Construction Workers - Protect Your Rights
Construction workers know that their work is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. Every work day 6.5 million workers go to work at more than 250,000 job sites, from bridges to housing, tunnels to skyscrapers, schools to highways. Their work builds America, but the cost to workers is an injury rate of 1.9 injuries per 1000 workers. In 2007 this injury rate translated to construction workers suffering more than 135,000 on the job injuries and job-related illnesses. Another 1200 construction workers died that year from injuries sustained on the job.
In work with such a high rate of injury, attention to safety procedures is critical. California law states that employers have a duty to their employees to provide a safe workplace. Depending on the job site and the nature of the construction, employers must assure that workers have appropriate safety equipment, for example, hard hats, boots with steel toes and metatarsal guards, and eye protection. The workplace must also be as free of hazards as possible. This standard includes such measures as protective signage around holes, debris and hazardous materials cleared from work areas, adequate lighting on the site, appropriate warning devices such as back-up signals, on vehicles and machinery. When workers are working above ground level, the work site must provide safe stairs and/or elevators, scaffolding correctly installed and maintained, and safe procedures for transporting materials.
These are just a few examples of the safety procedures that an employer has a duty to provide to employees, inspectors, vendors, and other legitimate visitors to the construction site. If you are a worker or other person who was injured at a construction site, and a lack of safety equipment or failure of safety equipment contributed to your injury, you may have a legal claim of negligence against the company or government entity responsible for the work site.
California worker injury law defines negligence as conduct which falls below the legally established standard of care for the protection of others against unreasonable risks of harm. To win a negligence claim you must show:
- that you were in fact injured,
- that the defendant failed to discharge the duty of care owed to you, and that the defendant's failure to discharge his duty of care caused your injury.
If you have been injured on a construction site, as a result of negligence by your employer, you may be able to file a claim. An experienced construction injury attorney may help you seek recovery for pain and suffering from your injuries, for medical expenses both present and those you are likely to have in the future, and for loss of income due to the accident and disability. If you have lost of a loved one due to workplace negligence at a construction site, construction injury attorney may be able to file a claim for wrongful death.
Most construction injury and negligence cases are handled on a contingent fee basis. This means that the attorney does not request money from the client up front, and agrees to be paid only if the case is settled in the client's favor.
You should consult with a construction injury attorney as soon as possible after your injury, so that your attorney can start an investigation before critical evidence is removed or altered or destroyed, and while witnesses' memories are still fresh.
Pursuing a claim against a construction firm can become expensive and time consuming. It may require extensive research and the use of expert witnesses. The attorney must also have a deep knowledge of construction techniques and safety procedures, and the law firm must have the financial resources to see your case through trial if that becomes necessary. When you are looking for an attorney, you should ask about the attorney's and the firm's experience in construction injury cases.
Effective Construction Resume Reflects Your Expertise
In today's competitive job world it is very important to construct an effective resume to get hold of the best jobs available in the market. An effective resume is a mirror to a person's skills, talents, expertise, and potentials.
Like other jobs in the market, construction job is also one that requires lot of effort and dedication to get your foot into the field. The best way to step into the field peacefully is to write an effective construction resume. Just think what you do when you construct a building or tower for people to appreciate and implement the same principle while constructing your resume. The only difference is that while constructing the building you attract common people and by constructing a resume you attract employers.
The basic format of a resume always remains the same. It should contain personal information, contact details, educational qualifications, work experience, and general hobbies. The only difference in every resume is the keywords of individual field.
An effective construction resume should have all the keywords and key strengths that are an essential part of the construction field. Words like construction project, workflow, commercial construction, residential construction, safety compliance, hand equipments, machinery are significant elements of the field and maximum of these should highlight in your resume for better response by the job market.
Start your construction resume with your personal details that covers your full name, contact details, and postal address. Following that, briefly define your objective or career goals and how your expertise in the field can prove beneficial to the business as well as the industry.
Then, starting from the most recent job, give a list of your job history with your position in the company, location of the company, time period you have worked in the company and your job responsibilities in each one of that. Also list all the honors you've received and achievements made.
Thereafter, in bullet points you can create a separate section with the title, 'construction and technical skills'. Under the title you can list all your technical expertise in terms of construction field as well as computer knowledge. Also list your construction specific expertise.
