Here in our part of the country, there are all kinds of ongoing construction projects with various types of carpenters on the job. From huge builds (think office towers, hotels, etc.) in Chicagoland to residential remodels in Indiana towns, carpentry is a vital and predominant trade on the jobsite. For more, read our earlier discussion in Carpentry: The Dangers of Serious Work Accidents Facing Carpenters in Illinois and Indiana.
It is dangerous work. Carpenters understand they are taking a risk of being hurt each day they leave for the job. However, from the perspective of advocates for worker victims and their loved ones, it is vital that all those employed as carpenters in Illinois and Indiana be alert and aware of the following risks which are outside the power of the worker to control.
These are hazards that can hurt or kill, and the carpenter has to rely on other individuals or companies to do the right thing or tragedy can result in an instant.
Consider the following:
1. Are There Missing Warning Labels on Tools or Equipment?
Throughout the construction site, from the power tools used by the carpenter, to the scaffolds or forklifts and other machinery and equipment nearby, there are known hazards in use. Sometimes, the manufacturer or distributor places warning labels voluntarily (to avoid liability) but usually, these are warnings concerning safety that are mandatory because of statute or regulation. Labels, alongside operating instructions and their caveats, not only explain how the tool, machine, or piece of equipment is to be used safely but they also explain the personal protective equipment that is advised to keep workers safe.
All too often, these labels or instructions are missing or so faded they are illegible. It is shocking that supervisors or other workers will simply remove them. Also, training may be lacking from those providing them on the site.
Carpenters that are being tasked with working on equipment, near machinery, or with tools that are missing warning labels or are being offered without instruction or operating manuals, etc. are being placed in danger. Legal duties of safety are being violated and the danger of being hurt on the job is very real here.
For more, read: New Warning Label Requirements for Hazardous Chemicals at the Workplace; Three Things That Must Be Included in a Product Warning Label; and Inadequate Warning Labels and Legal Liability for Bodily Harm.
2. Are There Wonky Tools: Refurbished Tools, Repaired Equipment, Missing Safety Guards?
Sure, there is a huge market for power tools as well as other construction machinery and equipment that is refinished or repaired. Sometimes, the savings can be huge to buy something that is refurbished as opposed to new. Read, “Spotting a Refurbished DeWalt Tool: Your Complete Guide,” written by James Robson and published by Tooling Ideas on February 19, 2025.
Carpenters are wise to be wary, though. There is a distinction to be made between any power tool that has been “refurbished” and offered for sale without being certified by the manufacturer. And even more concerning is a tool, or piece of machinery or equipment on the site that has been repaired in some way just to get a bit more use out of it before it has to be tossed and replaced. Duct tape is a big red flag, and it is seen on a site much more often than many realize.
Another problem: safety guards that were removed or that are so damaged they fail to offer protection. Safety guards are life-savers on many machines on a construction site, from saws to things like conveyors and more. Even if the riving knife gets in the way for some cuts, it is there for a reason. The blade guard on a gripper, ditto.
For more, read: Machine Guarding: Serious Industrial Work Accidents Caused by Moving Machine Parts; and Carpenter Work Accident Dangers: Power Tool Injuries.
3. How Bad is the Housekeeping on the Site?
A big warning to any carpenter that they are at risk of being hurt on the job is the level of neglect by those with the responsibility of keeping the site clean and well-maintained. Clutter in a walkway may cause a fall, and loose electric cords can electrocute a carpenter when exposed to live current. Other hazards may be there that cannot be seen: sawdust build up can start a fire.
In bigger construction projects, there may be a specific safety officer who should be roaming around, making sure the site is well maintained and kept safe. In smaller outfits, supervisors should be protecting crews from this sort of disrespect. Read, Almaskati, Deema, et al. “A review on construction safety: hazards, mitigation strategies, and impacted sectors.” Buildings 14.2 (2024): 526.
For more, see: Industrial Housekeeping and Construction Site Accidents; and What is Industrial Hygiene? Expert Protection of Workers on the Industrial Worksite.
4. Shoddy Upkeep of Workpieces Offered on the Job?
Dull blades, lack of a push stick, wobbly work areas: along site maintenance comes the legal duty to maintain the tools, machinery, and equipment itself. A blade binds, or a worktable shifts, and a saw can kickback or violently eject objects that can hurt or kill in seconds. Push sticks should be readily available, to keep hands safe from lacerations or amputations.
For more, read Kickbacks and Power Tool Work Accidents.
5. Danger From Other Workers on the Site?
Carpenters will work alongside others in their trade (think framers, for example), as well as all sorts of other kinds of construction workers in the course of their day. The general contractor may have all sorts of folk working at the same time: imagine a bathroom being built in a penthouse suite of a new Chicago hotel with a carpenter, an electrician, and a plumber all on task at the same time. This can be dangerous when the powers that be are more concerned with production delays than with worker safety.
Another issue: fellow construction workers who are dangerous to themselves or others. Carpenters may be faced with co-workers or fellow tradesmen on the site that obviously do not know what they are doing – and putting everyone at risk. There may be times when someone is clearly impaired by drugs or alcohol. And there is the construction worker, even a fellow carpenter, that is so over-confident they are oblivious to risk. Maybe they are “walking” their ladder rather than stepping off and moving it. Maybe they are balancing on a beam from a height to finish a framing cut. See, Dong, Xiuwen Sue, et al. “Pain and prescription opioid use among US construction workers: Findings from the 2011‒2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.” American journal of public health 112.S1 (2022): S77-S87.
These are all issues of negligent hiring, negligent training, and/or negligent supervision and without having control, the carpenter is placed in danger of a serious work accident.
Read: Construction Accident Expert Witnesses in Work Accident Claims.
Keeping Safe From Dangers Created by Others on the Construction Site
Carpenters in Illinois and Indiana are to be protected from worksite injuries by both legal duties of safety and care as well as industrial standards created to define proper safety measures in the construction industry. Nevertheless, construction remains one of the most dangerous types of work that anyone can do in this country.
Sadly, carpenters cannot wave a magic wand and create a safe working environment for themselves. They must rely on those with possession, custody, and control of aspects of their worksite to obey the law and to adhere to industrial standards established for safety.
Carpenters must be vigilant not only to make sure they are working with proper safety procedures but to know when they are being placed in danger by the disrespect or neglect of others. Sometimes, it may be a simple fix, like asking for a push stick to be provided before continuing a task. In other situations, it may be more difficult, like an obviously dangerous worksite where no one has swept up the debris and workers are expected to work amidst clear hazards.
Hopefully, the carpenter can find a workaround to keep safe. There may be times when the carpenter must refuse to continue working until the danger is rectified.
For more, read:
- Stopping Work In the Face of Danger on the Job: Stop Work Authority
- When Tools Are to Blame for Serious Work Accidents: Who’s Responsible? Product Liability
- When Workers Die Because of Employer’s Willful Violation of Safety Laws: New Indiana Statute
- Job Site Injury in Illinois or Indiana: When Accidents at Work Are Not Worker’s Compensation Claims.
Legal duties of safety and care exist for a reason. They are there to protect against injury, and they provide the foundation not only for government citations after an accident but the elements of liability in a personal injury claim for damages brought by those who are hurt by the breach. Please be careful out there!
