1. The Danger of using your Mobile Phone on a Construction
Site
(Photo: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
In this post we will evaluate the danger of using your mobile phone while on the job on a
construction site and its consequences. With few industries presenting the hazards that the
construction industry does, it is no wonder that safety experts suggest not using mobile phones
on site. The phenomenon of the mobile phone spread across the globe quickly and now no one
goes without one these days but mobile phones can present a distraction that construction
workers cannot afford.
Most construction tasks require workers complete attention due to their danger and workers
usually need both hands to do them, which is why holding a mobile phone while performing a
task is difficult and dangerous especially in life threatening situations.
Some of the main issues presented by mobile phone use on site are:
1. It presents a distraction
There are a variety of dangers associated with talking on your mobile phone on a construction
site. Especially for those workers involved in seriously laborious tasks, talking on a phone
means the worker is not paying full attention to what they are undertaking. Also accidents on
construction sites seem to have ripple effects and the actions of one person could seriously
harm another. Also if a worker makes an error it can negatively affect the entire job and may
even cost lives in the future. Other than lowering the productivity of the worker, conducting
excessive conversations on your mobile phone can be a distraction to other workers trying to
concentrate on their tasks. They may even distract you from dangers that may threaten your life.
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2. 1. Mobile Phones and Construction vehicles don’t mix
Talking on a mobile phone while operating any vehicle is dangerous, even more so when you
are behind the wheel of a huge construction vehicle that has the potential to do massive
damage. Even trying to operate heavy machinery and equipment such as forklifts and cranes
should not be attempted while talking on a mobile phone or texting.
1. Damage or Loss of the Mobile Phone can result
Your mobile phone can prove invaluable in an emergency. If you engage in using it while
working you could destroy the phone, making you unable to make contact in emergencies.
Phones can be stepped on, crushed by machinery or even dropped from high heights.
Mobile phones divert workers attention away from what could be a critical moment. Workers
should restrict mobile phone use to during breaks or after shifts in order to avoid accidents. A
lack of concentration when it is needed most is what normally results in fatal consequences.
By banning or restricting mobile phone use companies will see an improvement in concentration
and inevitably productivity. It also will ensure quality of work and perhaps promote team work
among workers. But most importantly it will reduce the amount of accidents on site, especially
falls which are the most common cause of death and injury on Australian construction sites.
http://www.whitecardaustralia.com/white-card-news/the-danger-of-using-your-mobile-phone-on-
a-construction-site/
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