Then, you need to give a brief description of your educational qualifications including your basic education, diploma courses, and degree courses. Give the complete details of all including the name of the institute, type of course, year of passing, name of the university and most important your percentage as well. Good percentage in your resume will support your credentials and make you stand out.
At the end you can mention your date of birth, hobbies and other field of interest. Your resume is now ready to distribute. So, carry on with your job hunt with the most effective construction resume.
Construction Careers - List Of Options For Job Seekers
If construction is the field you wish to enter into, what type of advancement is available?
Construction is a major part of out society today. New structures are erected all the time; bridges, housing units, factories, educational facilities and office buildings. Construction workers are involved in structure improvements, innovations, maintenance and repairs, as well as additions to existing structures and renovations to old structures. This list is endless, as is the advancement in a career of construction.
There are three major areas of the construction industry...general contractors, specialty trade contractors, and civil engineering and heavy construction contractors.
General or building contractors construct industrial, commercial and residential buildings. These construction workers start from the blueprint given to them from the designer and end with a fully functional and solid building or structure. They not only work closely with the designer of a specific building or structure, they also work closely with the specialty trade contractors. Occasionally, labors of the general or building contractors will advance to the specialty trade contractors. Construction workers will also specialize in specific or types of construction, such as underground construction, trucking hazardous materials or equipment to designated sights.
Specialty trade contractors are responsible for electrical work, painting, carpentry and plumbing related construction. Some specialty trade contractors work specifically on the foundation or basement structures. There are different levels in the specialty trade contractors. The bottom level of specialty trade contractors is being an apprentice. The next level is becoming a skilled trade journeyman. Then the higher level is supervisor.
The third major area of construction is civil engineering and heavy construction contractors. These perform a large range of jobs; highways, demolition sites, shaft and tunnel excavation and heavy construction sites. Crew members work with other laborers to identify, distribute supplies and materials, as well as control traffic within the work zone.
To achieve advancement in a construction career, many labors specialize in specific areas; such as, construction equipment operators, by apprenticeship programs or on the job skills training. Equipment operators use machinery to transport heavy materials, earth and other construction materials on site. Some equipment operated is used for clearing the land for buildings, roads and shopping malls. other equipment would apply concrete and asphalt to highways and roads. There are trench diggers, cement trucks, tractor and trailer operators.
Career advancement for construction workers will offer formal training programs. One such program is the operating engineer apprenticeship program; another trains in blueprint reading for the structure, electrical and plumbing. It is expected the job outlook in the advancement of a career in construction will remain positive for the next seven years.
Construction Injuries - The FAQ's and the Facts
Working at a construction site is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. In 2006, the latest year for which statistics are available, 1226 construction workers died from injuries on the job. General unskilled laborers are the group most at risk, accounting for 27% of construction site deaths. Ironworkers and roofers also experienced high rates of injury and death. Here are some FAQ's and facts about construction injuries.
How common are construction site injuries? Every year one out of ten construction workers sustains an injury on the job.
What is the most frequent type of accident on construction sites? Falls, both in place and from height, are the most frequent type of accidents on construction sites. Other causes of injury include electrocution, trench cave-ins, and malfunctioning equipment, especially cranes, forklifts and other machinery.
What is the most frequent type of injury sustained in construction? Back injuries are the most frequently occurring type of construction injury.
Do certain trades have higher rates of injuries and death? Unskilled laborers have the highest rate of fatal injuries. Among the skilled trades, ironworkers and roofers have the highest rates of injury. For ironworkers, decking operations carry the highest risk of injury.
Can a construction injury attorney help me claim compensation for loss of earning capacity if I am injured on a construction job? An experienced construction attorney will work to recover lost earnings, and seek compensation loss of earning capacity. For example, if you earn a regular salary, and because of your injury you miss several weeks or several months of work, you are entitled to be reasonably compensated for the entire loss of earnings from the time of your injury until you are able to return to full time work.
What kinds of expenses are involved in a construction site lawsuit? Although each case is unique, most construction site lawsuits involve fees for investigators, consultants and expert witnesses, including engineers and medical personnel, case analysis, photography, computer graphics, and other expenses associated with preparation of models and evidence. In addition there are costs associated with researching and preparing a case, deposing witnesses, and court costs.
