Whether your occupation requires work on rooftops, a factory floor, or anywhere in between, it’s clear that workers in all trades face potential safety hazards throughout their day.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor reports that 5,486 people lost their lives due to work-related incidents in 2024, with a fatality occurring every 104 minutes at work.
Falls, electrocutions, and struck-by-object incidents remain the leading causes of deaths in the trades. Those tradespeople who manage to retire with good health are not just lucky; they are disciplined and consistent in their practices.
Here are some safety checklists for tradespeople to keep the business running smoothly and safely.
1. Lockout/Tagout, No Exceptions (Even for Quick Jobs)
According to OSHA, the lockout/tagout standard (29 CFR 1910.147) shields about three million workers from potential hazards and, at the same time, mitigates 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries annually.
Probably, the riskiest words in the trades are “I’ll just be there for a second.”
One of the most common violations cited under OSHA safety tip regulations concerns LOTO. Most of these incidents occur because workers succumb to time pressure rather than due to a lack of training in procedures.
Before initiating any maintenance on electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, or mechanical systems that are energized, ensure that you have applied your personal lock and tested the system for a zero-energy state. Do not consider a coworker’s lock to be your own.
2. Run a Real Site Assessment Before You Pull a Tool
Before anything comes out of the truck, walk to the job site. Not a glance — a structured five-minute sweep. Look for slip-and-trip hazards, overhead hazards, unmarked utilities, and panel or shutoff locations.
The greatest risk for workplace injuries is complacency, and when a person arrives at a job site they have previously worked at, there are often many changes in variables from previous jobs they have completed, i.e., weather, subcontractors, and materials moved.
Another way to protect yourself if something goes wrong is to keep a running list on your phone of what was checked prior to starting the job. This will also provide you with a written record of having taken those steps to protect yourself if something were to occur.
3. Fall Protection Starts Before You Leave the Ground
In 2024, there were 844 workers (in total) who died from falling to a lower level across all industries in the United States. Ladder-related injuries send over 500,000 people to the emergency room every year. Before using any ladders, check the feet, rungs, and locks. When adjusting ladders at an angle, use a 4-to-1 ratio.
If you work at an elevated height (six feet or higher), you must have fall protection according to OSHA requirements (such as guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems). We know this is not usually the case, so taking any additional precaution including having a teammate foot the ladder or spot you will greatly minimize injuries.
Each time you use your harness for work, you should visually inspect it for wear, cuts, and any hardware issues. Always ensure that the tie-off point is secured to a structure rated for fall arrest loads (e.g., never tie off to a pipe, conduit, or duct).
Know your anchor point rating before you clip in. A harness that’s never been inspected is not a safety system but a liability.
4. Wear the Right PPE for the Actual Task
Personal protective equipment (PPE) serves as a safeguard during emergencies rather than as an aid for day-to-day work. You should be familiar with exactly what type of PPE is needed prior to starting work for any task assigned to you, not just from what may be available in your truck.
You need PPE such as insulated gloves rated for the voltage you are working on, safety glasses to protect your eyes from flying debris, and hearing protection when noise levels exceed 85 decibels.
You must wear respiratory protection in your attic, your crawlspace, or pre-1980 structures because those environments contain mold (almost always), insulation fibers (most of the time), and asbestos. An N95 mask is not a sufficient means of protection against exposure to asbestos; a half-mask respirator with the appropriate use cartridge for the job at hand is.
- Electricians: Arc-flash PPE rated for the incident energy level per NFPA 70E.
- Plumbers: Chemical-resistant gloves when handling solvents, flux, and drain chemicals.
- HVAC Techs: Refrigerant-rated gloves and safety goggles on refrigerant lines.
- Carpenters/Framers: Cut-resistant gloves during saw work; hard hats in multi-trade environments.
5. Treat Heat and Cold Stress as Medical Events
Your body may not be used to heat waves, so your highest risk of heat-related illness will be during the first few days of a heat wave or when returning from time away from the heat. If you sweat heavily, feel weak, have pale skin, or experience nausea, these 4 symptoms indicate heat exhaustion.
If left untreated, these symptoms usually lead to heat stroke and organ failure if not treated. In wintertime, watch for shivering that suddenly stops or if you’re confused or have slurred speech, all signs of hypothermia progressing.
The habit: Hydrate before feeling you are thirsty. You should drink water (8 ounces every 20 minutes while working actively on hot summer days), do your most difficult tasks during the cooler parts of the day, and know where your nearest shelter is before the shift starts.
6. Speak Up Even When It Feels Awkward
Safety culture in the trades has a problem with silence. Nobody wants to slow the job down or call out a veteran crew member. But an unreported hazard is just a hazard waiting to become an injury.
If you notice any of the following, such as an improperly supported trench, an unsecured scaffold panel, or a scaffold missing guards, you should speak up immediately. This is important because someone else could use this area without prior knowledge of these hazards.
All these habits are not complicated. The key is repetition. The time for a site walk is only five minutes; for LOTO (Lock-Out Tag-Out) it’s just a few minutes per task; the time for a gear check at the end of the day is ten minutes. All of these minutes add up to a full career.
The tradespeople who are leading the gradual, consistent decline in industry deaths aren’t waiting for their employers to force them to adopt good habits; rather, they have adopted them themselves.
“Safety is mostly free, and accidents are very expensive.” — Steve Saunders, CEO, Tempo Partners Inc.
