Print this page Print this page

Introduction to Construction Safety

Clint McCann, P.E.


Course Outline

This one hour online course discusses common Construction site hazards and offers solid solutions designed to offer prevention of and protection from them.  Students are introduced to safety checklists to assist with ensuring worksite safety and presented with a list of resources for further study to enhance their understanding of safety issues and preventive measures to ensure worker safety. 

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, students will:

Intended Audience

This course is useful for contractors, engineers, managers, tradesmen, and anyone else who has occasion to work in or around the construction industry.  The course is relevant to multiple industries and trades and can even benefit do-it-yourself homeowners.

Benefit for Attendee

In this course, students will review the OSHA Pocket Guide booklet entitled “Worker Safety Series:  Construction”, published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration—U.S. Department of Labor.  This publication introduces common construction hazards and safety recommendations that, if properly adapted, can provide protection from or prevention of construction-related injuries and fatalities.

Course Introduction

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were approximately 7.7 million wage and salary jobs in the United States construction industry in 2006, making Construction one of the largest industries in the nation.  That same year it was estimated that one fifth of the total workforce worked 45 or more hours per week.  Often working days extend into the evening or night hours, thru weekends, and on holidays to meet schedule deadlines.  Inclement weather may slow down or halt work, leading to even greater schedule demands.  Add to the schedule pressures the physical demands of prolonged standing, climbing, bending, carrying tools and supplies, working in cramped or cluttered surroundings, and working with potentially dangerous tools, and the Construction site can quickly become an extremely hazardous environment.  To function safely within the confines of this industry, workers must acquaint themselves with necessary precautions and diligently practice them.  This course introduces students to common Construction hazards identified by OSHA, recommended solutions, and helpful resources to support a safe work environment.

Course Content

The course content is entirely based on the OSHA Pocket Guide booklet entitled “Worker Safety Series: Construction”, published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration—U.S. Department of Labor.

Worker Safety Series: Construction

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Course Summary

The Construction Industry is an important link to a vital U.S. economy.  With the sheer volume of jobs in this industry it is unlikely that all construction hazards and accidents will ever be totally eliminated.  This course provides the identification of common Construction hazards and identifies methods of risk mitigation to help ensure jobsite safety.  At the same time it also provides a reference list of assorted resources to support a safer work environment.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

Take a Quiz


DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.