hire your contractor ask him or her if they have an attended an OSHA Safety class, and if so, to present you with their safety card. Request that your contractor provide you a copy of their project safety rules and make sure that he or she has a plan that enforces safe practices on your project.
Don’t put yourself or family at risk by hiring just any contractor. Make sure that your contractor is a true professional who complies with the safety regulations that pertain to his or her business. The safety of the client’s home, family, and members of the team should be every contractor’s number one priority.
