Report: Green Construction Sites Have Additional Safety Concerns

The demand for sustainable buildings has increased substantially over the last few years. The size of the market for them is expected to be worth $1.1 trillion by 2029.

There are understandably a lot of great reasons to focus on building more eco-friendly buildings. However, there are also some downsides that don’t get much attention.

One of the biggest challenges with constructing green buildings is dealing with worker safety risks. Unfortunately, there are some reasons that workers on green construction sites are at greater safety risk than those working on other projects.

EHS Today is a popular magazine that talks about consumer health and safety concerns. They also cover issues related to worker safety concerns. They published a report back in 2011 talking about some of the additional concerns that workers face when creating green buildings.

The article was written by Laura Walter, a leading expert in worker safety. Walter cites a study titled “Identification of Safety Risks for High Performance Sustainable Construction Projects.”

She says that this paper shows that the biggest additional risks that affect workers on green construction sites are that they are more likely to fall and suffer cuts and abrasions. They face a 36% higher chance of lacerations, 24% higher risk of falling and 19% increase in eyestrain. They also have a 14% higher chance of health risks due to exposure of toxic chemicals when working on innovative wastewater treatment.

There are a couple of things that make it more dangerous to work on green construction projects. The first issue is that green construction workers have to spend more time working far above ground, because they have to install solar panels and other types of green technology. This obviously increases their risk of falling and suffering severe injuries. They are also more likely to be injured while working with green building materials common sense they can be more abrasive and trickier to maneuver. A good construction injury lawyer can help you be aware of these risks.

Fortunately, these issues are not inevitable. Walter interviewed Peter Stafford, who is the executive director of the Center for Construction Research and Training. Walter said that there are ways to improve green building worksites to avoid many of these problems.

What Are Some Ways That Green Construction Sites Can Be Safer?

While there are some unique dangers to working on green construction sites, there are also some ways to deal with these concerns. Some of the most important safety steps to take are listed below.

Make sure that recycled materials are checked for quality

You also need to make sure that recycled materials are properly vetted to ensure that they are safe to use. A lot of recycled materials have impurities that can cause them to break while using. This is both dangerous for the occupants and workers on the sites.

Make sure workers have the right PPE

PPE is obviously important for any construction project, but it is even more important for workers on green building projects. They need to given the right equipment to avoid falling when installing solar panels and other green building equipment.

Be aware of outside environmental issues

Green buildings are often constructed in different locations to minimize the impact on the environment. Text while this can be a good thing for the planet, it can also raise additional concerns. They might be built on terrain that is less steady, so it needs to be properly leveled. This is a safety concern that should always be taken, but is even more important when working on a green building project.

Be prepared to deal with dust from natural insulation

Natural insulation materials are also more prone to cause dust. You want to make sure that this is dealt with in an appropriate way.