Why is Safety Important?

In the construction industry, safety is always a relevant issue. Although the industry has taken steps to promote a greater awareness of the importance of safety in the workplace, accidents still occur. Some of these accidents are preventable, which is why it is important to educate industry members about safe practices and procedures regularly. Just recently, in Midtown Manhattan, a woman was struck by a flying buzzsaw from a nearby construction crew. NBC New York reports that the woman sustained a gash on her leg from the 3-foot blade and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Thankfully, the injury was not serious. The incident is a strong reminder that accidents can and will happen, creating serious breaches in safety. In this case, the construction crew had been using the buzzsaw to tear up a roadway to fix an underground water main. Witnesses say that the blade came off the machine and was propelled down the sidewalk by its own force. As a result, workers and bystanders alike were put at harmful risk. To minimize the likelihood of accidents like the one in Manhattan, groups like the Construction Industry Safety Initiative (CISI) and Incident & Injury Free (IIF) Group strive to develop a culture where safety is a core value. Events such as Safety Week 2014, which was held in May, help promote this idea through free organized activities, employee training, and safety performance evaluations. At Metro Hydraulic, we’ve worked hard to encourage a safety culture at our distribution and service centers. We fully support efforts by the construction industry to bring the issue of safety to the forefront of discussion—and on workers’ minds. We hope that these events make a positive difference in the lives of both construction workers and the larger public.