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Construction workers don't always realize it, but they put their safety at risk every day. If an accident happens, it's critical to take steps to protect both your health and legal rights.

Here are some of the most common causes of construction worker injuries:

• Fall from height: When working at height, such as on a ladder or roof, a fall to the ground below has the potential to cause serious injury or even death. Even with safety gear in use, an accident can still occur.
• Slip-and-fall: There are many reasons for a construction site slip-and-fall accident, such as debris and uneven ground.
• Falling objects: Just as those working at height can fall to the ground, the same holds true of the items they're using. For example, if a co-worker drops a tool from the roof of a building, it could strike you with enough force on the ground to cause a serious injury, such as a traumatic brain injury.
• Equipment accidents: For example, if a nail gun misfires, you're at risk of injury. The same holds true if a forklift tips over and you're working in close proximity.
• Vehicle accidents: Maybe you're responsible for operating a vehicle, such as a forklift or dump truck, on a construction site. Or maybe you work closely to moving vehicles throughout your day. Either way, you're always at risk of an accident.
• Crush accident: This can result from many circumstances, such as if a heavy object falls on you or you find yourself between a vehicle and a wall. These accidents almost always result in serious injuries.
• Repetitive motion injuries: Using the same body part, day after day, can cause a repetitive motion injury. For instance, heavy lifting can cause damage to the shoulders, elbows, hands and wrists.

There is little doubt that part of what attracts people to work in the construction industry in Clinton is the opportunity to avoid the confines of the office and work outdoors. Yet when winter arrives, that benefit can quickly become a hardship, as cold temperatures and winter weather can both delay work and put employees at risk of injuries due to exposure.

The common school of thought may be that the only injuries or illnesses that one may face from exposure to cold weather are frostbite and colds or pneumonia. Yet according to Workcare.com, winter weather exposure can also produce the following:

• Hypothermia: An abnormally low body temperature
• Trench foot: Tissue loss in the feet due to slowed circulation to the extremities
• Chilblains: Damaged capillary beds (small blood vessels in the skin)

If you are like most people who live in New Jersey, you have been in a car, pickup truck or sport utility vehicle when a semi-truck or other large commercial vehicle has come up alongside the vehicle you are in. In these situations, you instantly become aware of how much smaller your vehicle is than the adjacent big rig. This can be a somewhat frightening or sobering experience because you realize the danger to people in average passenger vehicles when accidents occur that involve both large trucks and regular vehicles. 

There may be many factors that contribute to large truck accidents. One of these can be fatigue. Truckers often drive many long and lonely hours, making fatigue a very real problem that they face. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has acknowledged this risk and developed what it called the Hours of Service rule a few years ago. The HOS rule sets parameters on the number of hours a trucker can drive in a given day or work week.

People who live in New Jersey and who are concerned about the ongoing risk they and their loved ones face due to drunk drivers will be glad to know that the state is taking action to help them. The efforts to curb drunk driving have been ongoing for many decades. While stronger laws and increased public awareness may have prevented many acts of drunk driving, there continue to be too many people who refuse to pay attention to good sense.

One of the penalties that many people convicted of driving while intoxicated offenses experience is the loss of their driving privileges. This might sound like an effective tool in keeping impaired drivers off the roads and highways, but the reality of the matter is that many of them simply choose to drive without a valid license. Now, a new law that is set to take effect on January 1, 2020 aims to head this off at the pass.