Tools and equipment include anything from ladders, scaffolds, utility knifes, extension cords, hammer, etc. They seem simple, but tools and equipment can be hazardous on the jobsite or anywhere they are being use. Their greatest hazards are misuse and improper maintenance.

We have all experienced slipping, tripping, stumbling or falling. Usually the only result is that you feel silly, embarrassed, and perhaps got a scrape or bruise. But falls kill 1,200 people at work a year. They are the biggest cause of accidental death in the workplace. More than 33,000 people are disabled every year from falling down stairs, while many more people receive other injuries like strains, sprains, and fractures.

The following is excerpted from an article by Ulf Wolf, which was originally published in Construction Dimensions, a monthly publication by the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry. 

Accidents occur for many reasons. In most jobsites people tend to look for "things" or “people” to blame when an accident happens, because it's easier than looking for "root causes."