Helping to fuel the concern for high fatalities, this high hazard industry is the second largest employer in the U.S. alone, needing to employ hundreds of thousands of workers in assorted trades to keep up with demand for demolition; excavations; maintenance; and new building services, such as roads, buildings, schools, airports, hospitals, power plants and housing; etc. These diverse construction activities present several hazards that can compromise the health and safety of the workers, making it imperative to understand and train on the top safety issues to keep workers safe on the job at all times.
OSHA has recognized four construction hazards that are responsible for the majority of financial, physical and emotional losses in the construction industry. OSHA found that 85 percent of all citations, 90 percent of dollars applied as fines, and 79 percent of all fatalities are related to these four construction hazards. The Construction Focus Four Module (or Focus Four Hazards) was developed in support of the already existing [OSHA] Construction Outreach Program’s effort to help workers in the construction industry understand the hazards they face and know what their employer’s responsibilities are regarding protecting workers from workplace hazards. The Construction Focus Four Module is required to be included in both the 10-hour and 30-hour OSHA Construction Outreach Training Program classes, and with each focus four hazard, there is an objective for what each student should be able to do at the end of training.