How can I pay for a lawsuit? The usual arrangement for hiring a lawyer in a construction injury case is a contingent fee agreement. The attorney agrees to be paid a fee only if the client's case is ultimately successful, either by settlement out of court or by a judgment following a court proceeding. The attorney then receives a percentage of the final amount recovered. This fee arrangement is helpful for most people because it does not require the person bringing the case to pay any money up front. Often the attorney may also be able to front part or all of the costs of litigation until the conclusion of the case.
Health and Safety Guidelines in the Construction Sector
Any construction site poses potential hazards to those working on it. Construction safety is one of the most important considerations when planning a construction project. Some rules and regulations are law, others are common sense, but all equally as important due to the high risk of injury and death on construction sites.
In South Africa, the OHS Act & SANS 10085 is a strict set of safety regulations regarding scaffolding and other temporary structures. Any person working in construction should abide by this act and should be properly trained in all areas of construction work to ensure optimum safety.
First Aid and Emergencies
It is advisable to educate all workers on site about first aid and fire procedures. Basics such as the location of emergency phones, first aid kits, stretchers, fire extinguisher locations and evacuation plans greatly reduce the risk of injury and accidents.
Fire equipment should always be close at hand and all staff should be aware of where the equipment is, how to use it and what procedure to follow if there is a fire.
Prevention is Better than Cure
Precaution is a main ally of construction safety. Before anyone enters a construction site, there are a number of precautions which should be observed.
Firstly, no one should enter the site without a hard hat and knowledge of how to conduct themselves properly on site. Hats, gloves, eye protection glasses and proper footwear are vital!
Workers need to be healthy and fit to work on a construction site. If a worker suffers from dizzy spells, a fear of heights, is sick or anxious, they should not work at an elevated level to prevent injury or death by falling.
Proper knowledge of how to lift things can save a person from any possible back injuries. If lifting a heavy weight, use your legs and not your arms and if the load is too heavy, get someone to help.
Safety on Site
There are further precautions which need to be adhered to in the construction industry.
Workers should never use power tools unless they are trained in how to use them.
Safety harnesses should be worn at all times when working at a height to prevent injury or death from falling. Any areas of danger should be barricaded and workers or visitors to the site should never enter a barricaded area.
When on site, if having to work around machinery or dangerous areas, make sure that construction workers can see you and are aware of you, to avoid injury.
When entering a confined space, the air supply might be weak and the space could be filled with poisonous or flammable gases. Workers should get a qualified person to test the air of such spaces with a detector.
Electrical grounding on a construction site should be checked every day. When electricity is not grounded, it can be fatal. A construction site is an unstable location and electrical flow may not be set up to normal safety standards, so it is vital that electricity supplies be checked to make sure that the supply is grounded. The atmosphere can wreak havoc with the safety of a construction site. If the weather is wet, workers should use ground fault circuit interrupters to prevent injury by electrocution. Three-prong plugs are also safer to use than others.
Ladders can be a great danger to construction workers. There should be no litter or debris around the base of the ladder or on the ladder being used. A ladder should also always extend three feet above the landing it is resting on so that workers can climb on and off easily and without risk of overbalancing. When in use, a ladder must have safety feet attached to the legs. If a ladder is defective, it needs to be tagged and removed from the site.
Scaffolds should be built according to recommendations, with scaffold planks properly secured to prevent workers overbalancing and dropping heavy loads or falling off the scaffolding. Trenches need to be sloped if their size exceeds 5 feet to prevent collapse and workers should never enter a trench without it being sloped.
Your Brain is Your Best Protection
Aside from all of these precautions and safety instructions, common sense is a big factor when it comes to safety on construction sites.
Workers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs are a major hazard to the safety of themselves and others. Throwing things over the sides of a building or level should be strictly forbidden as it may connect with another person on the site and injure them.
Playing around and being foolish, running and not paying attention to where you are going will make any construction site extremely dangerous. Open fires are also a major risk of injury as flammable gases and substances are common on a construction site and can catch alight easily.
A construction contractor should ensure that all staff are aware of these safety procedures and are willing to abide by them. Most contractors will mention health and safety as part of their service and adhere stringently to safety standards.
