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Many construction roles are physically demanding which is why it is considered hard work. Every day requires lifting heavy materials and operating dangerous tools while maintaining attention to detail and following a tight schedule. Not to mention all the early mornings and late nights!

So to make it a bit easier for themselves, some workers cut corners. However, that often involves taking up more risk. And the Instagram account 'Construction Fails' is here to remind everyone that there's a limit to how far you can push these boundaries.

#1

''not My Job'' Awards Goes To ⠀

''not My Job'' Awards Goes To ⠀

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sarah-jones avatar
sbj
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How is this even possible? You'd have to be a complete jobsworth

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There are many, many ways you can injure yourself at work, but the National Safety Council (NSC) found that there are seven common safety hazards that are spotted over and over again. 

It shouldn’t be a surprise that working at height is at the top of the list. Issues related to scaffolding and ladders are among the most frequently cited violations. NSC consultant JoAnn Dankert said hazards associated with working at height can originate from a lack of understanding. Employers may not know they have to provide fall protection or the fall protection gear may not be worn properly or not hooked up to anything. Some employers don’t even have a written fall protection procedure or process.

#3

This Will Be The New Way To Get Around All Job Sites

This Will Be The New Way To Get Around All Job Sites

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#4

Nothing To See Here Folks

Nothing To See Here Folks

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#5

The Most Appropriate Anchor Point

The Most Appropriate Anchor Point

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Another common issue is poor housekeeping. Imagine there’s a pile of things blocking the emergency exits or crumbling ceilings and leaking water that no one takes care of; all of this can contribute to slips and falls. Things like that just invite trouble and increase the risk of injury. 

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Not to mention other threats like allergens, biological agents, and chemicals. According to another NSC consultant, Rachel Harrington, when an organization purchases and uses chemicals, it needs to have a control system and know why they were ordered and when to use them.

#6

Bob Doesn’t Do Just One Safety Infraction, He Does Many

Bob Doesn’t Do Just One Safety Infraction, He Does Many

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#7

Is This Any Better Bob?

Is This Any Better Bob?

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perstephone29 avatar
Persephone
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There has to be an anchor point under those sandbags... the sandbags are just there to protect the structure and offer stability... right???? This is what I'm telling myself 😬

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#8

Bobs Solution When The Trench Is Just A Little Too Deep For The Bucket

Bobs Solution When The Trench Is Just A Little Too Deep For The Bucket

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#9

Why Bother Getting A Lift When You Have Three Ladders And Some Lumber Right Bob

Why Bother Getting A Lift When You Have Three Ladders And Some Lumber Right Bob

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The most important things when it comes to preventing slips, trips, and falls are making sure that the flooring is intact, spills are cleaned and blind spots are covered with warning signs or mirrors.

Also, there’s always the issue of fire hazards. Employees should make sure that flammable materials are always kept in designated locations. 

#10

When Electrician Bob Runs His Conduit Where You Told Him Not To

When Electrician Bob Runs His Conduit Where You Told Him Not To

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#11

Bob Hold On I’ll Give You A Hand Out

Bob Hold On I’ll Give You A Hand Out

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jihana avatar
Jihana
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That looks painful, and it looks as if in the very near future it will be even more painful.

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Next, we have electrical – extension cords. Dankert often witnesses “daisy-chaining” – using multiple extension cords or power strips for a device. At one manufacturing facility Dankert visited, she saw as many as five extension cords chained together.

“It was almost like Christmas tree lights,” she said. “All you really saw were all these electrical cords everywhere.”

#13

Real Heroes Don’t Wear Capes, Real Heroes Strap Loads To The Roof And Pray

Real Heroes Don’t Wear Capes, Real Heroes Strap Loads To The Roof And Pray

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#14

The Backside Of The Rebar Really Needed To Be Inspected Didn’t It Bob

The Backside Of The Rebar Really Needed To Be Inspected Didn’t It Bob

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#15

Don't Worry Guys.the Taper Will Fix It Haha

Don't Worry Guys.the Taper Will Fix It Haha

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Although extension cords can be useful for temporarily supplying power for certain operations, the key word is “temporarily.” When a cord is used for several weeks or months, Dankert said, OSHA doesn’t consider the use temporary. This opens the door for a violation.

Beyond that, extension cords lying on the ground for extended periods of time are a trip hazard. They also can be subject to traffic abuse if run over by forklifts or feet, which can wear down insulation and create shock hazards. When cords are daisy-chained, they can easily overdraw electricity from the circuits, causing the wires to heat up and potentially result in a fire.

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#16

Builder Bob Hiding From Monday’s!

Builder Bob Hiding From Monday’s!

