Here is a discussion of the short and long-term health risks wildfire clean-up crews face and how local and federal governments are working to make their jobs safer.

Because construction work is so core to society's well-being, safety managers need to ensure crew members remain protected from any threats that might come their way. Unfortunately, the job becomes much more difficult when crews must work at night.

Natural and artificial disasters aren’t always preventable. In fact, they’re likely to become even more frequent in years to come. And, once the wildfire is extinguished or the storm has passed, that doesn’t mean the danger is over. How can we protect disaster cleanup teams from these safety risks?

Loading zones are high-traffic work areas with many safety hazards. Even for fully-trained employees, bad habits and lapses in best safety practices can be fostered over time — such as using overhead doors without proper caution. 

Ensuring safety on an industrial site is critical, whether it’s a warehouse, construction site or loading dock. Many factors play a role in guaranteeing safety, making it challenging for facilities to keep workers out of harm’s way. 

No matter what hustle culture might try to teach us, people are not machines. They get tired when overworked, and fatigue can create a safety hazard. This is especially true in industrial settings, where the presence of heavy machinery and other potential workplace hazards make alertness more critical for employees.

Operating heavy equipment increases a worker’s risk of injury. However, this risk can be greatly mitigated with strong safety training and commitment to technology like equipment operator monitoring.

Painting is common across many manufacturing facilities and doesn’t appear to be particularly dangerous on the surface. Despite all appearances, workers in these areas may encounter more health hazards than they realize.

An efficient and functioning warehouse should run like a well-oiled machine. Everything should be in its place, and everyone should know where to go at all times. Of course, that only works on paper. Once we introduce humans and the problem of human error into the equation, things start to go awry.

On the average construction site, safety is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Rules, OSHA regulations, and standard operating procedures control how crews go about their days. While physical safety is essential, what is often overlooked in heavy industries is the weight of mental health challenges.