Exploring Careers in Construction
Without the construction worker, the new hospital across town would not exist, nor the local grocery store, mall, or bridge. The house you live in would cease to decorate your street where a dozen more two-story dwellings thrive. Construction workers are responsible for the establishment of many different kinds of structures that are used on a daily basis. They bring buildings to life, work on heavy construction sites and highways, as well as handle industrial projects.
Different Types of Construction Careers
When it comes to construction work, there is a wide-range of areas that an individual may pursue. Under the umbrella of construction careers, a person may choose to study the ins and outs of becoming an electrician, bricklayer, carpenter, ironworker, heavy equipment operator, or landscaper (amongst other things). Design teams and project managers also find a place within the world of construction as they draw up the plans for a new building and direct workers throughout an assignment.
To get a sense of the type of jobs available in construction, below are a few careers to ponder:
Bricklayer
Individuals who like working with their hands, are physically fit, enjoy precision tools, and have a knack for proportion, line, and color usually fit into the scheme of bricklaying. The duties of a bricklayer may include installing or repairing brick structures; building chimneys or fireplaces; creating patios, walls or walkways; or installing industrial furnaces. Vital skills for a bricklayer include the ability to read and interpret documents; perform calculations; problem-solve; and organize daily tasks. The typical salary for a bricklayer ranges from $60,320 to $70,720.
Blasters and Drillers
A blaster and driller may work side-by-side and will sometimes perform the same tasks. Blasters are responsible for filling holes with explosives and setting off triggers that will dislodge coal, rock, or ore. Their skills are also used to demolish buildings. Drillers control portable drilling machines that create holes in open-pit mines and quarries, or help build the foundation of a construction site. Both occupations could be employed in new home construction or renovation, heavy industrial sites, commercial building, or civil engineering. Both jobs require oral communication, problem-solving skills, job planning, and working well with others. The typical salary for a driller or blaster ranges from $35,360 to $62,400.
Heavy Equipment Mechanic
The equipment associated with this type of mechanic involves the repair and maintenance of heavy-duty machinery that allows the construction of oil, gas, landscaping, and other sites. Sometimes mechanics will also find a place working on railroad construction sites or subway repair. Heavy equipment mechanics may find a job within the new home construction or renovation, heavy industrial sites, commercial building, or civil engineering world. They may fix the power shift transmissions, hydraulics, or fuel injections; inspect bulldozers and cranes; clean or test machine parts of heavy equipment. Mechanics should possess skills, such as working well with others, a sharp memory, and is good with numbers and calculators. The typical salary for a heavy equipment mechanic ranges from $39,520 to $70,720.
Roofer
Roofers are responsible for installing, repairing, and replacing roofs, and they may also fit in at waterproofing basements, decks, or foundation projects. Some roofers work on their own, while a roofing or general contractor employs others. They often find work on new home building and renovation sites, or in the commercial construction sector. Some of the duties connected to a roofer include replacing shingles, repairing metal roofing, estimating required materials and costs, and working with asphalt, gravel, or concrete. Since roofs are constantly in need of repair, roofers are able to find steady work throughout the year, especially since roofing materials need to be replaced every 15 to 20 years. The typical salary for a roofer ranges from $43,680 to $62,400.
Welder
The general duties of a welder are to join metal parts together, such as pipes or vessels. They often find work in the construction or manufacturing scene, employed by construction companies, welding contractors, or welding shops. Jobs for a welder are scattered about the new home construction or renovation, heavy industrial sites, commercial building, or civil engineering fields. They may shape metal parts, repair worn metal products, read and interpret blueprints, as well as operate manual or semi-automatic welding equipment. The job sometimes entails working for long periods of time or in uncomfortable positions and is often seen as physically demanding work. The typical salary for a welder ranges from $47,840 to $72,800.
Construction Career Qualifications
In order to pursue a career in construction, there are a few qualifications that an individual must have under his or her belt. Depending on the line of work you are interested in, various skills, training programs, certifications, and studies are required. One of the most common hands-on learning comes from apprenticeships, where one person shadows another in their line of work to gain experience.
Additional qualifications include foundation certificates, NVQ's and SVQ's, national certificates, national diplomas, foundation degrees, and an overall demonstration of skill. Some construction workers have undergone course instruction, such as the bricklayer that receives work experience from a college or technical institute. Some careers require at least 1,600 of on-the-job training before a final certificate is received. For example, certified bricklayers in Canada must complete three to four years of an apprenticeship program.
