Scaffolding is quite sturdy, but it's no match for Mother Nature when the wind kicks up. Luckily, no injuries occurred when strong wind gusts toppled scaffolding at a construction site in Edmonton, AB, Canada.
We often get away with multitasking as we walk, but not if the floor we're walking on is missing a few key components, such as planks.
Amateur "handy persons" often produce shoddy work by failing to realize their limitations. But here's an example of someone crossing the line from shoddy to potentially deadly by performing electrical work they had no business tackling.
This photo illustrates a very dangerous way to use a boom as a work platform, above traffic no less.
Many workers, especially young workers out to make a good impression, won't speak up when they have a question, for fear of appearing naive or stupid. They need to know it's always better to ask a question--any question--than to risk injury by trying to figure out a procedure on their own.
This photo was snapped in Australia, so it was probably a nice day to be working outside, but this guy is more than a little light on fall protection equipment and other safety gear. One slip and he could face some heavy personal consequences.
This makeshift scaffold, made from ladders lashed together, screams trouble even before anyone sets foot on it.
Here's an example of how not to inspect a roof. This unsafe practice provides no fall prevention nor protection against what would likely be a fatal fall.
One of our subscribers snapped this photograph of a makeshift scaffold/ladder combination set up in the box of a pickup truck. It would have been a whole lot easier and safer to rent the appropriate equipment for the job.
This picture illustrates a depressingly common half-measure in construction--the use of an unsafe work platform that provides zero fall protection to workers.
Unprotected excavations and unguarded floor openings result in countless preventable injuries and fatalities around the world every year. Here's a picture illustrating this type of hazard.
Areas in front of fire hydrants are strict no-parking zones for obvious reasons. But the fire inspector who parked here seems to have not received the memo.
Here's an eye-popping photograph showing workers perched on makeshift scaffolding that could shift or snap without warning.
This photograph was taken in Indonesia, but workers all over North America often place themselves in similar danger by attempting to lift or roll heavy objects that could crush them if they lost control of those items. In this photo, workers are seen pushing a huge log up a steep ramp to a truck bed.
This photograph depicts the dangerous combination of two pieces of lifting equipment being used to elevate a worker. Worse, someone is standing or walking directly under this dangerous situation.
Balancing one-handed on a railing several feet above the ground without any form of fall protection could be this maintenance worker's downfall.
Want to show your employees an example of unsafe work practices? This construction worker is a frightening example of being a step away from a fatal fall.
This worker could be caught between shards of glass and a hard place as a result of leaning against a window.
Try bending sharply at the waist for a minute and then stand up. Feel dizzy? Now imagine doing it while standing on two narrow boards high above the ground, with nothing but hard ground to break your fall should you lose your balance.
Molten metal and jeans and a T-shirt have no business being in close proximity. But this photograph shows a woefully unprotected worker getting up close and permanent with red-hot metal.
Heavy clothing, zero fall protection and working over water could prove to be a losing proposition for this worker.
Tragedies from the past carry important safety lessons, but unfortunately, those lessons aren't always heeded. Locked emergency exit doors continue to be a problem in the modern workplace, 102 years after 146 workers locked inside a New York clothing manufacturing plant perished in a fire.
Better hope there's not a fire or precious time could be lost trying to free this fire extinguisher from its awkward position.
Winter of 2013 hit many parts of North America hard, leaving treacherous driving and walking conditions. Workplaces need to lay down plenty of salt or ice-melting pellets to keep walkways safe and navigable for workers, customers and visitors.
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, this guy could start by paying a little attention to the three little words staring him in the face. One slip and he could be staring at a more dazzling kind of stars than the ones on this banner.
Since it's your first time, you may want to checkout some of the video tutorials.
800-ICW-SAFETY (800.429.7233)
SAFETYOnDemand@icwgroup.com