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#17

Hey Bob Just Drop Her Right Over There

Hey Bob Just Drop Her Right Over There

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#18

Yea Bob We’ve Got The Same Feeling About This Week As Well

Yea Bob We’ve Got The Same Feeling About This Week As Well

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#19

Bob Quick The Safety Inspector Is Here, Get Rid Of The Lift

Bob Quick The Safety Inspector Is Here, Get Rid Of The Lift

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Forklifts are another common problem. More specifically, trying to work them quickly. When workers are under pressure, they're searching for shortcuts, which include driving with too large of a load or driving distracted. The end result may be hitting a rack, damaging a wall or product, or even injuring a co-worker.

#20

Who Needs Scaffolding For Stairs When You Have Bob Ingenuity

Who Needs Scaffolding For Stairs When You Have Bob Ingenuity

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#21

When The Electrician Is Using The Lift Bob Improvises

When The Electrician Is Using The Lift Bob Improvises

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auntiestela avatar
ShyWahine
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10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The new feature most people didn't know backhoes came with.....

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See Also on Bored Panda
#22

Just Use The Hazard Notice Board Bob, It’ll Be Fine

Just Use The Hazard Notice Board Bob, It’ll Be Fine

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Moving on, lockout/tagout. These procedures can help prevent serious injuries, but only if they are followed.

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Violation of lockout/tagout procedures often boils down to three reasons:

  • Complacency;
  • A rush to finish the work;
  • Being unfamiliar with the equipment.

A lot of organizations have the best procedures in place, but it’s the implementation that fails.

#23

It’s Ladder Week At Construction Fails - Pay Attention Osha! When That Top Rung Just Won’t Be Enough

It’s Ladder Week At Construction Fails - Pay Attention Osha! When That Top Rung Just Won’t Be Enough

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#24

Bob You Remember To Put Up The Pylons Right?

Bob You Remember To Put Up The Pylons Right?

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laura_ketteridge avatar
LK
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What is a 'pylon' in this context? In English, they are support towers, usually used to carry high voltage power lines. How do America use the word? From the context, I'd been expecting to see the words 'traffic cones' or 'road barrier'.

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#25

I Feel Like Bob Is Starting To Tell A Story

I Feel Like Bob Is Starting To Tell A Story

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4ertani avatar
UncleRussian
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He's trying to express himself, get himself out into the world

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Chemicals can be expensive, and workers in some industries may never know when they’ll need to use them, but this kind of thinking can lead to serious hazards. Before you know it, you have all these materials no one wants or needs.

It may be easy to overlook a small, 5-gram bottle, but those 5 grams can become unstable over time. When an organization purchases and uses chemicals, it needs to have a control system. It needs to know what the chemicals are for and why they were ordered.

Another potential hazard is transferring them from one container to another. Even if employees feel comfortable doing it and have performed these tasks for years, the containers must be labeled as required under the hazcom standard.

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#27

Hey Bob Can You Go Grab The Bucket Off The Top Shelf?

Hey Bob Can You Go Grab The Bucket Off The Top Shelf?

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#28

Nailed It

Nailed It

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Take me to dinner first
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10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This looks like one of those images that "move" if you scroll the screen edit: THANKS BORED&INSCHOOL! SCROOOOLL

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Finally, we come to confined spaces. They can present a number of hazards, and many tragedies involving confined spaces have occurred because an employer didn’t issue a permit or failed to carry out a risk assessment.

If the risk assessment and permit process are done correctly, and all steps are followed, employers shouldn't have a problem.

#29

Bob Just Doesn’t Have Time To Rent Scissor Lifts

Bob Just Doesn’t Have Time To Rent Scissor Lifts

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#30

I Got You Bob

I Got You Bob

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boredpandasucksbigtime avatar
A B C the Third
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be honest: nothing you can do on an official job site, but for home improvement, this isn't too bad. Just guesstimating, using my index finger as a ruler, I'd say black shirt guy has to hold about 20% of white shirt guy's weight by pure leverage. White shirt guy ain't the bulkiest, let's say (and that's a stretch) 80 kg, plus the ladder weighing 10kg of which Black Shirt has to hold roundabout 50%. That makes roughly 20kg. So that's a crate of beer. For any movement White Shirt makes, Black Shirt only has to compensate for about 20% as well, the rest is going to go into the ground without any effect. This makes it way more stable for Black Shirt, as he's got way less load, and way more stable for White Shirt, cause Black Shirt won't jiggle as much (and even if he does, the leverage will compensate). I mean, it'd STILL be a better idea to get a specialised ladder, yadda yadda yaddy, but be honest: for that ONE LIGHTBULB you need to put in, would YOU rent that?

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Note: this post originally had 42 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

The NSC consultants stress that the seven hazards presented are by no means an exhaustive list. And as you can see in the pictures, many other hazards can exist at a worksite, and spotting them requires vigilance.