First Aid: Construction Sites

Construction sites and workplace injuries - as much as we try to avoid them and protect against them, injuries and illness still occur at a high rate in the construction field. Often, these happen quickly. When they do, how will you respond? How you react – and how quickly – can determine a victim’s chances for recovery, or even save their life. In this training, we'll explore treatment methods for injuries and illnesses common to construction sites.

Have you ever experienced or witnessed burns, abrasions, or blisters caused by construction work hazards? Did you know how to respond? Sometimes what you shouldn't do is as important as an active response. Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries are another common occurrence that often requires immediate attention. Pulled backs, skeletal trauma, and other injuries are a reality - albeit avoidable - of site work. Injuries to the eyes, mouth, and head are also common. These are often both devastating and life-threatening, so it's important to know how to assess a victim's condition if something like this occurs.

In outdoor work, especially, you'll want to be prepared for bites and stings from insects and other creatures. Even humans bite and carry disease! Beyond this, breathing problems, choking, and cardiac events are common issues that require an immediate response. What else is common on a construction site? Electrocution, for one. Do you know how to react in the event someone is being or has been electrocuted? What about heat stress... or cold stress? Extremes of temperature and other conditions can also lead to shock or stroke! Knowing what to do in an emergency situation could make the difference between someone being injured versus them being disabled - or even the incident resulting in a fatality!

Finally, this training sets you up with the basic steps to take if a victim is or becomes unconscious, and of course, we'll outline some common risks that you (as a responder on the scene) face when you're administering first aid on the job site. 

No single training is going to prepare you for every situation where first-aid might be needed. The goals of first aid are to preserve life, prevent further injury or worsened illness, alleviate suffering, and promote recovery. Let's be honest: at some point, you're going to need to respond to a job site injury or illness. You want to be prepared? Becoming familiar with first-aid supplies and equipment locations along with proper application and response is the only way.

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