What are the focus four?

Every day in California, numerous people go to work on construction job sites. These people might work on what some may consider to be small remodeling jobs at a personal residence, or they may be at massive commercial sites where completely new and large structures are being built from the ground up. Regardless of the size or scope of the work to be completed, construction workers face some serious risks of being injured or even killed while on the job. 

There are very clear rules around safety on construction job sites that are created and published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. As reported by EHS Daily Advisor, however, lack of compliance with regulations relating to fall prevention topped OSHA’s list for violations in 2016. Falls are one of the four most common causes of construction accidents. These causes are commonly referred to as the focus four or the fatal four. A fall may happen due to many reasons including a slip or trip hazard, the lack of protection near a hole or edge, the inappropriate or lack of use of harness or restraint systems. 

Electrocutions, being struck by an object and being caught in something or caught between things are the other three of the focus four that result in a significant number of injuries or deaths on construction sites. 

This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give people in California an overview of some of the most common factors that contribute to construction worker injuries and fatalities in the hopes that they can proactively avoid hazards.