If you work in the California construction industry, the average amount of time you could spend away from work if you suffer an injury is 10 days. Depending on your injuries, you could spend a significantly higher amount of time away from work.

While you should focus on your recovery, financial issues could plague you. In many cases, if you aren’t working, you aren’t making money. Adding to the pressure of lost income are the medical expenses you accumulate while receiving the care you need in order to recover. You may decrease your chances of suffering an injury by understanding the most common incidents leading to injury.

Did you slip, trip or fall?

If you fell, it was more than likely from a height. This tends to make up the majority of falls in the construction industry. To protect yourself, consider the following tips regarding safety:

• Make sure that the surfaces you will walk on are not covered in debris or construction materials lying around causing hazards.
• Make sure you request and use fall protection equipment.
• Make sure you inspect the fall arrest system provided to you to ensure it all works as designed and does not require any repairs.

You may be able to keep yourself from becoming part of the statistics regarding construction slips, trips and falls by thinking about the above.

Did an object on the construction site strike or pin you?

Construction sites are full of equipment, materials, debris and more. You could end up struck by just about any of them, including vehicles. Moreover, you could end up pinned or compressed between objects. As you can imagine, severe injuries could result. In addition to remaining alert at all times while you work, avoid ending up under areas where people are working. Use netting or lanyards to secure materials that could fall on you. Of course, you should wear your hardhat at all times while on the job site.

Did you suffer injuries due to some other incident?

Other than the two incidents above, you could be involved in a vehicle accident, you could overexert yourself or you could end up exposed to a toxic substance. The equipment, materials and work that go on at construction sites make your job one of the most dangerous out there. Even if you take all the precautions possible, injuries still happen. Fortunately, you can turn to the workers’ compensation system for assistance with your medical bills, lost income and other needs.