SPOKANE, Wash. — With today’s incident at the Spokane Casino, the focus on safety in construction sites has taken precedence.
The Labor and Industries Department says each construction company and the site must follow an accident prevention program. The program requires crews to meet every week, how to report injuries, and mandatory safety inspections.
"They go to work, they do their thing, it's kind of on the same day forget how dangerous things can be because they're so used to it, you kind of get, you do 1000 times you don't think about," said Michael Wrozek, who works at a local construction company.
Wrozek says construction is more dangerous than people think. He is not involved with the project at the casino.
Wrozek said, “You have to have situational awareness. Your job sites are constantly changing. There are always different people. They're different trades coming in and now and being aware of your surroundings.”
Wrozek says that what happened at the casino might not even be anyone’s fault but an unseen equipment malfunction.
"It could have been an equipment failure or material failure. As far as you know, cement stuffing, if you inspect it, you don't see a hairline crack and something, and all of sudden, it gives way. Or guys were on something, and the ground shifted," said Wrozek.
Michael says Labor and Industry safety inspectors make surprise visits to construction sites.
He makes sure to follow the department's safety protocols. This includes weekly crew-led safety meetings and company-wide safety discussions about what they can do better.
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