It is the duty of construction contractors to provide their workers with protective gear, such as hard hats, insulated gloves, protective goggles, and other gear which is necessary to prevent injury when working on a construction site. When they fail to provide this gear to their workers, it increases the risk of accidental harm from falling objects, corrosive chemicals, exposed wires, and other common hazards.
Broken or defective equipment

Another important duty of contractors is to ensure that any construction equipment is in good repair and to repair or replace any equipment that is not working properly. This includes ensuring that all power tools have appropriate guarding and removing equipment whose safety features are not working properly. Failing to do so can increase the risk of an injury to any workers that attempt to use the broken or defective equipment.

Lack of fall protection

Many construction projects require workers to work from far above the ground, where one slip can result in a dangerous fall onto whatever, or whoever is below. Contractors are supposed to ensure that fall protection, such as safety nets or personal arrest systems, is properly in place to prevent these kinds of accidents. When there is no fall protection, falls become much more likely and much more deadly, both to whoever falls and to whomever they may fall onto.

Unsecured scaffolding

Construction often involves working from elevated platforms known as scaffolding, which can either be secured to the ground or against the side of a building or can be suspended from above. Contractors are supposed to ensure that all scaffolding is appropriately secured to prevent tilting, swaying, or collapse, which makes it less likely workers will fall or drop items from the platform. Workers should thus be wary of contractors who do not take the appropriate time to ensure scaffolding is secured, due to the danger it poses to them.

Inadequate signage

You cannot prevent or protect against all hazards on a construction site, but you can at least warn workers when a hazard is present. Signs warning of the presence of flammable materials, caustic liquids, exposed electrical wiring, or potential cave-ins all help workers avoid some of the worst possible injuries on a site. When a contractor fails to post adequate signage of present hazards, all kinds of injuries become more likely, since workers may not take adequate caution without that warning.

Missing or out-of-date inspections

Almost every piece of equipment on a construction site needs to be inspected before it can be used in the construction process. These inspections are tedious and costly, however, which means many contractors allow construction to go forward with out-of-date or missing inspections. Their unwillingness to due their due diligence means that workers often pay the price when they are forced to work under unsafe conditions.

Lack of training

All these safeguards and protective measures mean little if a contractor does not take time to ensure their workers are adequately trained in using them. And unfortunately, many contractors simply do not take the time to train their workers in safety protocols to protect them from harm. As a result, they are much more likely to fail to adhere to safety measures, increasing the risk of injury to themselves and everyone around them.