Employee Safety

• Workers compensation insurance helps pay for medical care and lost wages in the event a construction employee gets injured at work. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) states that the number of industry-related fatalities in construction is higher than the national average for all industries. Fatal and nonfatal injuries for which construction workers are at risk include electrocutions, falls, trench or scaffolding collapses, repetitive motion injuries and injuries that result from not wearing protective gear. OSHA testimony before Congress states that the construction employees who are most at risk for injuries are those who work on high-rises as well as those who do not speak or read English.
  
  

Equipment

• Construction sites use equipment that range from photocopiers to tall cranes. Misuse of equipment or an accident involving the equipment poses a risk to those around it and can damage property. Therefore, construction site managers must ensure that insurance policies cover damage to the equipment itself, injuries the equipment can cause to others and damage to property. Depending on the type of equipment used, a construction site manager may need to purchase insurance riders for specialty pieces of equipment.
  
  

Theft

• Construction site theft costs the industry about $1 billion per year, according to information posted online by the city of Tempe, Ariz. The most popular items for thieves to steal include appliances, tools and scrap metal, especially copper. The majority of thefts take place on the weekend, between Friday evening and Monday morning, and on holidays. A theft can shut down operations for at least part of a workday while site managers replace the stolen item. In addition to a loss in property, theft can cause a construction company to lose clients and partnerships with companies that rent equipment.
  
  

Negligence

• Negligence is more than being careless on a construction site. Site managers must also consider the future when purchasing insurance. For example, if a building experiences water damage and mold growth, an investigation may find the construction company at fault for the loss. Consequently, the construction company could be required to pay for the associated remediation, restoration and remodeling costs, which an insurance policy can help cover.