Construction Debris Removal: Because Safety Matters

With winter behind us and construction in full swing, so is construction debris removal. And that means far more than a clean job site. 

Anyone who has worked in construction any length of time knows that it can be hazardous and safety is a priority. What many of them don't realize, however, is that construction debris removal can help minimize the dangers that can plague a typical job site. 

The "Fatal Four" Causes on Construction Sites

According to OSHA there were 4,836 workers killed on the job in 2015. That is more than 93 a week or more than 13 deaths every day. Of these fatalities, over 21% were in construction — that is, one in five worker deaths last year were in construction.

The leading causes of private sector worker deaths in the construction industry - not counting highway collisions - were falls, followed by struck by object, electrocution, and caught-in/between. Known as the "Fatal Four", these causes were responsible for over 64% of the construction worker deaths in 2015. 

Here is a breakdown of these sobering statistics:

• Falls — 364 out of 937 total deaths in construction - (38.8%)
• Struck by Object - 90 (9.6%)
• Electrocutions - 81 (8.6%)
• Caught-in/between - 67 (7.2%)

This last category describes accidents where construction workers were caught-in or compressed by equipment or objects, and struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material.

If construction crews could eliminate most or all of the falls that occur each year, that would prevent almost 400 needless deaths. 

And regular construction debris removal is a large factor in making that happen.

Falls are the Number One Cause of Construction Accidents

Another sobering fact is that almost half of all fatal falls are from 20 feet or less. Not only that, many occur from less than six feet! Consider that the average person’s reaction time is about half a second, which is also all the time it takes to fall four feet. So a fall from a six-foot high platform takes less than a second.

In addition, when one falls, the impact force increases. If a 200 pound worker falls from that six-foot platform, he will hit the ground with almost 10,000 pounds of force!

One simply solution is to regularly clean and remove construction waste, debris and rubble. This will drastically minimize the potential for trips, falls, and other related accidents.

There are additional benefits to this approach, as well. By minimizing accidents on the job site you will also minimize paperwork, lost labor hours, and related insurance and medical costs. And, most importantly, possibly save a life in the process.

Job Site Trips and Falls Can Be Avoided

Good contractors are always looking for ways to reduce overhead and lower their labor and material costs. A challenge, though, is in finding effective ways of speeding up the construction process without sacrificing safety. And it is an ongoing challenge since any laborer that gets hurt or injured costs a contractor not only time, but money.

In addition, good contractors work hard at being proactive with best practices for safety management. This includes ensuring that the construction site is kept as safe as possible.

A major factor  for a safe condition is a site that is being kept as clean as possible. While it may seem a minor thing to slip and fall from a few feet, or to simply trip over some loose debris, keep in mind that it is these very types of accidents that account for the majority of fall injuries and deaths.

With a clean site they don't have to happen.

Outsource Your Construction Debris Removal

Your crew doesn't need to take time away from the building project to clean and remove debris. The better solution is to outsource the site clean up to an outside firm.

The ideal set up for most construction projects is to schedule a series of waste and debris clean ups and removal. And by making use of a reliable junk hauling service the work can be scheduled and carried out with a minimal amount of disruption to the progress of the job.

In addition, outsourcing this task allows the contractor to keep his crew working on the productive aspect of the project.

When you consider that every hour your crew spends picking up debris, cleaning the site, and hauling and disposing of the material, is an hour NOT spent generating revenue on a project. And the bigger the job, the more the opportunity costs add up.

Add to that the possible costs of hazardous material disposal and even required training for your employees, the benefits of outsourcing these tasks become more attractive.

There is more to proper junk removal than simply throwing stuff into the back of a truck. Knowing what can be disposed of legally and where constitutes a large part of what makes a professional firm the better choice. And simply taking everything to the local landfill – assuming there is one – is not always the most cost-effective means of disposal. Recycling and re-purposing many items and materials is a responsible approach for a business to take.

Finding the Right Firm is Essential

Once you have made the decision that outsourcing a series of site clean ups is cost-effective and will increase the safety factor, you need to determine which firm is the right one for the job. And while you can certainly find plenty of guys with trucks willing to do a “cheap” job, going that route will end up being anything but cheap.

Junk King provides an efficient, safe and eco-friendly construction waste disposal services so you don’t need to worry about the pick up or disposal of the debris after your project is complete. Whether you need our services several times during a construction project or just once after it is complete, our hauling professionals will ensure that the construction debris is out of your way so that you can get on with the job.

Our team specializes in construction trash removal. We can be at your facility in mere minutes, so call us today! Our crew is fully insured and well-trained, so you can trust them to get rid of your unwanted items in a professional and courteous fashion.

One of the best things about hiring Junk King is that we recycle a much of the material we pick-up. This is proof of our commitment to being an eco-friendly removal service. If you have questions about what we do or what we believe, give us a call at (707) 744-4254.