It is important to keep up with the trends and acquire additional study in the construction field because with each varying level of instruction received, the annual salary of a worker is increased.
Wholesale Construction Equipment
Wholesale construction equipment is a great way to save money for any one who is planning to run a successful construction work. Basically, this equipment is cheaper than that available in the local retail market, because wholesalers sell their stock at a price lower than the marked market price. Packaging and transportation are very cost effective when wholesale purchases are made. Both heavy and light construction equipment can be purchased in wholesale.
Construction equipment encompass cranes, bulldozers, well drilling machinery, cable plows, generators, loaders, earthmoving equipment, scrapers, draglines, rollers, and light towers. Wholesale construction equipment is resale goods to retailers, professional business, and other related services. Wholesalers purchase goods directly from the manufacturers. Depending on the type of merchandise, they buy the equipment in large quantities and sell them to retailers or other customers.
Wholesale construction equipment is in large demand around the world. It is sold in such a way that it supports effective competition at the retail level and can bring in much larger profits. When buying wholesale construction equipment, customers have the benefits of purchasing new merchandise with full manufacturer's warranty. For the retailers, it reduces the cost of product introductions and promotions. They also get huge discounts on bulk purchases.
Wholesalers of construction equipment assemble, sort, and grade goods in large lots; then repack and redistribute them in smaller lots. They provide full details about the products including price, model, and quality. In addition to the sale of goods, they provide marketing and support services such as packaging and labeling, inventory management, and shipping. They also engage in the sales promotion, equipment training, and handling of warranty claims.
Wholesale construction equipment is distributed to many local and regional retailers for value-added processing and is a dependable asset for retail shop owners. To make construction equipment an attractive business item, one needs a quality wholesale supplier. Internet is a safe way to find consistent wholesale construction equipment suppliers.
About Heavy Equipment And It's Uses In Construction
There are different types of construction that can be performed depending on what needs to be fixed or built in society. For instance one major type of construction is heavy construction. Heavy construction is the type of work that occurs when infrastructure is added to an already built up environment, such as building a highway. Those who own heavy construction projects are typically national or local level government agencies that deal with large contracts that last quite a length of time.
Heavy construction projects are usually done in the best interest of the public to service them better. Of course, it is hard to agree with this when you're stuck in traffic while the roads or the sewers beneath them are being replaced, but indeed the end result has us in mind. That being said, not every heavy construction project is undertaken by the government. Some large, private corporations, such as power companies, harbors, railroads, mines and golf courses, are also involved. These private companies, among others, undertake heavy construction in order to create dams, railways, massive earthwork projects, etc.
Some developments that are considered heavy construction projects include:
- buildings
- parks
- playgrounds
- apartments
- stadiums
- factories
- malls
The most important part of heavy construction that makes it successful is the equipment that is used. Heavy construction equipment is essential to the project, because without it, even the basic construction work could never be completed. They are typically quite large, and are created specifically for one or two different uses. The primary equipment used for heavy construction includes but is not limited to: bulldozers, cranes, well drilling machinery, earthmoving equipment, loaders, draglines, cable plows, scrapers, generators, rollers, light towers, etc.
Each piece of heavy construction equipment plays an important role in the project. For instance, as far as groundwork is concerned, heavy rollers are used. Heavy rollers set up the project and find the base. They are then used to raise and drag tons of stones and iron from one place to the next.
The biggest problem that often occurs with heavy construction is the cost of building. Heavy equipment is quite expensive, and the people needed to work these machines and tools need to have the skill and experience in order to handle them. That being the case, many companies make the decision to rent or lease heavy equipment, sometimes even with or without the operators.
Unfortunately, because operators need to have both the skill and knowledge to work the equipment, they have become practically as indispensable as the heavy equipment. This can sometimes cause problems for companies who require heavy construction projects. To beat this problem, some companies hire people and then pay for their training, as opposed to trying to find someone who already has the training and is therefore going to request a much higher salary.
Despite certain problems, and expenses, most heavy construction projects are completed. The result of a heavy construction project is usually something that many people can benefit from and enjoy.
Acquiring Construction Equipment
Many companies and contractors in need of acquiring new or used construction equipment often don't have the financial resources needed to buy the construction equipment outright, unless it is a large corporation or some branch of the government. This is when the option of renting or leasing construction equipment comes into play. Deciding to rent or lease often depends on what the contractor or business manager feels most comfortable doing from a financial perspective after evaluating the many possibilities and deciding what suits their need from long term leasing to short term renting. The side of construction equipment rentals has met a positive growth since 2004, where nearly 50% of construction equipment dealers' are offering heavy equipment rentals as part of their operation.
There are two ways most companies acquire their construction equipment, renting or leasing. Many contractors or business managers viewed renting or leasing as an opportunity to test out construction equipment at no extra cost and with no strings attached with the possibility of buying. Most often the rental would be converted into a purchase to avoid losing the invested equity. Most buyers would also take into account whether their business is flourishing or floundering, before committing to buying any construction equipment. In a case where a business has an uncertain future, the potential buyers may deem renting as the best way economically and then return the construction equipment to its owner when the job is done.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is the international trade and business development resource for companies that manufacture equipment, products and services used worldwide in the construction, agricultural, mining, forestry, and utility fields. The AEM has conducted a survey that predicted that in the near future, more construction equipment buyers will turn to the Internet for product purchases; as construction equipment buyers increasingly turn to the Internet for transactions, information and support.
Consequently, the rise of on-line auctions, sales, renting and leasing are made available by a variety of merchants who cater to the needs of companies and contractors worldwide. On-line merchants such as: Machine Mart, Rock & Dirt, Machinery Trader, Iron Planet, Contractors Hotline, etc. are only a few of the leading markets where companies and contractors alike can find nearly every piece of construction equipment they are looking for, from the top manufacturers such as Caterpillar and John Deere to many more. Many of these merchants offer the options of buying, selling, renting and leasing of new and used construction equipment to parts service and repair and machine maintenance. It's always wise to investigate the background of any merchant before you place a bid or purchase any construction equipment, to ensure a good reputable stand point before entering into a contract with any dealer or merchant. It's always wise to shop around and compare deals on construction equipment to other offers before committing to any deal.
Construction Jobs - Tips for Being Safe in Construction Job Opportunities
With the explosion in job opportunities after the recession, there are many new openings coming up. Hitherto unconventional jobs are becoming highly popular and are much in demand. A construction job is one such job that was previously regarded suspiciously be most people but is now gaining in popularity. There are many new opportunities in construction that are opening up currently and it would be a wise move to take advantage of these opportunities. There are many companies offering construction jobs that not only pay well but are safe to work for. These companies are looking for motivated workers who know their job well. Human beings have come a long way with the help of their ingenuity and intelligence, and construction in the modern world has become more complex than ever before. New skyscrapers, highrises and fascinating buildings are coming up every day and now you can be a part of the process.
Construction no longer entails only mindless labor and hard work. There are different types of construction jobs. These can be divided into a few categories and you can take your pick as to the area you want to work for. The main aspects of construction include planning, excavation, element integration and demolition. The science behind construction engineering is fascinating and complicated. Construction managers and construction superintendents are the people in charge who are responsible for looking after the entire team. The range of work from demolition planning to finishing is the responsibility of construction managers and it is his duty to prioritize, plan, delegate work and make timely decisions so that the construction project is finished successfully in the allotted time. Entry level construction jobs depend on the qualifications that you own, according to your degree you will be put in the position that is most suited to you.
There are many things to be kept in mind at a construction site, the most important of which is safety. Historically the building of great monuments was always associated with deaths and tragedies. But now times have changed. There are a number of safety equipments available that should be utilized. With the use of the harness and heavy machinery to carry loads, the safety of workers has been ensured. However if you are not careful the possibility of accidents has still not been negated. Construction is the 3rd most dangerous job in the United States even after the utilization of protective measures. It is the responsibility of construction workers to ensure their own and others' safety. One must not neglect the safety gear. This includes the helmet to protect your head, a harness, vest and safety shoes. Dressing appropriately can prevent tragedies and help you be safe. One should follow site safety rules and regulations and not wander off alone or into unfamiliar territory. Always carry a torch light in case you have to explore dark corners and get in touch with the project personnel in case of emergency.
Construction is basically a collaborative effort that requires the participation of all the categories of employees. With the correct safety precautions this can an exciting field of work that is challenging and rewarding at the same time.